From: Soaps in Depth, December 2, 1997
Story by: Kelli M. Larson
Photography by: Beth Kukucka

Materialism isn't part of Mitchell Longley's vocabulary. "I don't own a computer or a typewriter, I don't even have cable, and I barely have a TV," says the actor who plays PC's Dr. Matt Harmon. "I've been a gypsy for a long time. Somehow, I work just enough to get by and, fortunately, I have an old car that runs beautifully." That old car, a 1983 Buick, might be the one possession Longley does care about. "It's got 176,000 miles on it, and I call it my spiritualmobile because is was a gift to me from so many people (family and friends)," he explains. "There's a lot of good energy and love that went into it. I have no intention of replacing it until it literally falls apart. Then I'll have to get something else that I can use to go out into the wilderness to visit the Native American nations."

Reaching Out

Like the medical intern he plays, Longley is dedicated to helping others. But while Matt chose medicine as the means to that end, Longley founded a nonprofit organization, Spirit of the Wounded Horse (SOWOHO), which helps Native Americans with physical limitations. When Longley speaks of SOWOHO, his whole face lights up, revealing the passion that he feels for his life's work. "The Navajo are only about seven hours away, so I try to get out there on weekends," he says. "It's a very grassroots-level thing, and I don't have a lot of money, so it's very individual. Sometimes it's just a cushion that they need, or a used wheelchair that I can buy for $100 somewhere."

Chasing Dreams

When Longley isn't on the road, he's pursuing his first love - acting. "I wanted to be an actor since I was a child, and my injury didn't change that." he says. Like Dr. Harmon, Longley suffered an accident at the age of 18 that left him without the use of his legs. "My disability is a huge thing to some people, but to me it's just a personal characteristic like hair color," he says. "I'm hoping that in a few years, it won't even be an issue for me as an actor because it will be so commonplace."

One of Matt's most endearing traits is the way that he makes others feel comfortable with his use of a wheelchair. Longley himself is responsible for this aspect of Matt's personality. "I had a nice conversation with the writers and they got a feel for my philosophy so they decided to make that Matt's philosophy, too," he recalls. "I also think that people are best educated when they are not confronted in a harsh way about any issue in life, particularly when there is something about it that might make them afraid. Sometimes people have a level of fear that's based on their ignorance."

Speaking Out

Longley is relieved that, unlike his 1992 role of Byron Pierce on Another World, Matt is a character to whom he feels close. "Both characters are very determined and intelligent, but Matt has a softer side to him - he's more compassionate," Longley suggests. "Byron had an edge, but you couldn't really blame him because he hadn't dealt with his reality. I think it's less stressful playing Matt."

One of the ways that Longley dealt with his own reality was on the lecture circuit during his college years. "I liked being very intellectual about discussing issues in my life, whether it be sexuality or social misconceptions of disability," he recalls. "I liked having it fall under that umbrella of education. So I lectured at universities in Boston and at medical seminars. I also did some lecturing in Egypt. I liked to speak about my truth - issues of intimacy and life and self-esteem and how we perceive ourselves in relationships."


Moving On

Today, Longley no longer feels any conscious connection to being an example for others. "I'm through with all that now and I have no desire to talk about those issues anymore," he says. "I'd rather just live it and deal with my own emotions about it."

Some of his acting goals even have had to move aside to make room for the other things in his life that are just as important to him now. "One of my goals is that I'd love to raise a family someday. I also want to continue working with SOWOHO and have it reach more people over time. It's important to me to continue expressing myself creatively and artistically through writing, acting and a few other areas of life that I'm not ready to reveal just yet."

One might say that Longley is right where he wants to be. "I have no cable bill and my car runs on Karma," he concludes. "It's a beautiful life."