Daytime Emmy nominee for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama, Tequan Richmond, is basking in the glow of his being recognized again for playing T.J. on General Hospital.
Surprised and Grateful
This is Richmond’s third nomination, and he could very well be lucky on this third try!
“I would say that the nomination is surprising, but I am very grateful and find myself in good company,” he told Laurie Baker of Outtakes. Hear the full audio below.
It was surprising for the actor because, for one, Richmond doesn’t remember what scenes he submitted and second, he found out about his Emmy nod via daytime’s chat fest The Talk, on which the nominations were announced!
A Winning Dynamic
Richmond is especially fond of the mother-son dynamic between T.J, and his mom, Port Charles Police Chief Jordan Ashford (Vinessa Antoine). He said that he can also relate to T.J. very well.
“The character is tightly based around my own life, which makes it very comfortable. I am going on maybe four years playing him, which is the longest I’ve had of any role thus far. I take it very seriously,” the actor said.
A Short Fuse and On-Set Influences
Asked what the most challenging part of playing T.J. is, Richmond chuckled. “T.J. is very emotional and has a short fuse, so I’d say that’s the most challenging part.”
The actor reveres GH‘s crew when it comes to having mentors. “I look up to all of them,” he said. “Our directors especially, because they know that I have intentions of going into directing at some point, so they all help me. Even the folks in grips and lighting–we are a tight-knit family.” Richmond makes special mention of the soap’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, among those he looks up to. “He’s so hands on,” he noted admiringly.
Soaps vs. Sitcoms
Richmond starred on the hit sitcom Everybody Hates Chris before he moved on to GH. What does he see as the difference between the two genres? “Sitcoms have different shooting and [scene]timing methods,” he said.
“It’s in the small details. There’s something about soaps that makes them individual, special. Even the taglines I had to get used to, and things like pauses and fadeouts. I watch veteran actors like Maurice (Benard, Sonny Corinthos), who does it effortlessly.”
Richmond said that he’s always been a natural at learning his lines. “It’s a little skill that I am grateful to have,” he said.
Sartorial Considerations and Labor of Love
Will Richmond attend the Emmy ceremony? Of course! “To see how it all plays out,” he said. But he is facing a big dilemma: what to wear!
“The hardest thing is finding a suit that doesn’t look like the one from last year,” he said. “I just want to stand out and look different!”
As for future projects, Richmond was eager to mention his “labor of love,” as he put it, a film on which he is a first time producer called Nowhere, Michigan.
“I’ve been working on it for a year and a half, and it’s finally coming to fruition,” he said, proudly. “It’ll be released in December of this year. It was very rewarding, knowing that I had a bigger hand in it than just being in front of the camera.”
Words of Advice
What words of advice would Richmond offer those looking to break into acting? “It’s important to open up your options in case acting doesn’t work out,” he offered. “Sharpen your directing, producing skills–something that’s in the same area as what you want to do.”
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