General Hospital's Spencer Cassadine has always been one of the ABC soap's most captivating young characters, and that isn't set to change now that he's grown up and a new actor -- Nicholas Chavez -- is wearing his shoes. In fact, Spencer's signature attitude and hysterical hijinks are probably going to get bigger than ever.
Chavez, who made his debut as Nikolas' (Marcus Coloma) son on July 1, says he knows that GH viewers expect him to deliver major talent as a replacement for fan-favorite former portrayer Nicolas Bechtel.
"I've seen commentary online to the [effect] of, I have big shoes to fill -- and I 100 percent agree," the actor shares with Soap Opera Digest.
In terms of how his Spencer might be different from Nicolas' Spencer, Chavez says that his version of the character is more forthright and confident after having spent so much time outside of Port Charles.
"I think that during Spencer's time in Europe, he really came into himself and became a man and has new opinions about the world and the way that things should be," the actor muses. "So, I think that we will be getting the foundation that we saw with Nicolas in his youth, but with a new perspective and a new vision in mind for his role in Port Charles."
As fans have seen, the "manlier" Spencer is already proving to be quite the troublemaker, and there's probably a lot more of that to come. As Chavez shares, the powers that be had him screen test with "the tour de force that is Maura West" (Ava Jerome), and if that isn't a sign that the writers expect Spencer to go toe to toe with the baddest of Port Charles, we don't know what is!
"[Screen testing with Maura] was just absolutely incredible," Chavez enthuses. "It was just such a welcoming environment, and everyone was really supportive, and Maura was so fantastic to work with. She's a really generous actor and scene partner; she gives you a ton to go off of and it really helps make the scenes feel alive."
Chavez doesn't reveal what's next for Spencer, but he does say that he is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to portray such a dynamic character on one of the nation's most-loved drama series.
"For many people, sitting back and watching their favorite show is one of their favorite parts of their day, and so, the fact that I get to be a small piece in that equation is an absolute dream come true for me," he enthuses. "Truth be told, it's all I've ever wanted."
For more from Chavez on taking on the role of GH's Spencer Cassadine, click here.
How do you feel about Chavez's version of Spencer Cassadine? What do you hope the writers have planned for the character in the weeks ahead? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
