Michael Damian Is Young … And Restless!

The following interview was taken from Models World Magazine 1990
by Bonnie Siegler

He’s certainly handsome, with high cheekbones and a smile to die for, thanks to his Italian heritage. And there’s no denying this man is talented. Few others could have so successfully taken a David Essex hit "Rock On" and make it entirely their own. Or fall into the daytime role of Danny Romalotti on the number one soap opera, "The Young and the Restless", and claim his place in sexy soapdom. Sitting in his Hollywood home dressed casual chic, Michael Damian, the rock’n’roll actor comes across as the epitome of the courteous show biz personality. Standing 5’ 10" with his blue eyes ablaze, he turns out to be an animated talker; he is also relaxed and friendly, particularly when talking about his passions in life – acting and singing – not necessarily in that order.
"I had no acting experience when I began on Y & R nine years ago", he admits when pressed, "so I just played myself. Danny was a
struggling musician and a waiter, and that is exactly what I was doing in real life. So in a way, Danny Romalotti is Michael Damian. He’s a nice guy who cares about people and is going to make it. And during the nine years, there has been a lot of musical growth for both Danny and me."

The youngest son in a family of nine children, Michael Damian Weir grew up in San Diego surrounded by music. He started with classical piano under the tutelage of his concert pianist mother, and took lessons from another noted musician, Joe Porcaro. Then at fifteen, he moved to Los Angeles where he began his recording career. "Actually, I was seventeen when I began my show biz career", he politely corrects me. "That’s when I had my first solo single. It was actually a remake of an Eric Carmen song, ‘She Did It’." While the single didn’t exactly launch him as a rock superstar, it did land him an appearance on American Bandstand, where he was spotted by the producers of Y & R. As fate would have it, they were looking to add the character of a young rock’n’roll musician to the cast, and actually created Danny Romalotti after seeing Michael perform.

"That’s when it really started to take off", the 28 year-old multi-talented Damian explains of his career. "The teen magazines started running cover photos of me with inside stories. That was my big break – having my pictures spread across the pages

of every teen magazine out there. I guess you could say I was an amateur model, but I never thought I was attractive enough to do it professionally. But I certainly understood the tedious hours of makeup and hairstyling before you even get in front of the camera."

Sure, he’s got a small grin on his face, and even turns a bit sheepish when told just how photogenic he is. "You know," he says with a shrug, "I always feel a little uncomfortable posing for the cameras." But clearly, he displays a fondness for it. "I guess with so many pictures taken of me throughout the years, you might call me model material."

Still, if Damian is slightly guarded on this subject, he’s also enthusiastic about his upcoming summer tour and daytime story line. It seems that the next few months could prove to be a long, hot summer for the

love struck Danny and Cricket on Y & R. "Well, you know, the writers have been toying with the romantic idea between Danny and Cricket for so long that I think they have to take it a step further. Just in the last few shows, there’s been a definite, intense passion. It’s been heating up; hey I kissed her four times today! I called my dad, and he said what did you do today, and I said I kissed Lauralee four times, passionately. And he said, ‘You get paid for that?’."

Typically, Damian displays the same amount of enthusiasm for his recording career. "I’d always been told that I wasn’t ‘commercial’ enough. But I took it as a compliment, because they were saying that I wasn’t like everybody else. I’ve just stuck to what I believe in, and that’s what has taken me to where I wanted to go." Currently, Damian is planning his next career move and recording. "I’m in the studio now working on my new album. . . I am writing all my own material. It’s going to be a very big step and a great change from the last album. "It’ll
add a whole new dimension to my career, and show a growth from my last album."
With his previous albums reflecting urban rhythms and European bands like Roxy Music, Damian looks forward to the prospect of continuous success on his A&M label. "It’s still rock and will have a pop feel to it, but it’s a whole different vibe which is hard for me to explain." With no title or release date yet, Damian will be touring this summer to help in its promotion. His first concert date is June 8th in Missouri.

Point out that this might interfere with Danny’s story line, Damian adds matter-of-factly, "Well, you know Danny has asked Cricket to go out on tour with him. So this will coincide with my own personal tour. I think the writers will work around my schedule so that I’ll work maybe Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then leave to play weekend shows around the country."

With a schedule like that, something must give, and for Damian it is his personal relationships. It appears that he prefers to be a loner of sorts, particularly with regard to social life. "Lauralee has asked me to have dinner with her and her boyfriend, and I keep telling her that I’ll have to try and find somebody to go with me. See, the biggest problem is my schedule. I just don’t like having people sitting around waiting for me. Do you know what I’m saying? That’s a lot to ask of someone. Because of touring, writing, recording, doing the show, and having a big family to spend time with, there’s not much time for someone special – at least not right now. I guess on tour I really feel the loneliness set in. Everyone gets lonely at times. But then playing in a big arena in front of so many people . . . I get too excited to feel

lonely for very long."

Ask Damian why he is returning to Y & R at this point with his recording career on the upswing, and he responds very diplomatically, "First of all, I really enjoy the show. That’s the number one reason. Plus I have a very strong daytime following that has supported me for many years. I didn’t want them to think that I was bailing out on them just because I had a number one record. I felt like coming back would be a good idea. Of course, I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay on the show, but it has been a great learning experience, a terrific job. I have made some lasting friendships, especially with Lauralee, and I just wasn’t ready to leave now."


Unlike other soap opera stars like Jack Wagner and Rick Springfield, Michael has successfully coupled acting with music in a manner that is truly uncommon. With the pending release of his next album, Damian looks forward to making acting and music work hand in hand for him. Reflecting on his previous good musical fortune, he says, "When I recorded ‘Rock On’, I didn’t record it for any film. I recorded it for my own reasons, but my brother, Larry, had sent the tape to Mark Rocco (director of DREAM A LITTLE DREAM) without my knowing. One day Mark called me, and said he wanted to use this version in his movie." The rest is history, and Damian’s meteoric rise up the Billboard charts.

As he goes on about this album that ignited his singing career, he suddenly asks, "Can you hear those birds? I have a new thing in my backyard – a bird

feeder. There are so many different birds hanging around my house, and it’s fun watching them chow down."

Wait a minute! Is this the same Michael Damian that sets hearts aflutter with his onscreen passion and hard rocking rhythms? "Another thing I have is a green thumb. In fact, I planted ten new pots of flowers the other day, so my whole place is full of color. Bougainvillea are my favorites. I even have vine covered Roman columns in the backyard." A gardener too? Damian smiles sheepishly. "Yeah, well that’s something else I love to do. I’m just a regular guy," he protests. Not quite.

 

Photographer: Jadran Lazic, SIPA Press

We would like to thank Allison for her time in typing up this article and scanning the photos.

Back