AMC's Mathison plans to stay shirted

The most-awarded soap hunk in this site's history plans to keep his shirt on more often. AMC's Cameron Mathison, who has won 11 Soaphunks.net Awards (including Best Hunk in 2000), was featured in this Scripps Howards article:

Cameron Mathison is in a hurry to keep his shirt on.

"I'm not taking my shirt off as much anymore," says the actor, whose Ryan Lavery character is famous for going topless just about anywhere on "All My Children" (noon weekdays, ABC).

At home. At work. Even standing around an elevator.

"I started on (the soap) as a guy who didn't own a shirt," Mathison jokes. "That digs a hole for an actor. Yeah, it's fun for the fans and stuff, but no one takes you seriously."

A shirtless Ryan became so popular with viewers that Mathison couldn't resist their pleas during public appearances. They chanted for him to take it off - and he obliged.
Now he regrets it.

"I blame myself for letting it get out of control," he says. "I didn't realize it was escalating into such a silly thing."

Turns out that his well-toned tummy and broad chest were getting more notices than his acting chops.

The 35-year-old soap stud stayed with the show for four years. He left for a year, did some prime-time guest gigs and then returned with a new outlook. During the leave from daytime, he got married and became a father. He says his priorities changed. The shirt is staying on.

"I stopped taking it off in places where it was just kind of silly," he says. "On the show, we had a little talk about it, and they promised me my shirt would not come off on the show in places where it doesn't make sense, like at the elevator at the office. It's just a weird place to get naked."

I dunno. I still like him shirtless. ;)