Dr Love only has eyes for one
New Zealand’s longestserving soap actor, Michael Galvin, has revealed why he’s remained on Shortland Street so long: his desire to be a good parent for his 15-year-old daughter, Lily.
In a new interview published today on stuff.co.nz, the man behind the much-loved Dr Chris Warner tells Steve Kilgallon that he split from Lily’s mother, artist Melissa Dines, when their daughter was 3, and he has not had a significant partner since – choosing instead to put his focus on his daughter.
Having a steady job as Ferndale’s ‘‘Dr Love’’ has meant he’s been able to be a hands-on parent.
‘‘It’s just been me and her, and it’s been easy to build a life around her,’’ he says, adding that he’s so proud of his daughter, whom he describes as ‘‘terrific ... she’s got a big heart, she’s really kind, she’s really funny, and she’s smart’’.
As Shortland Street celebrates its 30th birthday this year, Galvin also remembers a brief spell in London chasing other acting work before Lili’s birth.
‘‘I wanted to spread my wings and be a famous actor and do bigger things than Shortland Street – but I didn’t,’’ he says. ‘‘It was a good, hopeful feeling… which didn’t last.’’
And he also reveals how, back in the early days of the soap, he fainted on the set at the sight of fake blood used in the scene and wondered whether it could stymie his whole career.
‘‘I thought ‘if I don’t get back in there now, I’ll never beable to’,’’ he says. ‘‘It was horrible and humiliating, playing the world’s greatest surgeon who is afraid of blood. Fake blood, not even real blood.’’ But the 55-year-old has built a career around a single character and is as well-liked on set as his character is in the show – seemingly all because he’s keen to be as relaxed as possible in what can be a fast-paced environment of shooting up to 17 scenes a day, learning lines on weekends and having scripts just three weeks in advance.
So what’s the secret to staying calm?
‘‘I really prioritise in the workplace not being an arsehole,’’ he says.
‘‘Sometimes I fail, but I just think it is so important to not be an arsehole. I think a lot of actors don’t prioritise that as they climb up the list. Honestly, it is as important to me as doing a good job. I used to think it didn’t matter… but it’s not true,
you are a human being first.’’
To read Steve Kilgallon’s full interview with Michael Galvin and discover what his fellow cast members and crew think of him, go to stuff.co.nz