well!
About to post a podcast with Jackie where she talks
a lot about how close she was with Tony from the
beginning.
Happy belated birthday to Tony. I hope that he is enjoying life wherever he is and whatever he is doing.
Laura, we really did have an amazing connection with him, didn't we? I so appreciate all his work but most particularly the work he did with Genie. I still watch Youtube videos of them, and I must say that it is still as brilliant as it was when they originally created it. FE things stand up over time as well as LnL. Aside from the stellar acting, it was the writing too that made those characters so real.
You mentioned how different Tony was from Luke. That's definitely true. Over the years he poured his playful humor into that character. He made it an unpredictable adventure to watch that show. Those ad libs and his creative ear for writing Luke made him such a special character. Genie's contribution to the pairing was underrated at the time. It was the combination of the two of them together that made them iconic.
It's such a delicate balance to create a character that takes on a life of its own. An actor tries to make it real, but then the audience thinks that's who he is. I can understand why he tried to avoid the attention and fame that intruded on his personal life and ability to do other things.
So, thanks Tony for the sacrifices that were made to create your masterpiece. We'll enjoy the memories for many years!
For Tony, my birthday wish is that he is finding as much joy living life exactly how he wants it as he gave all of us for so many years. My second wish is that he’ll continue to amaze new generations as much as he has all of us.
I am so grateful I got to meet him! And so grateful that Ginger told me in advance I wouldn’t be meeting Luke Spencer—becauseTony is Luke toned down about 100 notches. He focused on me when I met him; he was soft-spoken, a gentleman. In the frenzy that was going on at the Broadway Cares event, it seemed like Tony and I had our private moment. I will always treasure that. At the end of our conversation, I told him that I credited all of Luke’s clever lines to him—-and that’s when I saw the “Luke twinkle” in his eye! He said very humbly, “They do give me certain freedoms.” I just smiled, said my good-byes and he leaned down and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. That is a sweet gesture I will always hold dear to my heart. My biggest takeaway from that first meeting was how easy it was to get lost in his very intense blue eyes. (The camera rarely did them justice.) I wondered how Genie ever remembered her lines looking directly into THOSE blue eyes! But, we know how sensational Genie is, which just gives me even more love and respect for the two of them together!
Happy Birthday and best wishes for many more, Tony!!
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