Soap Opera Digest: Linc is not your first TV villain; you played baddies on shows like NASHVILLE, TRUE BLOOD and DEXTER. Do people in your life find it surprising that you’re now on a soap opera?
Dan Buran: In a way they do. I mean, it sort of happened as a bit of a surprise, but I would say that my family is not surprised at all because my sister and I grew up massive YOUNG AND RESTLESS fans and I used to dream about being Victor Newman or some dark character on a soap opera. So, my family, no, but my friends are a little surprised because I’ve mainly done movies and prime-time TV.
Digest: You’ve been on GH on and off for almost two years now, which is pretty remarkable.
Buran: Yeah, it’s crazy! I auditioned maybe two days after my son was born, which was in November of 2019, and I started, I think, at the beginning of 2020. I certainly didn’t think it would last this long, but it’s been a treat, a gift. I don’t know how much longer it will last, but it’s always a nice surprise when I get the email saying, “Hey, we’d like you for a couple more days.” I’ve never been on a soap opera set before, and you just kind of have to throw yourself into it. There is something magical about being on that soundstage and the cast is wonderful — they’re ready to go and supportive and it’s always fun to be a part of it.
Digest: Actors often point out that bad guys don’t see themselves as villains. So, how do you think Linc justifies some of his less-than-savory behavior?
Buran: I’ve thought about that quite a bit because I have a hard time with it myself; he says and does things that I would never do myself. But if you just get down to the psychology of the character, I’d say, first of all, he’s completely out of touch with reality. Linc lives in his own world. He came up in Hollywood and the recording industry where the casting couch still existed and he never left that world! He doesn’t really understand that he’s in a new world, and he’s obviously self-centered, opportunistic, a womanizer and narcissistic. I would imagine it’s gonna smack him in the face at some point! He’s going to wake up and realize you can’t get away with this stuff anymore.
Digest: Tell me about your experience working with Amanda Setton (Brook Lynn).
Buran: She’s extremely professional, very intense, takes it very seriously, but is also very kind and sweet and supportive. She is one of the best actresses I’ve ever worked with. It took a little while for us to kind of get to know each other, but now that we’ve been working together for so long, we have a friendship in between scenes. She’s a wonderful human being, and as an actress, she keeps me on my toes and we have each other’s backs.
Digest: And what about Josh Swickard (Chase)?
Buran: I can’t help it — I fall in love with Josh every time I look into his eyes! Josh is the same way Amanda is — extremely professional and supportive. He’s very sweet and you maybe wouldn’t expect that because he is sort of the hero type, but he’s a very sweet guy. You might think somebody as handsome as he is would be pretentious, but he is not at all. I think he almost has a hard time playing that guy, being the guy that is the handsome face of the show, because he might not see himself as beautiful or as handsome as he is. Which makes him a really cool dude!
Digest: More recently, you’ve been working alongside Jacqueline Grace Lopez (Blaze).
Buran: She’s just a firecracker! She’s just so excited to be there and she’s always cracking jokes and laughing and dancing and singing. I always joke that she’s plugged into some electrical outlet somewhere that we can’t see. She’s awesome! I feel very grateful to work with her, too, because she’s very down-to-earth, as well.
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