Michael Nader has granted his first post-arrest interview and has made some interesting statements regarding his drug addiction and future at All My Children.
In an exclusive interview with weekly magazine Soap Opera Weekly, Nader claims that he hid his addiction from nearly all of his co-stars. In fact, Nader says that he also did not tell show executives of his drug problem because he feared that he'd be fired for violating the morals clause in his contract. As it turns out, ABC was apparently upset that Nader did not speak to them because the company offers a comprehensive treatment plan for employees with substance abuse problems.
Also in the interview, Nader admitted that drugs took a big toll on his physical appearance. Having lost at least 20 pounds, it was a co-star who urged Nader to seek treatment -- and ultimately sent him for treatment at the Hazelden Clinic in Minnesota.
Though Nader has faced the charges against him in court -- most of which were dropped -- it is unclear if he will ever get a chance to return to work at All My Children. In July, Dimitri (now played by Guiding Light alum Anthony Addabbo) will be written out of the show. According to a source at the show, Dimitri and wife Alex are going on an extended vacation. Of course, that does leave the door open for Dimitri's possible return.
In related news that could give Nader fans something to look forward to, AMC's recently named new head writer, Michael Culliton, was instrumental during his time as an AMC writer in the 1990s in introducing the Wildwind scene -- including Dimitri. Now that he's the head scribe, could he re-write history and once again bring Dimitri to the forefront? (See our related article in the News section for more on Culliton).
The complete interview with Nader is available in the July 3rd edition of Soap Opera Weekly. In addition to the interview, there are two photos (including one cover shot) of a very healthy looking Nader.
