In Part 1 of this Q&A, Antonio Sabato Jr. talks of cheating death on Celebrity Circus. Meanwhile, on Season 2 of SOAPnet's General Hospital: Night Shift (arriving July 22), he will breathe new life into onetime rebel-without-a-cause "Jagger" Cates, whom he last played (on GH) in 1995. Sabato surveys what's ahead for the hood-gone-good. — Matt Mitovich TVGuide.com: Had ABC tried previously to get you back to GH proper?Antonio Sabato Jr.: There was some talk, but I didn’t really know about it. There were rumors, through the fan clubs and places, about Jagger coming back. And then it came to be this year. [GH casting director] Mark Teschner, who's a good friend of mine, called me up and said, "We'd love Jagger to come back, on Night Shift. You're the only one who has ever played him, and no one else can play him." That’s how it went. And then we had an issue [with Celebrity Circus], where I would lose a day of training. But I said, "I have to make both happen. They ...
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Antonio Sabato Jr. has quite the juggling act going on these days, balancing his derring-do as a Celebrity Circus performer (Wednesdays at 10 pm/ET, on NBC) with his return to Port Charles by way of SOAPnet's General Hospital: Night Shift. Sabato shared with us a look inside the two gigs, one utterly foreign and frightful, the other familiar and fun.
TVGuide.com: Obviously there are a lot of reasons why to do Celebrity Circus, and reasons why not. How did you arrive at your own decision to give it a shot? &nb
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Warning: Joining NBC's Celebrity Circus could be hazardous to your health. "On [other shows], they can break a nail," executive producer Matt Kunitz tells me. "On our show, you can break a bone." No kidding. So far, Christopher "My Fair Brady" Knight has cracked his arm while training for the six-episode series, supermodel Rachel Hunter has injured her neck, actress Stacey Dash (Clueless) has nearly broken two ribs, and singer Blu Cantrell is so bruised she has to cover up to avoid really awkward conversations. Suddenly, volunteering to join this show does not sound like a smart move. "Don't worry. It's crazy safe," I'm told.
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Things are about to get steamy — make that very steamy — in Port Charles. Antonio Sabato, Jr. has signed on to join General Hospital: Night Shift. SOAPnet reports Sabato — who began his acting career on daytime's GH — will reprise his role as Jagger Cates.SOAPnet recently renewed Night Shift for a second season and says Sabato will appear in all 13 episodes of the upcoming season, which kicks off next month.Jagger's return to Port Charles is sure to stir up some painful memories for Dr. Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough), who's got Dr. Patrick Drake's (Jason Thompson) baby in the oven. Jagger's brother, Stone, was her first love and his death from AIDS shattered her life. Jagger also returns with his 5-year-old son, named for his late brother. — J.R. WhalenRelated:• Tristan Rogers Checks Back into GH• New Night Shift Promises Continuity with Original GH
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Jeers to Celebrity Circus for being far from the greatest show on Earth. I was impressed by some of the feats performed by Antonio Sabato, Jr., Stacey Dash and Christopher Knight. But turning it into a standard-issue competition with a grinning host (the omnipresent Joey Fatone), viewer voting and a weekly elimination brings NBC's new reality show crashing to Earth. Worst of all is the obligatory trio of judges: trapeze artist Aurelia Cats (whose most coherent comment was meowing at Sabato, Jr.), Olympic gymnast Mitch Gaylord (hey, anyone remember American Anthem?) and flamboyant choreographer Louie Spence (a Bruno Tonioli wannabe). CBS' Circus of the Stars didn't need this kind of gimmickry—or a weekly time slot.• Share your own raves and rants about other shows on the Reader Cheers & Jeers discussion board.• We may feature your Cheer or Jeer on TVGuide.com or in TV Guide magazine!
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