Kirsten's interview with Michael Fairman

Kirsten Storms ABC.com Interview (2010)

In 2005, Kirsten Storms joined the cast of General Hospital as optimistic, spunky, somewhat naive Maxie Jones. The spunky part’s still there — but over the years, we’ve seen Maxie evolve from naive teen to mega bitch to independent (if sometimes misguided) young woman. Kirsten has taken every incarnation and given Maxie gusto — and heart that’s all her own. We talked with Kirsten Storms about all things Maximista.

Do you think Maxie and Spinelli are soulmates?

Kristen Storms: “That’s hard to say. As a young person who has been through quite a few different relationships, each time you’re in one, I know you learn from the person you are with. You can always have feelings like ‘This is it for me’ or you’re going to be with this person for the rest of your life. I think Maxie doesn’t know where the next step in her life will take her. Yes, she feels like she has a deep connection with him, and I’m sure she would love to feel like he is her soulmate, but I think that’s still up in the air. It’s a soap opera — anything can happen!”

We’ve seen in the past, and are seeing on air right now, that Maxie and Johnny have a connection as well. What would you say is the attraction, or the pull, between Maxie and Johnny?

“I think their relationship started out in such a different way, with the physical connection between the two — and everything that happened between Johnny and Lulu. They feel like because they’ve always been to the darkest place with each other that they have nothing to hide. It’s a very open communication. My thing with Brandon … I feel like they write Maxie’s dialogue to be more honest [with him] than she is with anyone else. She’s not worried about Johnny judging her because she knows he is as messed up as she is. It’s true. She knows he’s probably whacked someone off before [laughs].

It’s interesting. Every time I have scenes with a different guy, my thoughts are, ‘Are they going to have me having sex with him five days from now?’ I’m hoping Johnny is the friendship [with a guy] Maxie never had. I hope they are not going to rush us into having a different kind of relationship with each other. It would be interesting to see Maxie have a solid friendship with a male.”

Speaking of guys Maxie had sex with…We have to ask: What was it like working with James Franco?

“He’s another [guy] I worked with for two days and had to get naked. The producers actually didn’t let me know the depth of my storyline with him until about two or three days before he started. It caught me off guard at first, but then I was happy because I probably would’ve overthought what it was we were doing. I am a fan of his, but I wouldn’t say that I was starstruck. It was different for me because I’ve seen his movies. He plays so many different parts, that I didn’t know how he was going to act off of me. It was just a very interesting couple of days, with a lot of things to do because he was only here on Fridays.” Yeah, he was on the show for two months and only taping on a few Fridays. That’s amazing!

“I think the first Friday I had with him we did five episodes in one day. He was amazing. He was so nice, generous, and kind. I hope he comes back. He got along with everyone. He seems very interested in the things that are going on around here.”

Maxie is in the hospital, and we see some scenes between Maxie and her sister Georgie’s spirit. What’s it like working with Lindze Letherman (Georgie) again?

“It was so much fun. It definitely took me back to a year and half ago when it was her last scenes. The emotion was still there. I cried the second I saw her in the makeup room. I love her. We’ve worked together for so long. Having her back any time would be great. I’d be happy to be haunted by Georgie any time the writers feel like it.”

Well, Alan haunts Tracy sometimes, so it’s not unheard of.

“Yeah! We have a lot of ghosts in Port Charles!”

What’s it like having to do all of your scenes in a hospital bed, though? Doesn’t that get kind of boring? Or is it a treat?

“I think it’s a treat because normally I’m the one in the four-inch heels and a dress, and I’m running around carrying magazine covers. So, just lying in a hospital bed in a gown and not having to do the hair and makeup part for two weeks was a good breather.”

It’s a vacation while working, you could say.

“It does make it harder to memorize your lines based on blocking. It did get a little weird for me to talk and just lie still. But, once Georgie came, I got to get out of my bed.”

Maxie is probably one of the most fashionable people on the show. Do you like that element?

“I absolutely love it. But remember, the first two years that I was on, Maxie was a hospital volunteer. I spent a lot of my time in scrubs or a volunteer outfit. I’m a girly-girl who loves to get dressed up. I think it changed my personal style because I’m probably more casual when I’m at home now.”

What traits do you think you share with Maxie — and which ones don’t you share?

“I used to be as talkative or as loud as Maxie was. I think playing this part has made me not be like that as much. I’m more of a quiet person now. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. I’m more subdued now. Maxie is a little crazy.”

Since you began playing Maxie, the character has really evolved. When you first started, she was kind of a good girl with the fairy tale romantic dream with Jesse, but then he got shot and died. Then, with Lucky, she was very much a bad girl. Now she’s sort of evolved into a woman with a heart who’s not afraid to stir the pot. Out of all those incarnations, which has been your favorite to play?

“I like the Maxie ‘bitch’ stuff. I like her abrasiveness. I like how she is really strong-willed. I like seeing that side of her. It is fun to play the romance stuff, but I like playing Maxie the most in the work place. That’s where she seems the most driven, but doesn’t lose her personality. I like to portray a woman who is driven and knows how to get what she wants out of life.”

Do you like playing the on-air friendship with Lulu?

“If there’s one person I wish I could work with more, [it] would be Julie [Berman, Lulu]. We get along with each other on such a personal level so well. She’s the easiest person for me to work with. We come up with the craziest things to do with each other.”

What do you think has been the most challenging story to play since you’ve been on the show?

“The Maxie/Lucky storyline. I have known Greg Vaughan [former Lucky] since I was 14 years old. He used to date Julianne Morris from Days of Our Lives when I was on the show. So, I would see him around a lot. When I started on GH, he was the person I knew the most. Then, six or seven months later, I’m having make-out scenes with him. He was more of a big-brother type person for me, so I definitely had to adjust the type of friendship I had with him so I could play that, and I think that affected me a little bit.”

Is there any area of Maxie’s life that you would like to explore more?

“I would always like to get into the issues with Maxie’s parents. It would be awesome to fix the Maxie/Felicia conflict. It would be nice to have some closure there. More of a relationship with Mac too. I love working with John J. York [Mac].”

What do you like to do in your spare time?

“I’m a huge arts and crafts person. My mom taught me how to knit when I was 10. I have a sewing machine. I actually just moved into a new apartment a couple of months ago, so I’ve been going to the flea markets and trying to decorate. I like to buy something old like a dresser and just change it. I get that from my mom. If she gets stressed out she rearranges the living room furniture, and I do the exact same thing. I caught myself in an ‘I’m my mom’ moment the other day. And the older I get, the more and more moments I have like that!”