Soap Opera Spy Interview: Agent Michael Bruno Discusses Representing Our Favorite Soap Actors, Plus His Take On Michael Easton’s Return

Michael Bruno was born and raised in New Jersey. In 1990 he came to LA and worked at the front desk of a theatrical agency answering phones. Within his first year there, he was running the daytime division of that agency.

Today he is one the most sought-after names among agents who represent daytime actors. Some of his clients include Amelia Heinle (Victoria Newman, The Young and the Restless), Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans (Steve Johnson, Kayla Brady; Days of Our Lives), and Ashley Jones (Parker Forsyth, General Hospital).

Below he answers my questions on what the work of a soap agent is like.

First of all, Michael, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview and giving us an inside peek at what it means to be an agent for daytime actors.

MB: You’re welcome.

Were you a soap fan when you began representing actors who work primarily in daytime?

MB: I was a soap fan growing up. I started with General Hospital, then started watching all the soaps. My favorite soap of all time would probably be Edge of Night, followed by General Hospital, the one that started it all for me.

 How much does fan input and feedback play in casting decisions?

MB: Fan input is tricky. Very rarely does “fan outcry”, etc., push the shows to change their minds. The head writer, executive producer, and network do what they want to do. It’s basically, “This is what we made you for dinner. If you don’t like it, go hungry.” However, I do think that the recent situations with Becky Herbst staying on General Hospital and Michael Easton coming back to it were ALL fan driven.

Are the primary concerns for you and the actors you represent, the pay and recurring vs. contract status of a role?

MB: In regards to doing deals for actors on soaps, it has drastically changed over the twenty years I’ve done this. Now, there is no “negotiating.” It’s basically, “Take it or leave it, and we’re okay if you want to leave it.” It’s a very sad state of affairs when these iconic daytime stars are made to feel like they are lucky to be on a show. In regards to being contract or non-contract, it’s usually best to be contract, because it forces them to write a story for you. They don’t want to pay actors who are under contract for not working. Non-contract works best if your client has outside interests going on. I.e., Wally Kurth being non-contract is beneficial to us, because he is able to do both Days and GH and that’s what he prefers.

 How has social media affected the work of agents? Is it difficult to keep information under wraps for your clients’ sake? Or do you find that social media serves your clientele in some ways?

MB: Social media. I’m not that up to date on. I guess this ages me. I still don’t “get it”. But I will say that a lot of casting “secrets” or “surprises” are very rare now, because as soon as someone sees an actor on set filming, or even the character’s name in a script, it gets out there.

You said to “Soaps In Depth” in 2013, at the tail-end of the spate of soap cancellations of the previous five years, “It’s like when you have to get rid of the weaker trees in order let the stronger trees get even stronger.” What did you mean?

MB: When I said that I was referring to the cancellations at the time of GL, ATWT, AMC, and OLTL. I was trying to put a positive spin on a very sad, eye-opening realization that these shows were being canceled. I do feel that Days and GH are more likely to stay on, because their network can say they have one soap, as opposed to no soaps, on their daytime lineup.

A large number of current or former soap actors were nominated for Independent Series Awards for their work in online, scripted, often serialized formats. Do many of your clients work in online formats?

MB: Some of my clients do web series. Mary Beth doing The Bay being one example of that. My feeling is that “you never know”. There is no money in doing it, but there is the “dream” that maybe someone will see it and will want to make it into a broadcast program.

A veteran soap actor once said that without soaps, Broadway as we knew it would not exist, as soap actors relied on the income from the daily work that soaps provided to be able to act in plays, which pay less. Is the Web becoming a sort of “new Broadway,” providing a home to independently produced content for soap actors despite not being regular income?

MB: I agree with the statement that in the old days, Broadway wouldn’t have existed the way it did without soap operas. A lot of the New York actors, made there living being on a soap opera during the day and doing Broadway at night. It’s very disheartening to know that no soap operas are shot in New York any longer. The place where they all began.

Many of us would have been hard-pressed to describe an agent’s work, so another thank you to Michael for this illuminating glimpse into the life and work of one. Hopefully his and other agents’ advocating for their clients will help show networks that soap actors and their medium matter. And maybe some of you who have read this will consider working in Michael’s field!

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