GENERAL HOSPITAL's Ric Lansing is a loser at love — and just about everything else. With two failed marriages under his belt — to the fair Elizabeth and feisty Alexis — he is suddenly single, and on the prowl for a new woman. Some fans think Skye could be his not-so-perfect match. Rick Hearst weighs in on the state of Ric's love life and what he would like to see in his character's future.

Soap Opera Weekly: Considering Rick's current romantic prospects, Skye looks to be his best option. Are you familiar with the new fan base calling itself "Risky Business" — as in Ric and Skye?
Rick Hearst: Yes, I've heard of it. Look, I keep going from great actress to great actress. I've always admired Robin Christopher's (Skye) work, as I did Nancy Lee Grahn's (Alexis).

Weekly: Do you see Rick and Skye as a good match?
Hearst: They're both very broken characters. There could be some sort of communion between the two of them. I would like to see something like that build. When Ric and Alexis broke up, there was an unwillingness for Ric to admit his own failings. Around Skye, I think he would be willing to do that. Ric had that one speech when the Quartermaines were ostracizing Skye during the hostage crisis. He came to her and said, "It's a bitter kind of pain. It's permanent, when you feel like you are the outsider." That's something that he knows, and she knows. In that, we could find a lot of rich story.

Weekly: So you think Ric and Skye are really kindred spirits in that sense?
Hearst: Yes, in the same way that AJ and Skye were.

Weekly: Plus, would you agree that Ric and Skye don't have that competitive, one-upmanship relationship that he and Alexis had?
Hearst: I don't think for one second that Skye, if given a challenge by Ric, wouldn't return it in time.

Weekly: Do you think the different women in Ric's life have brought out different sides of him?
Hearst: With Elizabeth, Ric wanted to try and change himself. With Alexis, Ric wanted to change, too. But she would call him [on the person he was], and he'd throw it back in her face. I don't think it would be the same way with Skye. When you see your character go through many years of being on a show, hopefully, you see a progression...a moving forward and an awakening from time to time, whether it's seeing the character come to a place of self-discovery or whatever. There's always going to be one more door to open. At this point, I think there are multiple possibilities for the characters of Ric and Skye.

Weekly: Do you feel there are many doors left unopened for Ric to go through and explore alone?
Hearst: Yes. I've spoken about this many, many times. I would love to see the introduction of Trevor (Ric's father) into his life, whether it was just a window [of a story] or [delved] more specifically into why Ric is the way he is. Maybe it wasn't just based in his feelings toward his brother (Sonny). What really happened between Trevor and Adela? What lies, maybe, were Ric told? What was it that his father wanted from him? And what did Ric feel he wanted to be for his father? These are all things that as an actor and as an audience, emotionally, we can connect to. No matter what happens, it can propel story. It can propel different relationships. It would open up doors for the other characters, because they would be dealing with a different energy.