Scorpio Articles and Interviews
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To Be Continued...
John J. York hopes that the apparent end of his on-screen marriage will mark the beginning of a new adventure for Mac Scorpio
by Rosemary Rossi, Soaps In Depth 6/13/2000

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Born: December 10 and grew up on Chicago's south side.

Trival Pursuit: York is an expert on the topic of The Dick Van Dyke Show.

You dog, you! In 1987, the newcomer played the title role in FOX's Werewolf.

He shoots, he scores! The GH star's castmates frequently challenge him to games of Nerf Basketball in his dressing room.

That's Mr. Bubble to you: The veteran daytimer's most memorable funny GH scene had him and Mary Beth Evans (ex-Katherine) frolicking in a bathtub. The bubbles formed a protrusion on the heartthrob that was more than a little distracting while playing the entire scene. "I wish I had that on tape because it was the funniest thing," he laughs.

General Hospital's Mac Scorpio is at that proverbial fork in the road. Although he loves wife Felicia, every time he looks at her, he can't help but see her in the arms of her constant companion, Luke Spenser. (The poor guy even has a videotape as a visual aid.)

So, what can Port Charles' police commissioner do? Before answering, his portrayer of nearly a decade, John J. York, thinks carefully. "At this juncture, both roads seem to be without Felicia," he offers. "There's not a lot of, 'I don't love Luke, I want you' [coming from her]. Maybe down the line one of those roads could include Felicia. But what's not happening is the honesty of, 'This is what I did, and this is why I did it. I'm sorry. Let's see if we can mend this.' She's not fighting for our love."

Mac... With Laura?!
Mac's heartbreak over the dissolution of his marriage only is intensified by his past issues: Ever since a plane that he was piloting crashed, killing his and brother Robert's parents, Mac has been desperate to rebuild a family unit. "Mac always had to outdo Robert to get the affections of his father," notes York. "With Felicia, Frisco [Jones, her first husband] was always the one for her. She never denied that. And that was okay with us. [He] recognized that in her."

Now that Felicia has chosen Luke over Mac, although his foremost concern remains his step-daughters, he may decide that it's payback time. Thus, it would make sense for Luke's ex, Laura, to start looking awfully attractive to the odd man out. "I'm trying to do my flirting!" York insists, laughing. "When I get to work with Genie Francis (Laura), I try to make it a little bit more interesting."

Port Charles... Without Mac?!
York puts his all into his scenes with Francis, and all of his scenes, because, frankly, that's his work ethic. But he concedes that not long ago, a stay on the backburner, coupled with rumors that he soon would be let go, forced him to put his career in perspective. "Yes, 1999 was a very nervous year," he admits. "Ultimately, I realized that all I can do is bring the best performance I can to the stage every day. I can't take anything personally."

"The only thing I have control over is being positive, having the most fun I can and being there for the [ensemble]," he adds. "I love being cheerleader for the show. It's who I am. And you know what? That's so much nicer than being negative. Life is good- knock on wood."

Smart Man, Foolish Choices
John J. York sounds off on the women Mac Scorpio has loved and lost

Jenny Eckert. Why she was so right for Mac: "She was the first woman who could have grounded him." Why she was so wrong for him: "The same reason. He wasn't ready to settle down. At the time, she deserved better than Mac."

Dominique Taub. Why she was so right for Mac: "She was in the right place at the right time. In other words... '[the powers that be] were trying to get Mac involved in a love story.'" Why she was so wrong for him: "Dominique was from a world and a class that Mac didn't fit into. Also, she wasn't capable of understanding his need to live life on the edge."

Katherine Bell. Why she was so right for Mac: "She was dangerous. She was unpredictable- the one who called her own shots. She was an 'If you're going to get in my face, I'm going to get into your face' kind of woman." 

Why she was so wrong for him: "She wound up getting in Stefan Cassadine's face instead. 'But we had fun along the way.'"

Felicia Jones. Why she was so right for Mac: "They were best friends. 'The reason we split up was the first time was because of her love of Frisco. Mac saw that and needed to come to grips with that before they were able to get back together again." Why she was so wrong for him: "She has a new best friend."

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