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In the moment that Ellen told Matt she was going to accompany Sebastian to New Orleans, Mitch Longley delivered an array of emotions simultaneously. Matt's shock that Ellen would even consider leaving him to spend time with the dying Sebastian registered on his face as hurt, surprise and anger all in the same instant. His insistence that if she went he wouldn't be waiting for her when she got back showed the character's strength, and his determination not to be taken advantage of or treated like a door mat. All of these emotions came into play again later in the week on Port Charles, and Longley had a firm grasp on every single one of them. Longley had the tricky task of playing a man whose virtually nonexistent regard for his romantic rival's terminal health woes easily could have made his character, a doctor, appear brutish and inhuman. And, at times, that thought did cross this viewer's mind. But the fact that Matt appeared blindsided by Ellen's choice, and that Longley kept Matt's reactions on the most visceral level, worked to cast the character in a nonthreatening, sympathetic light. It was no surprise that Matt stepped up to the plate in the operating room, saving Sebastian's life, but it was a bit of a shock when Matt let a darker streak emerge while confronting Sebastian after surgery. Matt was quick to refuse Sebastian's gratitude, lest Sebastian think Matt's life-saving actions were spurred by anything but basic professionalism. And, even though viewers knew that Matt wouldn't harm Sebastian, his seemingly veiled threat that Sebastian should double-check his pain medication was a warning that Matt wasn't giving up without a fight. Matt looked as if he'd been punched in the gut when he saw Sebastian and Ellen kissing. It had been a while since Matt felt so betrayed, and Longley performance drove home that Matt had every right to both his actions and his feelings. Viewers surely felt for Matt this week. Though thanks to the balance of perfectly delineated emotions Longley displayed, they likely did not pity the character. Longley painted a complete, effective picture of a man facing the disintegration of a relationship he thought was solid. And solid was what Longley's performance most certainly was. (Article by Travis Kinsey, photograph by Jonathan Exley, Soap Opera Weekly, May 11, 1999) |
