James Hyde talks about his latest films, and new play ‘The Kernel of Truth’

James Hyde. Photo Credit: Dexter Brown

Actor James Hyde (“Passions” and “The Young and The Restless”) chatted about his latest films and new play “The Kernel of Truth.”

In daytime television, Hyde is known for playing patriarch Sam Bennett in the defunct ’00s soap opera “Passions,” and most recently, Jeremy Stark in the CBS daytime drama “The Young and The Restless.”

New play: ‘The Kernel of Truth’

Hyde noted that he will be doing a play, “The Kernel of Truth,” in Wisconsin. It is a story that “delves into the lives of a group of male inmates who have found themselves confined within prison walls due to their past bad choices.”

“Beyond their criminal exterior, they possess a depth of humanity and a desire for redemption. Each character embarks on a transformative journey by exploring their truths and ideologies of the criminal justice system through powerful monologues,” he explained.

“Through their monologues, these incarcerated men discover the transformative power of self-expression, paving the way for personal growth, forgiveness, and, ultimately, a chance at redemption,” he said.

“This play will be in Madison Wisconsin,” he said. “It will be four or five of us in the play, and we will all speak about prison reform. We will all have a set of monologues that we are going to do. We are presenting it in Madison with the hope of possibly doing other cities.”

New projects

Hyde revealed that he has a few new projects coming out in the future, which include a horror movie titled ‘The Seductress from Hell,’ which was written and directed by British filmmaker Andrew de Burgh, and “Crowdsource Murder,” which was directed by Brittany Underwood. “Andrew de Burgh is a great guy. It is an interesting horror film,” he said.

“Brittany Underwood directed it, and I love working with her. Brittany’s enthusiasm and professionalism was just infectious. She was a very giving director. That whole experience was so much fun,” he expressed.

‘The Date Whisperer’

Hyde was a part of the romantic comedy “The Date Whisperer,” where he starred opposite John Ryan McLaughlin, Jenna Michno, and Rib Hillis.

On working with Rib Hillis, Hyde said, “Rib was a lot of fun to work with… it was a good experience. ‘The Date Whisperer’ was fun. I’ve worked with the director, John Murlowski, eight or nine times.”

“I really like John [Murlowski] as a person, and John and I did a lot of movies together. Don in ‘The Date Whisperer’ was an interesting character to play. Also, Rib Hillis will go down in history as the first male actor that I shared an on-screen kiss with,” he elaborated.

“Overall, ‘The Date Whisperer’ was very interesting and a lot of fun,” Hyde admitted.

‘Danger Lurking Under My Roof’

Hyde appeared as Mark Robinson in the Lifetime movie “Danger Lurking Under My Roof.” “It has been fun to play different characters throughout this whole process,” he acknowledged.

‘A Christmas Frequency’

The holiday film “A Christmas Frequency” was written by Ansley Gordon and directed by Lindsay Hartley.

“Ansley Gordon was amazing to work with… she is so talented, and I want to work with her again. I had a great time with her. Lindsay Hartley directed that, and it was my second time working with her. Denise Richards was great, and a lot of fun to work with. It turned out to be a real feel-good movie.”

Future plans and goals for 2024

“I just feel really good about 2024,” he said about his goals for this year. “I really do. Whatever I am going to do this year, I want to do it better than previous years. I want to be a better father, husband, and just a better person. I would love to land a spot on another show.”

“I loved being a part of ‘The Young and The Restless’ because I enjoyed going in and seeing people every day. Also, having this family atmosphere and vibe. It reminded me of my days on ‘Passions,’ where the actors loved being around each other,” he said.

“Artistically, I want this to be a year where I am fulfilled artistically and fulfilled in abundance. I want to elevate this year. I want to be a year of elevation for me. I want to elevate in everything,” he added.

To learn more about actor James Hyde, follow him on Instagram.