When a soap opera audition does not go your way, you usually end up right back on the pavement. But for Troy Lennon Appel, missing out on one Port Charles role ended up handing him the keys to the kingdom on General Hospital!
Sitting down on Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson’s That’s Awesome podcast, the GH newcomer dropped major tea about how he actually landed on the ABC daytime drama. It turns out Appel did not originally read for Hudson Parker at all. In fact, he went through a grueling audition process before producers decided to create a contract role specifically for him.
Opening up about his professional moniker, Appel explained that he initially created an IMDb page using Troy Lennon Appel because someone else already had his birth name. Little did he know that name would be the exact one he uses today in his flourishing acting career! He also dropped a nice tidbit, his parents named him after John Lennon.
The Audition Trail That Led to a Three-Year Deal
Appel revealed that he had been pounding the pavement for General Hospital for quite some time. He submitted multiple tapes before producers made their big move.
“I did my audition right here against this blank wall back in November. This was my sixth audition for General Hospital,” he explained, adding, “I auditioned for Joe Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Bennett’s character.”
While Jonathan Bennett ultimately snagged the role of Detective Joe Fitzpatrick, the brass at General Hospital were not ready to let Appel walk out the door. After bringing him in for a callback in February, the powers that be dropped a huge bombshell on the actor.
“They created Hudson Parker for me,” he revealed. “All at once they were like, ‘We’re going to offer you a three-year contract, and we’re creating a character for you.’ It was just like things you never expect to hear all at once that I literally… I think I fell, like I was on the phone and I just fell down to the ground.”
The raw emotion of the moment completely took over the former personal trainer. He admitted that he never truly expected his Hollywood leap of faith to pay off in such a massive way.
“I went through all the range of emotions you could have. I know I cried, I hyperventilated—I’ve never hyperventilated in my life, so it was bizarre,” Appel shared. “But I’m like, ‘This is an incredible feeling because it’s one I never thought I would ever experience, but now I get to essentially live the dream I have.’”
Troy Lennon Appel: Landing on His Feet in Port Charles
Since debuting as Jasper Jacks Enterprises VP Hudson Parker, Appel has quickly been thrown into the thick of the Port Charles drama. He’s been working closely with Eden McCoy (Josslyn Jacks) and diving headfirst into the fast-paced daytime schedule.
“I like high-pressure situations because I feel like that’s when it just turns off whatever is keeping me from doing stuff, and then you just kind of go forward,” Appel noted. “I love theater—this really reminds me of theater in that we get a lot of dialogue, and then we just got to perform it.”
Given the three-year contract in his pocket and a tailor-made backstory built from scratch, Appel’s journey from a six-time audition candidate to a major player proves that when one door closes in daytime, a whole new contract role might just be built for you!
Appel also teased that he recently filmed additional backstory scenes for Hudson Parker. Meaning, fans will soon learn even more about what makes his character tick.
Watch the full interview below!
Photo Credit: ABC/Disney.
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