Michael Galvin: Shortland Street’s Dr Love...

Interview – 2012

Actor Michael Galvin is Shortland Street’s longest-serving actor, having played Chris Warner for most of the soap's 30-something years. During that time, his character has survived five marriages, drug-dealing, an emergency tracheotomy, and the nickname 'Doctor Love'. Beyond the street, Galvin has written stage plays, and acted in TV series Cover Story and award-winning film The Climb.

In this ScreenTalk, Galvin talks about:

How a hangover may have helped get him the part on Shortland Street
His character Chris Warner being snobbish and a benevolent dictator
Keeping the show fresh by using a mix of storylines
Dismissing the idea of being a sex symbol
Being haunted by having to do a rap song on the show
How Shortland Street has become an important part of our culture
Getting freaked out on the set of TV drama Cover Story
Meeting his acting hero John Hurt on the set of odd couple movie The Climb
Being happy to remain on Shortland Street for as long as he can

This video was first uploaded on 22 May 2012, and is available under this Creative Commons licence. This licence is limited to use of ScreenTalk interview footage only and does not apply to any video content and photographs from films, television, music videos, web series and commercials used in the interview.

Interview, Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside

He's very positive. He has enormously high expectations of life. He thinks he owns the world, but in a benevolent way. He doesn't like telling people what to do,but by the same token he cannot be told what to do. He looks on the world as his oyster . . . his playground.
– Michael Galvin describes his Shortland Street character

Michael's Full Profile