Ben Masters Mailbag

From Wendy Mollette: What’s it like working with Kim Johnston Ulrich?

Ben: It makes me happy when I arrive at work in the morning and know I’m going to be working with her. She’s a fantastic, beautiful, talented woman who I love very much.

From Annie St. Fleur: Where do you draw all your energy to play such a complex character?

Ben: From the graveyard in my personality! Seriously, from past experience, and from observing different people--like how some waspy East Coasters with green pants with lobsters on them treat people.

From Alex Hachmeister: Is it fun to play a bad guy, or would you rather play the good guy?

Ben: I would much rather play the part I’m playing. There are many more colors in, as you put it, “a bad guy.” I don’t like playing anyone that you’d loan the keys to the car to.

From Doug Merrick: Where do you think you would be if you weren’t on Passions?

Ben: Most probably playing golf in Palm Desert, California with my beer drinking friends.

From Kim Quast: Would you ever want to be as powerful as Julian in real life?

Ben: Not for one second. I think that kind of power would be too much responsibility. I like life to be a little simpler than that.

From Jenny Reyes: Is the way you portray Julian now the same as when you first read him? What ways have you changed him using your imagination?

Ben: I think he’s basically the same as he was when I started because this is the way I did my screen test and they seem to have foolishly bought that! If anything has changed, it’s been my feeling of freedom to do strange things with the character. I feel more comfortable doing the part and people seem to buy Julian’s ridiculous antics.

From Amanda Kvortek: If you could have one big thing happen to your character within the next year, what would it be?

Ben: I’d like to have an affair with Grace Bennett and show her what the real recipe is for tomato soup cake.

From Rania Korban: What is your biggest achievement in life?

Ben: That’s a difficult and sad question since I don’t look at my life and feel I’ve achieved anything at all.

From Marisa Ballard: What’s the single most important thing that you want to see revealed about the Crane family?

Ben: That they really do a lot of weekend charity work for the homeless.

From Magdalena Komoriko: Is the voice you use to portray Julian naturally like that or do you change it for your character on the show?

Ben: The voice is basically the same. The accent is a little more East Coast “snot.”