I can remember the pilot episode of Chesapeake Shores in which we saw Wes Winters wreak havoc on his ex-wife’s life, and much of that continued into season two as he attempted to gain full custody of their girls. While Wes was never on my list for “ex-husband of the year,” I have invariably enjoyed the expertise of Michael Karl Richards, who has been portraying Wes all this time with such a diabolical air. I have had the honor of interviewing Michael each season of the show, and while he only appears in one episode this season, I am ecstatic to highlight his perspective and prowess for my readers today in anticipation of what is bound to be an intriguing story arc.

RH: Michael, it is so great to talk with you again this year!

MKR: Ruth, thank you for reaching out. I’m always happy to talk with you.

Let’s talk Chesapeake Shores season three.

Sure, well, I am just glad to be back, and even though it is only one episode, it’s a great one.

I noticed you and Kate Isaac in a picture to promote the season. I was afraid you wouldn’t be back at all, but it was nice to see you and her together.

Well, I was wondering the same thing–if I would be back. When my character left at the end of last season, it seemed like it might be pretty final. I was kind of expecting that to be it for Wes. After all, there are so many characters on the show now, and I understand how the fans want to continue to see new characters as well as some of their favorites return. I know they may not want to see Wes rehashing our whole storyline with Abby and the girls. Now, when I first got the script and saw that Wes had a new love interest, I was ecstatic. I have done a lot of work on myself personally this past year, and one of the things I worked on was just being open to life. Then to have that manifested in the script was really nice. So I have to say that my character’s storyline excited me.

Well, yeah, Wes has been that ex-husband to Abby that we just don’t want anything to do with. All he seems to want is full custody of the two girls, and he seems to try everything he can to make life miserable for Abby. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love playing Wes.

Oh, I understand completely. Actually, as much as the viewers couldn’t stand Wes, he has added a lot to the story. But it’s nice to see perhaps a bit of a softer side of his character emerging. I admit I wanted to slap him the first season.

Totally! I like getting to play a character like Wes, even when the audience doesn’t really like me. It can be a lot of fun to be the one who stirs things up a bit.

Those characters who create conflict are still very important. Without conflict, it’s easy to lose interest in a show.

That’s right. Just like life. When we go through life, it’s nice to have some ease, but every once in a while we need a bit of conflict. Otherwise, we tend to create our own conflict in lieu of real conflict appearing in our lives. All good stories need conflict.

With Kate Isaac
Chesapeake Shores

Did you know Kate before you worked with her in Chesapeake Shores?

No, I did not. I had no idea who Kate was, so I was in for a real a treat. As are the viewers. She is such a wonderful person. I think the world of her. We had such a fun time working together.

I’m looking forward to seeing her because I’ve been following her career for a couple of years now. So at least we know we’ll see you in this week’s episode. And we’re all hoping that the show will be renewed for season four. Maybe they’ll even bring Wes back if that happens. 

Ruth, that is always my hope. Any time I get a chance to check in with Wes, I take it. You know, Wes has had quite a ride on the show. In the first season, I got to be in it quite a bit. And the second season, less so. I have to say I love being a part of the show, and it can be hard when your character arc changes and you’re not in the show as much. But this season, I went in with no expectations, and it was all just a joy. I realized what a blessing all of it is. I think sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in just wanting more and more when all these things are really out of my control. But honestly, just enjoying the moment made it such a joy-filled time.

When I was there, I got to see old friends. We got to shoot, and I got to hang out during takes. At the end of the day, we went and played basketball. We had gotten done early, so we went and played hoops at the local elementary school. And things started getting a little more competitive as time went on, and it was probably a bit more than some probably would have liked. {laughs} But it was still very, very fun. What a joy. Working on that show was such a gift. I really hope that next year I get to do it again.

Michael, in just talking with you this year, I notice quite a transformation. I know you were fine last year, but I can sense that you are much more at peace and truly enjoying life and your career. Sometimes we put way too many expectations on ourselves, but I can just sense the joy and gratitude radiating from you. You seem like you have grown and are in a much better place this year. 

Ruth, thank you for saying that. When there’s a change in your mind, it changes everything. If you want to change your circumstances, change your mind. I had the good fortune of having a lot of great things happen in the last twelve months. And that has given me a new perspective.

That is so good to hear, Michael. So in addition to Chesapeake Shores, do you have anything else upcoming?

Carriage

Well, the next thing I’m working on is a theater engagement at the Fringe Festival in Vancouver. We’ve been rehearsing, and the play will be running this month from the 7th through the 15th.

Now, while I did not take a hiatus from the business, as everyone knows, there are dry spells in the entertainment business, and that is what I was experiencing. I wasn’t getting the roles I really wanted, so I took that time to really work on myself and my craft. I had always wanted to work with voice teacher Patsy Rodenberg, and so I went and worked with her. And I worked with another voice teacher. Then I went to this retreat in the desert. So I’ve been doing all this work on myself and my craft for the past six or seven months, and when I got back from the retreat, I got in contact with this woman who really inspired me with this short film she wrote. I told her that is she ever had anything coming up that I could be a part of to let me know. So she sent me the script of this play called Carriage that is currently playing at the Vancouver Fringe Festival. I read it and thought it was great. And so here we are. As to what comes next, we’ll just see what happens to come next.

You know, I have heard of others doing retreats like you mentioned, and it’s always a positive experience. So I have no doubt that helped you.

For sure a hundred percent. I know it made me a happier person. Just the perspective it gave me. The enjoyment of the life that I already have is already much higher than it was. It wasn’t some kind of supernatural experience or anything weird. I just learned how to be in love with the things I already have and the person that I already am. And it’s given me some tools to figure out when I’m not in my best space and why I’m not in my best space. It was an invaluable experience.

I do see that you had a small role in the movie Overboard. I know that’s already been in theaters, but it is available for purchase and streaming now. So I figured I’d ask you about it.

Thanks for asking. Yes, I had a small role in the movie Overboard. I don’t want to tell too much about the story and give it away if people haven’t seen it, but I play the Rich Client. One of the characters ends up working at a rich guy’s house, and that rich guy is me.

You know, one of the things about being a working actor is that sometimes you go through periods of time where you don’t work a lot. And as I mentioned, I’ve been going through one of those time periods. I’ve been doing this enough years now that I can say this is not the first time this has happened. I don’t have a family to support or anything; it’s just me I’m supporting. I try to make sure that these slow times don’t affect me too much. I’m okay with there not being a lot of work right now, and I know at some point, there will be more work. So people who are looking for my next projects are going to have to wait a little bit longer.

I know very well from talking with other working actors about this issue. I understand that these jobs tend to come in waves. There will be nothing for a while, and then suddenly, there’s so many jobs that you might have to start turning down jobs. 

Yes, and during those times when the waves come, I have learned to put away money for later so I can make it during the slow times. And I have noticed that during the times of my life when I’m in a bit of a valley, I have learned that those times are valuable times to be gathering supplies, not necessarily in the physical sense, but in the emotional sense. It’s a good time to go back and ask, “Who am I?” Get back in touch with who you are. Also, “What have I been avoiding dealing with?” And it’s a great time to deal with those things. It seems to serendipitously coincide with times when you’re not working or going through some sort of change. Once you go through that change, the work starts coming in again.

I know we’ve talked about this before, but I believe you mentioned that you eventually wanted to do some writing, correct?

Yes, I’ve written the entire first season of a television series. I’ve shared it with some people, and I’ve gotten some good feedback. I’m currently reworking it. Originally, there wasn’t enough story to take up the whole first season of a series, but now I think it has enough story to make a good ninety-minute or longer movie. I needed to have it sit for a while, but now I’m in the process of rereading it. Once the play is done, I’m going to spend more time working on my script. Right now, with the way I work, my brain is focused on the play. I can’t focus on too many stories at once. My script is called Marcus and Doug. This script really reflects what I’ve been going through the past six years or so.

All that sounds so good, Michael, and I’m very happy for you. And Chessies are going to be happy to see you back. Or at least most of them will. But I figure that if you’re paired with Kate, that should really be good for your character. The Hearties already saw her on When Calls the Heart, so I think she’s become a well-liked actress. 

Well, that’s good to know.

It will also be interesting to see what other roles come your way. I’d love to see you in a Christmas movie! We saw you in a mystery movie, so now I say Christmas should be next. Hallmark is supposed to be doing a record number of them this year.

Wow, well I’ll keep my heart and eyes open. It would be great to do a Christmas movie.

Thank you so much for your time, Michael. Chessies are excited to see you in this next episode, and we look forward to what is next for you.

Ruth, thank you for being so kind and reaching out the way that you do. I’m happy to be a part of Chesapeake Shores, and I really hope the fans find my story interesting this season. I’m excited to see what they think.

Even though Michael seems to have the corner on the market when it comes to playing the villainous ex-husband, to chat with him is an inspirational, revelational experience. While he is a magnificent artist with intensity and passion who can play any role that he is given, he understands that neglecting the practice of self-care is personally detrimental to anyone in spite of some professional success they may be savoring. Additionally, Michael has not only learned but embraced those moments in his life when things might be meager or slow, and rather than “wasting” the present on anxiety and other negatively-charged efforts, he utilizes his time sharpening himself both professionally and personally. He has fully embraced self-improvement as well as blissful gratitude for everything he is experiencing. Moreover, it is rare to find someone who is willing to share his challenges with candor and understanding, and he gladly does so in the hopes of helping others in similar (or worse) circumstances. 

As Wes finds his way back to Chesapeake Shores, it is my sincerest desire that everyone in the U.S. will make it a point to watch him tonight (September 9th) on the Hallmark Channel (and on Super Channel Heart & Home in Canada), while determining for yourself how you feel about his character this season. Likewise, I hope you consider checking out his links below and following him where applicable. Even though you may wish to throw rotten tomatoes at his character and wish that he never returns to bother Abby again, I entreat you to separate the character Wes from the actor Michael Karl Richards (sometimes easier said than done). One thing I can promise you is that if you find it in your heart to project your support towards Michael, you may discover the heart of one of the most sensitive, most unpretentious actors in Vancouver today, and I, for one, am honored to know such a marvelous, upstanding person as he. I really do hope Hallmark brings him back next season (there’s going to be a season four of Chesapeake Shores, right?) and considers casting him in a Christmas movie (any role would be superb). But no matter where the future takes Michael, I am proposing to do all we can to cheer for every one of his roles, regardless of whether we like the characters or not. After all, it takes a rather robust actor to play an obnoxious role and still engender tremendous support from the fans as a whole. And I do believe Michael accomplishes this feat uncommonly well!

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