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Voice Over Commentator: He's smart, sexy, and one half of soap opera supercouple Jennifer and Jack. As both the Commentator and Matt talk there are a series of clips of Matt, then Matt and Missy from the various promos Soap Net did for Jack, and Jack and Jennifer; Matt is wearing a blue shirt, opened to reveal a white t-shirt. While Matt talks about Jennifer we see "live footage.Matt: The character of Jennifer makes him feel (gesturing) whole, but he can never seem to hold onto her. Back to clips of Matt and Missy doing promos for Jack and Jennifer. As the Commentator talks about Matt's arrival as Jack there are more clips from the promos. Commentator: But he's been trying since 1987 when first arrived in Salem as Days of our lives anti-hero Jack Deveraux. Matt: Jack is confused. Jack wants to be happy but he has no idea how to achieve this end. Clips of Matt on the set. Then a photo of Matt, Christina, Grace and Emma.Commentator: In real life Matthew has found happiness, but his personal life has been a challenge at times. Various photos of Matt: One from Matt's earlier days; one of Matt holding Emma; then a last of Matt from the promo shoots. This goes into a shot of Matt screwing around in one of the promos, followed by a stock photo of a farm; then a photo of a very young Matt, rehearsing.Commentator: Matthew Ashford was born in Davenport, Iowa. He began performing young as a way of standing-out. Back to "live" footage of the promo interview.Matt: I was acting as a child, you know, with seven brothers and sisters looking for attention. A bunch of quick clips of Matt during the promo shots. Then a stock footage photo of Virginia; then another photo of a young Matt.Commentator: The Ashfords moved to Virginia when Matt was a teenager. By high school he was active in theater and teachers quickly took note of his talent. In college Matt quickly realized he was hooked. Footage of Matt talking about his realization that he wanted to an actor as his career.Matt: I didn't realize that it was possibility of a career until I went to the North Carolina School of the Arts and was surrounded suddenly by fellow young people who wan.... who also were really, really good. Commentator: Like alot of struggling students Matt had to pay the rent. He was construction worker, a singing waiter, and even a street performer. The there is a clip of one of Matt's appearances on Soap Net's Soap Talk. Matt is showing his ability to juggle by juggling bowling pins. Not sure when this took place but sometime in 2002 or so.Matt: I had to learn this too. Commentator: And as Matt proved on Soap Talk once a juggler, always a juggler. Matt: Don't do this at home, kids! B/W photo of a young Matt rehearsing. Then stock footage of New York City. More footage of the promo stuff. When the Commentator talks about Matt joining One Life to Live there is a photo of Matt from that time (???). Then another photo of Matt when the commentator talks about him join Search for Tomorrow [however, it looks like a current photo of Matt]. More shots of Matt at the studio. Then an older photo of Christina and Matt in what looks like a tin soldier costume [maybe from the peace festival show]. Then there is a B/W photo of Christina and Matt.Commentator: After college the small town kid set off for the big city in New York. His career boomed. In 1982, he landed his first role, Drew Ralston on One Life to Live. After that came Cagney McCleary on Search for Tomorrow. Though busy on the set he made time to perform on stage for a world peace festival. It was there he met Christina Saffran. Back to Matt's appearance on the same Soap Talk episode with Matt talking about Christina and the peace event. Matt: She was a choreographer and most of the dancing in the piece, and as it turned out, ah, ah I was doing Search for Tomorrow at the time during the day and I was doing ah, ah show at night. Another (looks current) photo of Matt. Back to the shot of Christina and Matt.Commentator: He could only attend one rehearsal a week, something Christina wasn't happy about. More footage of Matt talking about meeting Christina from the Soap Talk appearance. Then a cute photo of Christina caressing Matt's cheek. Matt: She tried to get me fired because she said, I didn't think my heart was in the right place. Her boss said, Naw, keep him, he's cute. You know, and so, as it worked out, she said, she was really actually kind of afraid because she liked me and she didn't want to get her heart hurt. Commentator: In the end, Christina had nothing to fear. The pair married in 1987, a few years later they welcomed their first daughter, Grace [sic; Grace was born in 92 Matt joined the show in 92]. Then came the role that made Matthew Ashford a daytime superstar, Jack Deveraux on Days of our Lives. The actor had never been happier. More shots of Matt from the promos as Matt talks about Jack. Then as Matt talks about Jack back to "real time."Matt: I love to play Jack.... I love to get up and into it.... Still scares the hell out of me. but I, I love it! Commentator: But in 1993, Days changed direction, and Matt left the show. Fortunately he quickly landed a role on General Hospital where he played. Dr. Tom Hardy from 1993 to 1995 [sic; it was 1995 to 1997]. Matt also had parts in films like Species and Bon Fire of the Vanities [sic, that actually occurred when he was still on Days]. Though his career was booming, his family life was about to face a difficult test. In 1997, Matt and Christina had their second daughter Emma. Christina knew immediately that something was wrong. Back to the Soap Talk version with Matt talking about his family finding out about Emma's cancer. There is a photo of Emma and Matt.Matt: Well, it looked like she had a lazy eye when she was an infant which totally normal. But my wife was being a, a nervous mother, which is great, and she took her into the pediatrician and then, and then on to pediatric ophthalmologist, and dilated her eyes, which is really the key. There is a promo shot of Matt lowering his head which they use for "heart-breaking."Commentator: The diagnosis was heart-breaking. Matt: She has something called retinoblastoma that's cancer of the, of the, of the retina. Commentator: The signs were there from the start. Matt: The red reflection is a very natural off the retina, and we all have those pictures all the time. In her left eye you see that white reflection which looks like a cat's eye, that's reflecting off the tumor. There is a photo of Matt and Emma. Commentator: When the treatment failed, doctors had to remove Emma's left eye. Matt: Although, you know, it really sounds horrific, she is a tremendous little kid, and you're just amazed at how strong they can be. A nice older photo of Christina and Matt. Then a family photo of the Ashford from a couple of years ago. Followed by a few photos of Matt and Hunter Tylo. Then another photo of Emma and Matt.Commentator: But without her mom's insistence on tests, Emma might not have been diagnosed. Knowing other kids could face the same problem, the Ashfords took action. The family joined forces with another soap star Hunter Tylo, whose own child suffered from the same disease, to create Retinoblastoma International. It promotes eye tests for all new born babies. Back to a clip from the Soap Talk appearance.Matt: We're internationally trying to fight this disease, and raise awareness around the world.... They don't dilate babies' and that's what we're advocating. A B/W family photo. More photos of Matt during the photo shoot, with some of the crew members. Another photo of Grace and Emma.Commentator: Today Emma is in remission, but that hasn't stopped Matt from urging the public to be on the look-out for that tell-tale white reflection that could save a child's life. Back to Matt's appearance on the talk show. Same B/W family photo.Matt: The great thing is that at, ummm, Thanksgiving, at Christmas time all these pictures pass around, and we're trying to get people to start examining your pictures, your friends pictures, and who knows, maybe it's nothing -- we hope it isn't -- but better safe than sorry. More fun shots of Matt from the photo shoot. Then Matt back stage with James Reynolds and Missy, the three of them screwing around and joking. Then shots of the promos with the two in their Jack and Jennifer personas.Commentator: I 2001, after a five year [sic; actually four year leave] leave from daytime TV, the producers of Days asked Jack to come back. They reunited him with Melissa Reeves, Jennifer, and fans had their favorite supercouple back once again. Clip of Matt analyzing Jack and Jennifer as a couple, then clips of the Matt and Missy fooling around.Matt: I think fans seem to take to Jack and Jennifer because we reflect people they know. We are by now means heroic.... I think, in many cases, we are like alot of young people who are trying to make it, in spite of alot of odds. Closing commentary, with the Commentator summarizing Jack, and various shots of Matt back stage and from the promos he did for the soap network; then a compilation of various photos used during Soapography.Commendatory: Matthew Ashford, he's used his success to create awareness about a dangerous disease. Actor and activist, loving husband and father, and he wouldn't have it any other way. |
