Soap Opera Spy had the exclusive opportunity to interview an exquisite actress by the name of Kathleen Gati. This Canadian-born actress is best known for playing the role of Dr Liesl Olbrecht in General Hospital. Her award-winning career spans several decades with numerous appearances on primetime television shows, including Desperate Housewives, 24, Arrow, The Mentalist, Weeds, Lie to Me, Bones and All My Children.

KATHLEEN GATI: THE ACTRESS

SOS – In 2006-07 you starred in the hit television show 24. Your character, Anya Suvarov, had a considerable impact on the 5th season. What was the most challenging aspect of your performance?

KG – That role and working on “24” was one of my happiest experiences working as an actor in the States for many reasons. And having been given the responsibility to portray the First Lady of Russia, I truly wanted to represent her as one of those amazing Russians that are intelligent, educated, honest, kind and sophisticated, instead of the stereotypical “Russian thug/mobster” that Hollywood tends to portray. I grew up around many magnificent, talented, brilliant Russian soloists that performed with my father’s symphony, and I used them in my representation of my role.

SOS – In 1995, you starred in a lesser-known Hungarian film called Esti Kornél csodálatos utazása (The Wondrous Voyage of Kornel Esti). You also won the Best Actress Award at the Los Angeles Hungarian Film Festival for your performance in Visszatérés-Retrace. Do you agree that Hungarian cinema is under-appreciated? If so, why?

KG – Hungarian cinema has such a rich legacy and sadly, due to the political and economic changes since communism officially ended, the country is simply unable to produce the same quantity and quality as before. My six years in Hungary were some of my professionally richest and most profound moments of my career.

SOS – What is your favorite role of all time?

KG – I’ve played many wonderful roles, but I honestly have to say that the writing for my character on General Hospital is so interesting, funny, dark, campy, loving, cold, serious, contemplative, dangerous, musical, goofy, evil, etc. that all my “acting needs” are fulfilled! It is a very unique role.

SOS – General Hospital is an extremely popular soap opera. How does your role as Dr Obrecht on GH compare with your previous film/television roles?

KG – Most roles tend to have one color, and one story line, while Dr. Obrecht gets to do all of the above!

KATHLEEN GATI: THE PERSON

SOS – As an opera singer, what would you rate as the greatest opera of all time?

My mother was the opera singer in the family, and her favorite was La Traviata, and I totally agree. I studied some opera and mostly musical theater. I loved ballet and when I was three years old, I saw the ballet, Giselle on television, and from that point on, I knew I wanted to be a performer.

SOS – How did/does music influence your life?

KG – Music hugely influenced and continues to influence me in so many ways. We had so much classical music in our home because my father was a symphony conductor. So whenever I heard it, I needed to “express” it and would get up and dance around the house…then the dance studio for fifteen years more!

SOS – What inspires you?

KG – So many things inspires me. Movies with great stories, amazing acting, music, nature, human behavior. One thing I must say in regards to the fans, is that when a fan tells me that watching General Hospital or whatever show I’m on helped them get through a difficult time or an illness, which inspires me to try even harder to entertain! I take this responsibility very seriously!

SOS – What is your favorite television show at the moment?

KG – I do enjoy Castle and never get tired of reruns of Frasier. The writing and acting is brilliant and hysterical and I love to laugh!

SOS – If anyone could portray you in a film about your life, who would it be and why?

KG – Great question! Maybe Natalie Portman or Scarlett Johanssen, when they were younger, but now I don’t know. There are several younger actresses that could portray the younger me and I think Gena Rowlands or Helen Mirren would be super as my mother.

KATHLEEN GATI: DR LIESL OBRECHT

The following questions were asked by fans on social media:

Mona Doucette: Will the infamous Dr O have more screen time with Nina? What do you think of the current story lines?

KG – Honestly, there are so many story lines…I can’t keep up! And we are only given our immediate scenes for upcoming episodes, we are very rarely, mostly never told what story line is coming up…except one time, when I finished my prison scenes with Sonny two Christmases ago, singing Au Tanenbaum, then heading to the parking lot to go home, Frank Valentini stopped me and asked me if I wanted to know my upcoming story line. It was an unusual question so I said yes, I would…and then he told me I would be the Chief of Staff of General Hospital. It was a jaw dropping moment indeed!

Jeri Jones: I really enjoy you. I wish we could see more of you. What is the hardest part of your job? Great talent in Nurse’s Ball. You were the best act.

KG – Thank you for the kind words. For me the hardest part of my job is trying to squeeze enough study time out of the time allotted with the material. I am very detailed and thorough and maniacal, if you will, when it comes to working on my scripts. Not only learning copious pages of dialogue, but also working the accent in and making choices for each moment, each line. If a line needs to be delivered with a comedic twist, I work on the timing and rhythm over and over till I feel the delivery is right and smooth. I have a unique and different bond/relationship with each actor/character, so I have to make appropriate adjustments. Obrecht is a very complicated character and I spend (probably too much) time contemplating and mulling over every aspect. I guess you could say I’m a neurotic and old school actor!

Candice Kielly: I love your acting. Do you find it hard trying to portray an evil villain? What has been your favorite scene thus far?

KG – There have been so many favorite scenes, from singing and dancing at the Nurses Ball, to discovering my son for the first time when I was in prison with my sister, Magda/Madeline…to the proud mother scene with my daughter, Britta…to the silly Franco “Egg Salad” painting scenes to the “Power Point” presentation scenes with Britta on “How To Capture A Cassadine”. Each script has been a gift to me! Playing evil has been surprisingly easy and (dare I say) fun for me! It is seemingly a stretch from who I am but I have seen myself in times of bug killing so….

Jennifer Harrison: If you could pick a storyline for Dr O what would it be and why?

KG – I love stories that have substance and meaning, and where there is possibly growth and progress, although with Dr. O you never know if she actually learns anything!

Ava Rene Smith: Where did you get that singing voice? Have you done a lot of [work] on Broadway?

KG – I studied voice and musical theater in my youth and did several musicals, but stopped doing theater and musical theater about 15 years ago to focus only on film and television roles. I couldn’t do it all, so when the opportunity came up to sing and dance ON television, well, it warmed my heart beyond anything!

Shalece Kimble: Would you like [to do] a love story? I’d love to [see] your character’s softer side!

KG – I think it would be fun for Obrecht to discover her awkward, yet soft-centered heart in a love story with someone not as crazy, evil or twisted as Cesar Faison. Victor Cassadine cared deeply for Liesl but she couldn’t accept nor trust him…rightly so! But really, any story line is a challenge and exciting! Let’s see what the future holds for Dr. Liesl Obrecht!

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