Robert McNeill:
Not Just Another Singing Soaper!

Tiger Beat: Star
September, 1987
© D.S. Magazines, Inc.

He won your heart as 17-year-old Charlie Brent on "All My Children." Now find out what this actor thinks about playing the nice guy, "He-Man," and singing soapers.

When asked if he sings, an embarrassed look comes over the well-known face of Robert Duncan McNeill. He's easily recognized as Charlie Brent, the 17-year-old resident nice guy on All My Children. Robert admits that he does sing, "Especially on soaps nowadays, it seems like THE thing to do - to sing on the show, " Robert says. "If I were to sing on the show, and if I were to start recording, which I would love to do, I don't want people to think, ' Oh, here's another actor who, just because he got a break, decides he can be a singer."

In 22-year-old Robert's case, the reverse happened -- he was a singer and a dancer before he became an actor. "I never seriously thought of acting until after five or six years of singing and dancing, " he says, explaining that he gave up hopes for a Broadway career long ago. "I kind of saw a dead end," Robert says. "Making a living on Broadway now is so tough, and it's a very disciplined thing to do. I respect the kids that are working on Broadway singing and dancing -- as an actor you don't have to be that disciplined."

Right now, Robert is trying to convince All My Children's producers to let Charlie start a high school rock band. Robert's also taken advantage of his time away from the soap by playing earthling "Kevin," in the new Masters of the Universe movie. And once again, Robert is playing a nice guy. "I guess you would call him a Luke Skywalker type," he says. "I'm a good guy, I"m always a good guy, I want to be a bad guy...." Perhaps, one day, Robert will get a chance to play the villain, but until then, we're content to love him as Mr. Nice Guy.