A Few Questions for Van Hansis

In a recent interview, Van Hansis shared his thoughts on his As the World Turns character, Luke:

On discovering Luke was gay: I knew going into the show that they were going to make Luke a gay character but I didn't know how long I was going to stay on the show. I knew where they were going with the storyline but I didn't know if he would get a love interest, but it's great that he has and it's been a fun opportunity for me as an actor.

Mainly an As the World Turns star, Van Hansis also takes to the stage occasionally.

On negative press: I kind of feel like I'm just doing my job. There's always going to be controversy but the positive has far outweighed the negative by staggering amounts. I try to focus on the positive. My mom always taught me that there's always going to be people that just don't like you, and that's life.

I think it's a very important story to tell. The naysayers say that it doesn't have a place and that's just not true - it does, because there are gay couples everywhere in life, so why not show it?

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.