Wally Kurth. Photo Credit: ABC, Craig Sjodin
Actor and musician Wally Kurth chatted about “General Hospital,” “Days of Our Lives,” and his forthcoming acoustic music concerts.
He is known for playing Ned Quartermaine on ABC’s “General Hospital,” as well as Justin Kiriakis on “Days of Our Lives” on Peacock.
‘General Hospital’
Right now, Kurth’s character on “General Hospital” has amnesia, and he thinks he is rock singer Eddie Maine. “The amnesia storyline is going well, it’s a little tricky for them,” he said. “My character has selective memory, where he remembers certain things, I look at it like a PTSD situation.”
“During the writer’s strike, there are new writers on the show, so they have to find their way in the Eddie Maine history. So far, I think they are doing good,” he said.
“We have been on hiatus in the month of July, so I hope when I go back in August, I can do some music on the show because I haven’t really played much music on there,” he hinted.
“I enjoy a good challenge and I think this storyline is a challenge,” he added.
Speaking of “General Hospital,” the show just celebrated its 60th anniversary on the air. “60 years is incredible, isn’t it? I am very proud to be a part of both ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Days of Our Lives.’ Honestly, I feel very honored that both shows want me around,” he said.
In 2002, Kurth won the Emmy Award for “Outstanding Original Song” for the song “Barefoot Ballet,” which he was featured in “General Hospital.” He co-wrote this tune with Christian Taylor, with lyrics by Debra Cochran.
‘Days of Our Lives’
Kurth also stars in the Peacock daytime drama series “Days of Our Lives.” His portrayal of Justin has earned him two Daytime Emmy nominations, one for “Supporting Actor” in 2020, and one for “Lead Actor” in 2021.
“We have an interesting storyline going on at ‘Days of Our Lives’ right now, even though we are filming so far ahead,” he said. “I work a lot more with Judi Evans and Robert Scott Wilson.”
Working with Robert Scott Wilson
This month, co-star Robert Scott Wilson is celebrating his first anniversary on the show as Alex Kiriakis, playing Kurth’s on-screen grown up son on a regular basis. (Wilson previously played the role of Ben Weston on the show from late 2014 until he wrapped his run in 2022, with a few sporadic appearances as Ben in 2023).
“It feels great to be working with Rob, I enjoy working with him. With every character, you need to have a family around you, and Alex is a very different character than Sonny, my other son. Alex is a lot more rebellious,” he said.
“Sonny is perceived as the ‘perfect son’ while Alex is a little more trouble,”Kurth said with a sweet laugh.
Remembering the late John Aniston
Kurth paid a moving tribute to the late John Aniston, who played his on-screen uncle Victor Kiriakis, who was the father of Jennifer Aniston. “John always had a great attitude, he was like a Stuart Damon, where we would see both of them at their best, in the studio when they are working,” he said.
“We miss John all the time, we feels his loss in the studio. They keep putting me in John’s dressing room, and it is neat that they are consistently putting me there,” he said.
Kurth & Taylor concert
On July 30, he will be performing a fan event with the band Kurth & Taylor (along with Christian Taylor), as well as Pat McCormack, in Glendale, California, as part of “General Hospital” Fan Club Weekend.
“I will be playing five or six songs that I’ve never played in public before,” he said. “I will be singing two Jackson Browne, a Stevie Wonder song, a Neil Young tune, and a Don Henley song from his last album. We will also be doing songs from the Kurth & Taylor catalog.”
“We will also be doing songs from the Kurth & Taylor catalog so it should be a really nice evening. It’s a little bit daunting because I’ve never sang that many songs by myself,” he added.
A portion of the Kurth & Taylor proceeds will go towards the nonprofit organization Dance and Dialogue, which uses dance as an artistic outlet for expression and release of tension and frustration.
“A very dear friend of mine, who is from LA, was always into dance and she got me into it. She is all about dance, choreography, and she is still doing it. She is still teaching kids dancing and she is still choreographing shows. She started this organization 10 years ago. It’s a cultural exchange and integration, and I just want to support it. I am on its Board of Directors. I am doing this event both for the fans and the charity component to it,” he said.
Shows with The Day Players Band
He is also looking forward to his upcoming acoustic shows with The Day Players Band, where he is joined by Eric Martsolf, Brandon Barash, and Carson Boatman.
On August 6, they will be performing at CB Live in Phoenix, Arizona, and later on in the year, on November 4, they will be playing at Stand Up Live Huntsville in Alabama, and on November 5, they will be performing at Zanies Nashville in Tennessee. “I am excited for all of these shows,” he said. “In particular, the guys are fired up about playing in Nashville.”
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