SOAP Q: Van Hansis talks to SOD about his years as Luke on “World Turns”

How lucky As the World Turns fans have been to have had the role of Luke Snyder in the capable hands of Van Hansis.

We cared so much about Luke not because the storylines (which were sometimes preposterous!) but because Van is such a skilled and appealing actor. He talked to Soap Opera Digest in-depth about his years as Luke, the ending of the show, and about Luke’s great loves Noah and Reid.

“I’m going to miss playing Luke but more than that, I already miss the people,” he says. “A lot of good friendships were made there. It was a really wonderful time in my life.”

Here are some more highlights from the interview:
On Luke’s popularity: “I’m completely honored that this happened for the character and for me. After the coming out episodes and when Luke went a long time without a love interest, I started getting a lot of fan mail like, ‘We want to be with somebody and keep this story going.’ That’s when I realized this could turn into something big. It was a great thing that it did. The only thing I can say, especially to the fans, is thank you so much. I think it’s really wonderful to have people who care so much.”

On Luke and Reid: “I thought everybody loved Luke and Noah! Whenever anybody else came in as a potential third party, they never seemed to get much love from the fans, but people love Reid. Eric [Sheffer Stevens] deserves it; he’s fantastic.”

On his storylines: “I love it when my character goes through the ringer. My favorite storylines have always been the ones that are not the most pleasant for Luke. It’s really cathartic, in a way, to be able to fully express really, really powerful emotions. I love it when I get to go someplace deep and a little bit scary because it’s more fun that way. It’s not safe. … The best part about [Luke's final storyline] is that he finally grows up. He’s always had a bit of childishness and youthfulness about him. That first time when something happens to you, the world is never going to be the same and that’s what happens to Luke.”

On the end of ATWT: “The last day of taping was kind of sad, but it was special. I was in the last episode and so is the majority of the cast, but a lot of focus is on the people who’ve been there the longest – as it should be. It doesn’t wrap everything up in a nice little bow, but I think it gives you a chance to say goodbye to each character.”