There’s no role that ALL MY CHILDREN’s Walt Willey (Jackson) prefers to that of father
When asked how his daughter, Merit, age 4, and son, Chase, age 8, get along, ALL MY CHILDREN’s Walt Willey (Jackson) laughs. "Like brothers and sisters," he answers. "On the one hand, if Merit goes missing a second, Chase says, ‘Merit, Merit, where are you?!?’ Of course when he finds her, it’s like, ‘You scared me,’ and then he’ll bop her on the head!"
His Better Half
Aside from the occasional scuffle he might need to break up between them, Willey says that his children are on the way to becoming great friends. "They’re really getting closer because they’re not so close in ages as some siblings are — and because they’re not the same gender," he explains. "They’re almost four years apart, and I think that puts a little distance there. Once she goes over that age 6 hump and the developmental differences aren’t so obvious, I think they’re going to be close friends."
Ever the proud father — and husband — the actor adds, "What can I say? They’re great kids and a real joy, and I give their mother, Marie, much, much credit. She’s a fabulous human being and a really terrific mother, and she makes my job of being a father much easier, especially since I’m sometimes an absentee father."
Papa Is A Rolling Stone
When he refers to being an "absentee father," Willey of course is referring to the fact that he is always traveling between his job on AMC in New York City and his family’s home base of Sante Fe, NM, where he and his wife own a bed-and-breakfast. And we won’t even mention his comedy tour! "It’s very hard," he admits of his long-distance commute and busy schedule. "But we as a family believe that if the iron’s hot, [then you should] strike. [This frontburner storyline] has kind of been a Second Coming for me. It’s a real career boost after six years of basically lying around in the trenches.
"It’s nice," he concludes. "It’s good for us, good for me, and it’s fun. I’m glad to be back in the saddle, and I feel like I’m doing the best work I’ve ever done." — Colleen Humes
Walt Willey
