Scorpio Articles and Interviews
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Conversation with a Great Dane
an interview with Anders T. Hove (Cesar Faison)
by Sonia Timmerman, General Hospital Fan Club Newsletter,  Spring 1990

General Hospital has always had wonderful villians and Cesar Faison is no exception. This character is deliciously malevolent, brilliantly devious, and more than a little threatening to our heroes.

The actor playing this role is anything but malevolent. Anders Hove is a patient, charming man with a quick wit and a willingness to go the extra mile to speak with this writer. Because of faulty equipment I had to interview him twice, and he was courteous and helpful each time.

His accent is slightly more pronounced than it is on the show but his warmth manages to transcend the telephone wires. He seems at ease and friendly, and answered my questions without hesitation.

Born of Danish parents Anders spent his childhood in Greenland where his father was intrumental in starting the political party now in power there. When he was 14 the family returned to Denmark. In 1980 he entered the Royal Danish Academy and after 3 years of study graduated as an actor. (Unlike American, it's the only way to get into the business in Denmark). He and his wife Ann are the proud parents of two boys, Anders 4 and Elliott 2. The family has been in this country for 10 months and according to Anders "... there are a lot of things I haven't seen yet so every drive around town is a kind of vacation.' The American experience is not that new to his wife, Ann. She is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Has it always been your ambition to be an actor?
Not really but I think it crossed my mind back in the early 70s and I actually got the papers to apply but I didn't until 1980.

What were you doing prior to your applying at the Academy?
I did all kinds of stuff. I went to the university for a couple of years then I worked as a postman, and a sewer worker for a while.

What did you study at the university?
That was law and economics, of all the things in the world.

Have you found a substantial cultural difference between our countries?
The only thing would be this country is so young. Everything seems to be new if you know what I mean. But no, I like it. This speed, at least out here in Los Angeles, everything goes so fast. But, I do enjoy it. I enjoy it very much.

How did you get your initial start in the business, into acting?
I started out in a movie. I got the job like you get a job. I talked to the director.

Are the auditions the same?
There are no auditions in Denmark. It's very different from here. You just talk to the head person right away.

How would he be familiar with your work?
Well there are so few newcomers every year and the country is so small, all the directors know everyone's work.

You were nominated for an award. What was it?
I was nominated Best Actor of 1989 in Denmark.

If it's not too personal a question, what prompted you to move to America?
Well, my wife wanted to go back for a break. She was on a break from her company in Denmark for 2 years and it's always a dream for me to go to Hollywood. I guess it's a dream for many foreign actors to go here.

Are you finding it all you had hoped it would be?
I would say so, yes. It's fun and it's exciting and it's good for my language to work here. It's very exciting and I learn a lot from it. It's great to be here and it's wonderful to work on the set with all these experienced people.

Are they making you feel comfortable?
Ya, they are very supportive, they really are. The director and Joseph Hardy, the producer, have been a great help to me.

What do you find the most frustrating and rewarding aspect of acting?
The most rewarding, it's hard to tell. It's a nice feeling to be used, it's most rewarding in itself. I think its' important as an actor to be a little humble about what you're doing and what you're offered.

What are the frustrations?
I haven't had frustrations. I think as an actor on a soap you can add a lot to your character and if your serious about your work it will never be frustrating.

Besides acting, what are your other interests?
The only think I really miss is a good soccer game.

We don't have soccer here?
Not really. The World championship is gonna be in the States in, I think it's 1994. If I'm around I'll be a spectator.

Maybe we can turn you into a baseball fan?
Yeah, maybe. I am very fond of basketball. I think it's very elegant, beautiful to watch.

When your children are grown, if they were to come to you and ask your adivse about becoming an actor, what would you tell them?

If there's absolutely nothing that can stop you from being an actor then go ahead and try it. Otherwise, take up a good education. Go to college, read some history and learn lots of languages, things like that.

What has been the hardest thing to adjust to here, both artistically and culturally?

Whe we came over here we knew it was goin to be hard but I was fortunate in the sense that I could go back any time I wanted to and work. I haven't had this kind of pressure on me, to get a job, as I think my colleagues have. In many ways it's been a holiday for me and still is.

What's the most romantic thing you've ever done?

Let me think. Yeah, the most romantic thing was actually in 1983 when I was supposed to go to Los Angeles with my wife and 48 hours before we wee to fly out I broke my leg. I had it in a cast so we cancelled the trip and went sailing to the islands. I was reading aloud to my wife all the way up there and back about Judy Garland's life. I couldn't move for, I think, 6 weeks.

How does Danish television differ from American.
The commercials.

You don't have commercials in Denmark?
We do have a 2nd channel now. It opened less than a year ago and it has commercials but only 5 minutes at the end of the hour.

What kind of shows do they have in Denmark?
They have a lot of American programs, Dynasty, Dallas, the Cosby Show.

Do you have any daytime soaps like General Hospital?
No, no daytime.

You've done live theater, television and film. Which medium do you like the best, or do you have a preference?
I think it depends very much on the director and the subject of the play. If you're in a good play it's a wonderful feeling to be on stage every night. This doing a soap is a strange mixture of doing stage work and film because you have to work very fast and you have to believe in your intuition when you're there. That in itself is a challenge I think.

What was your audition like for General Hospital?
That was a compressed scene with 'Desiree', but I think I'm very fortunate in the sense that I haven't done that many auditions here yet so I don't really know what it's all about. But I had a really good time. One thing which is very nice, among other things, is that the casting department is very human. They treat you well and respect you as a human being and as an actor. That's a very good thing for your nerves. I was not totally calm. Mark Teshner (casting director) is a very nice man and he understands the procedure actors have to go through and he made me feel good.

What was your first day on the set like, after you got the part?
My first day was 60 cigarettes and a lot of sweat. But, they are very supportive and they kind of lead you in and all the people around you are supporting you and only wish you to do the best. That's a nice feeling.

Whose idea was it for Cesar to smoke the cigars? 
The writers.

He always has a cigar in his hand.
Yes, I like it. I think it's very close to the character. If you have some suggestions of things like that about the character than do write.

The interview concluded with he and I sharing a chuckle over the names of Cesar's guard dogs. We both thought that naming them after the title characters of the Wagnerian Opera, Tristan and Isolde, was an amusing and interesting touch. He said the dogs were very nice to work with but that he walked them around the set first so they could all get to know each other.

Anders Hove is an absolute joy to inteview and I thank him very much for his time!

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