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Grant Aleksander:
He’s Got His Love to Keep Him Warm (and Sane!)
Soap Opera’s Greatest Stories and Stars
April 1984

It isn’t easy to maintain one’s journalistic objectivity and professional cool when standing face to face (or in my case, face to collarbone) with Grant Aleksander. GUIDING LIGHT’s Phillip Spaulding, the square-jawed adonis who’s sort of a cross between James Dean and Prince Charming, is even sexier and more, well, charming in person. But forget any romantic fantasy that has Grant falling in love with you at first sight, sweeping you into his arms and riding off into the sunset...That role has already been filled by live-in girlfriend Sherry Ramsey - and Grant has no intention of replacing his real life co-star!

He speaks seriously and almost reverently about what is obviously a mutually supportive relationship. “It makes nearly everything not only easier, but better,” he explains in response to a question about the benefits of a steady involvement. “It improves my acting, my perspective on life. If I hadn’t had Sherry throughout the good times and the bad times in New York, I think I’d be a much different person than I am - and much for the worse! Because,” he continues, “she’s kept me sane through a lot of things that normally drive people crazy.” Some testimonial!

Mind you, Sherry was present through the entire interview - but Grant’s sincerity was obvious. I’m sure he would have said the same things if we’d been having a private conversation NOT intended for print. Besides, would you leave Grant Aleksander alone with an admiring female reporter if he was your boyfriend? Grant and Sherry met at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. The story goes that she played Ophelia to his Hamlet and it was love at first sight. Since they both wanted to pursue a career in acting, the couple moved to New York before graduating where Grant continued his studies at NYU and the Circle in the Square (Theatre) School.

Success was not instant. “I waited on a lot of table,” he says with a laugh. After a brief career as a model (which he didn’t particularly enjoy), a friend of a friend introduced him to an agent and within a relatively short period of time he was cast as Phillip Spaulding. As Phillip, his success WAS instant. Again, his relationship was an oasis of calm.

“You know, when you go from someone carrying around onion soup to a table and almost overnight you find yourself in a strange part of the country and hundreds of girls are sort of grabbing at you, it takes a very stabilizing influence to remind you...” Suddenly, Sherry breaks in, laughing, and recounts this story.

“The very first personal appearance he made (in Pittsburgh) he called me long distance from the airport. We’re both a little plane shy,” she explains, “and he had also been nervous about the appearance. He called to tell me everything was over and he was coming home. But he sounded real funny on the phone, so I asked him what was wrong. He answered, sounding sort of dazed, ‘they scream.’ And I said, what do you mean, they scream? And he repeated, ‘they SCREAM. The girls scream. The come right up to your face and they SCREAM!’ He couldn’t believe it!” Grant has been laughing at the memory of this first encounter with daytime’s female fans, “they treat you like Robert Redford,” he says, shaking his head in amazement. “It’s incredible - and it’s hilarious.” And do they proposition him too? “Oh, sure they do,” he admits with glee. “Anything you can imagine!” I’d be arrested for what I could imagine!

He takes all of this adoration in his stride. Part of his enormous charm is that he doesn’t take himself overly serious. But he is aware, as any intelligent actor in his position would be, that he has something very special going for him. He isn’t unduly surprised by this “overnight” success and popularity. “How should I word this,” he muses thoughtfully, not wanting to give the wrong impression. “I don’t think I’m cocky - but I am confident. I always wanted to be successful and I always thought I would be, though I wasn’t sure in what. So, no, I’m not surprised as much as I am grateful.”

He gives credit where it’s due. “My mother, especially, was supportive in my formative years. So there’s nothing I feel that I can’t do and I think I owe a lot of that confidence to her. It doesn’t bother me a bit to make a total fool of myself! That’s why I can go in front of the camera and try things a little differently sometimes.” Anyone who saw his very moving scenes after the discovery of Phillip’s true parentage surely will agree that the emotional risks he took paid off in a big way. He and the GL writers have created a sensitive, intelligent, wildly appealing character in Phillip Spaulding.

So, Grant Aleksander fans, you can relax in the knowledge that his beauty is indeed more than skin deep. He is, in fact very much like the character he so vividly brings to life five days a week on CBS. There was only one thing more we had to know - does he fool around? Not surprisingly, the answer is no. “I believe very strongly in monogamy, at least as far as relationships are concerned, of course. If you’re not involved with someone and you want to run around all over the place, that’s a different story. But,” he emphasizes, “if you’re involved with someone and you care about them, you’re just cheating yourself if you’re not monogamous.” Ok, Ok! Just one last question: are there any more like you at home? #