He's a Morgan, no he's a Quartermaine, no! He's Super Jason, fast enough to dodge a speeding bullet or muscle a bad guy who threatens someone he loves. But now, there is a conscience behind those baby blues. The rage is gone and it has been replaced by reason. So, who is this new and improved man in town? "He's someone in between the two people he's been" explains Steve Burton.
BUH-BYE ANGER BOY:
Ten years ago, Jason Quartermaine essentially died and Jason Morgan was born. The fact that they occupied the same body is neither here nor there. They were very different men, from their ambitions and morals to their choice in footwear. But a recent head injury, coupled with the side effects of an experimental drug , has revealed yet another side to the already complex guy. No longer black or white, Jason is treading in the gray area. in which he is less reactionary and more responsive. "I wanted to take the anger out of Jason because he has no reason for that right now" Burton explains. "He didn't know how to deal with emotions so he was angry a lot. I wanted to make him different. Without reacting when someone grabbing me or touching me or shooting me normally, I would react involuntarily. But, now I want to kill Manny just for what he is doing to Sam. There's a reason why Jason is acting out. He realizes that guys like Manny are why he does his job. He realizes he can't stop what he is suppose to do, which is to kill Manny and that will be his mission until Manny is dead.
FACING FACTS:
Realizing he doesn't like the man he had become, Jason has tried everything to escape the reality of his life and his unconventional job. But he quickly learns he can't hide from the truth. "Running his whole life is not an option" says Burton. "So why not just confront the issue? At least that way, he knows what's going on. He realizes he left people behind who counted on him. He made commitments with Sonny and he knew he was leaving Emily and the kids behind. The last thing he wants to do is be somewhere else when he finally remembers them. It wouldn't be good if one day he woke up and remembered everything 'I've been away for 7 months. Why?'
HELLO AGAIN:
As Jason's memories continue to creep back, his life is guaranteed to get more complicated. Case in point, Dr. Robin Scorpio, Jason's ex is back in town. "Jason doesn't remember anything about her" Burton says. "He's going to have a flashback about her. I don't know what that's going to be, but it's probably not going to be a good one, because the only flashbacks he gets are painful or violent. So going on that theme, it's a logical deduction that it won't be good. Maybe it's her telling him about Michael and AJ. But it's going to be something big and it'll be bad. That will be the hurdle to get over right off the bat."
Sorry Jason and Robin fans, if you're expecting a tender reunion you're out of luck. "I think that's good" Burton says "if there's going to be a build, it needs to build that way first...starting with something bad to whatever it's going to be. It's interesting because when I first started the new character, Jason Morgan, Robin was the first person there, and walked him through life. So there will always be that connection, if he remembers."
BURTON QUOTES!
On His Wife Sheree
| Wanting to make sure there was no way his wife Sheree, could turn him down, Burton proposed on a beach as an airplane flew overhead, dragging a special message for her. "This is the real thing. She is the perfect woman for me. By the third or fourth date, I was thinking about marrying her. |
STEVE ON STEVE !
What does Steve remember about his audition?"It was either 91 or 92, casting director Mark Teschner and I talk about it all the time still. When I use to audition, for some reason, I would never park on the lot. I would always park outside the gates. I don't know why I did that. I actually auditioned for the A.J. part but I was too young at first. Mark had remembered me when they were doing Jason and he called me back. I kind of liked the A.J. character. I thought it would be fun to play that role. Obviously I am happy with Jason. He is alive!"
Staying Put: "I feel like I've been on General Hospital my whole life, which I pretty much have" Burton says, who joined the soap when he was 21 years old. I'd like to be there another 10 years if they let me, but I think 50 is the cut off for me."
Bang, Bang, You're Dead: If Burton has his way, he won't be hanging up his gun belt anytime soon. "There's got to be tragedy. These light and nothing going on stories - not fun" Room With a Few?: According to Burton, his dressing room is kind of messy. "My dressing room looks like something from Sanford and Son."STEVE ON JASON !
Sam: They weren't planning on putting us together, which is the best thing they could have done, because it just happened naturally. But a baby is not in their future. "Jason raises everybody else's kids but his own."
Courtney: "With Courtney, for the first time, Jason saw there was more to life", Burton says of his character's former wife. "She is the first person who opened his eyes. When he looked at his life before her, he had nothing. With her, he thought he had it all." Sonny: "Everyone is always trying to figure out how to get me and Sonny to fight", says Burton. "Why would people want to see that relationship ruined? It's one of the strongest relationships there is. I commend the writers and producers for keeping it that way, because it's huge. To do something small like a betrayal, it's not worth what it would do to our characters."SID November 8, 2005