Several “Days of our Lives” stars have speculated on the changing shape of the NBC sudser now that James Scott (EJ) and Alison Sweeney (Sami) — two front burner, leading characters — have left the canvas. The chess pieces have been moving, giving other Salemites a chance to shine. And Soap Opera Network can report that Bryan Dattilo’s Lucas is one of the characters who’s been given the chance to step up to the plate!

“The fans have their questions — when is my storyline coming, when am I going to be a big part of the show, when am I going to get a woman and all that — and I’ve always said ‘It’s coming, it’s coming.’ And this time, it really is coming!” the actor enthuses of some plotline twists that have him front and center come 2015. “I have scripts in the hand and scripts in the can.”

It’s news that fans of the actor and character can be happy about, especially considering the flop of a story Lucas was involved in with Jade Harlow’s Sheryl. “It’s hard not to take it personally when every time you sleep with a girl, she’s kicked off,” Dattilo says with a laugh. “And then you’re alone, and you’re like, ‘What did Lucas do wrong there?! I thought Lucas was good in bed!’ The Jade thing was fun, but they just kind of pushed it to the side. I don’t think she did anything to instigate that. She was great: Always prepared, always came in, always a pro. So to have her back would be great, but they just chose not to continue the storyline. But the thing they have coming up is something that you’ll be like, ‘What?! They did WHAT with Lucas?!’ And then when you see it play out, you’ll be like, ‘That’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened to Lucas.’ So it’s actually a really cool thing.”

Though the storyline (which Dattilo says won’t be playing out until after Christmas) has had him working a lot, the actor explains that he’s still on recurring status. “I’ve been on contract and off contract so much, it doesn’t really matter to me. I just want to be used,” he opines. “So whatever that is, I’ll do. And I’m really not looking for other stuff. I don’t have an agent or a manager, I’m not banging on other doors. I’m totally happy to be here and do what they want me to do. So I think contract or not, it’s for the legality. If you’re buying a house or a car, it’s nice to make them actually believe that you have an income coming in!”

Which, he notes, can be quite a difficult challenge as an actor. “If they recognize you, you’re good! You’re in,” he jokes. “You’re like, ‘Oh, your grandmother watches? I’m coming back here!’ But if not, then you know, you’ve got to wiggle around it. Being an actor is also not a normal job anyway, so I think they’re willing to work with you a little bit.”

Dattilo won’t have to worry about such things in 2015 though, because he’s working quite a bit. In addition to the story he teased about above, the actor also reveals that he’s been working quite a lot with Guy Wilson’s Will. “With his mom gone, it makes him realize how much he needs his dad, and there are things that happen with him in the future that Will needs him big for,” Dattilo says. “It’s the kind of thing that only someone close to you can stick by you through, so those things have been great to play with him, and Guy’s done a great job. So yeah, we have a good storyline coming up.”

And speaking of Will’s mom, Sami, Dattilo is hoping that Sweeney’s recent exit doesn’t also mean the end of Lumi. “Even when she was with EJ, I never thought that was the end of them,” he muses. “When she went away, I think [they left] the door open, and I’ve been making choices as an actor outside of what’s written to make [a future together] a possibility for them. And I always thought that, you know, Lucas does love her. He just had to turn his cheek, because there were so many things going on with her that he couldn’t fix, he couldn’t be responsible for her. But when you get back to who is his true love, that’s probably his true love. And if the opportunity kind of presented itself, he’d be willing to be there for her again.”

The post Bryan Dattilo: ‘DAYS’ ‘Did WHAT With Lucas?!’ appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

When “Days of our Lives'” Will Horton left Salem last month to join his mom and younger siblings on a Los Angeles adventure, fans of Will and Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith) were left wondering what that would mean for daytime’s only married gay couple and their future together, considering it was stated that Will would be gone for upwards of six months. Turns out six months is just several weeks in the world of soap operas as Will’s portrayer, Guy Wilson, tells Soap Opera Network that he’ll be back on air sooner than you think. “It was written as six months, but it’s not going to be six months,” he shares, while noting, “something will happen that will force Will to return early.” Whether that something has to do with the trouble heading Sonny’s way, or the mystery Will finds himself looking to solve right alongside his father, Lucas (Bryan Dattilo), the actor is definitely looking forward to seeing what’s ahead on “DAYS” play out on air.

First things first: If you’re wondering why Will had to leave the canvas in the first place, albeit briefly, you can credit the departure of Sami Brady’s portrayer, Alison Sweeney. “It happened because [of the] departure of Sami Brady. It’s sort of like you have to fill that void. By getting Will Horton out of the picture for a little bit amount of time, it’ll enable the writers to sort of really effectively create an environment to where some other characters can come in and fill that void and get established so that when Will Horton returns he’ll be coming back to a whole new set of circumstances that will be a big sort of mind [bleep] to him. With the Sami departure, fear not, there will not be a void of drama and that’s it,” Wilson explains before teasing, “Will will come back with some secrets of his own as well. You can’t really go to LA and not have some secrets. I mean, we all know that…”

Speaking of LA, when Will does return one has to wonder if there will be any updates on what Sami and the family have been up to since leaving town. “A bit. I think life has to go on without Sami, so while there is a bit of a Sami update, by and large because of what Will is walking into when he comes home, that kind of takes the focus of his attention,” reveals Wilson without being more specific on the matter.

What the actor can talk about is sharing more screen time with on screen father, Bryan Dattilo. “It’s been great. Sparing the juicy details, Lucas Horton’s skill set will really help Will get to the bottom of certain mysteries that kind of prop up. So Will and Lucas will sort of become this really fun dad and son duo. For me I love it. Bryan Dattilo is one of my favorite people on the set. He’s a great person and such a fun actor to work with. I really love doing the scenes with him that we’ve been working on these past few months, and what they discover is intense. They solve a pretty intense mystery.”

READ ALSO: Bryan Dattilo: ‘DAYS’ ‘Did WHAT With Lucas?!’

Whether that mystery will include Sonny has yet to be determined, but Sonny will find himself in lots of trouble before Will returns to Salem. “Sonny does the best that he can do to keep his head high and to stay positive in Will’s absence, but trouble finds Sonny. Sonny’s a good guy, but trouble will find Sonny, and it’s up to Sonny to handle trouble the right way, if that makes sense.” It does if trouble’s name is Paul (Christopher Sean), the new celebrity baseball player currently being treated by Dr. Daniel Jonas (Shawn Christian).

“The thing about Salem is everyone’s kind of interwoven with one another and so invariably, inevitably, he’ll bare an effect on Will and Sonny,” says the actor of the Paul character. “As far as the magnitude, or the nature of that effect… I ain’t sayin’, but it’ll be interesting. It’s a very…, in the way in which his individual character evolves, it’s fascinating. It’s just so well written. It’s a very well written character and Christopher Sean, as you”ll come to see, is a phenomenal actor.”

The post DETAILS: Guy Wilson Talks Trouble and Mysteries Ahead For ‘DAYS” Will, Sonny and Lucas appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

Sharing sex scenes with some of the hottest men in daytime must be a tough gig, but someone’s got to do it. And (un)lucky for the rest of us, “Days of our Lives’” Kate Mansi (Abigail Deveraux) is the actress who’s been called upon for the gig. First she got Chad (then played by Casey Deidrick, now played by Billy Flynn), then she got EJ (James Scott), and now she’s got Ben (Robert Scott Wilson). But where has this bad boy bonanza left her burgeoning alter ego? Soap Opera Network spoke with Mansi to find out!

The past few months have been a whirlwind for Abigail, and the story that had her between the sheets — and in the shower — with EJ not only left her in a tailspin, but Mansi in one, as well. Now, both she and the audience seem to be thinking, “Where does Abi go from here?” Because, after all, it’s pretty hard to top those intense scenes that had her alter ego sleeping with the show’s former leading man! “I think that was Abigail’s feeling, too — ‘You were with this guy who rocked your world’ — and you know, good or bad or indifferent, you can’t ignore how major it was in her life,” the actress explains. “That’s definitely a real thing, and I think it’s just shown me new levels of myself, because that story really challenged me. It’s taken my acting to a new level, and I really embrace the new talent and I just think I have a very ‘Let’s just go with it’ attitude and [have learned] to be present.”

Whether they loved it or hated it, viewers of the show were given quite an intimate look into Abi’s journey of becoming a woman and finding her sexual identity. “It was a real sexual awakening for Abigail,” the actress comments on the EJabi storyline. “She was, don’t forget, a virgin. When a woman is a virgin until she’s 20-something years old, and then you have somebody like Chad in your life and it’s real special, that’s sort of like the loving relationship, and it’s great, and then you have someone like EJ right after that… everything is at a new level. And I think she found her sexuality and she just went there. It unleashed a lot of stuff in her, and I think it’s great, because it ultimately made her become more comfortable and confident with herself. And it really was a coming of age story. I mean, she became a woman. When you’re a virgin for that long, and you still live with your family, and your family is a Deveraux/Horton family and you’re always the good girl, there’s a lot of guilt with feeling like you can’t be sexual, with feeling like that’s not who you are. And when you’re in your 20s or whatever, you don’t know who you are yet. So it was a chance for her to explore the new versions, and yeah, it was great.”

With a new sense of self, Abigail is verging into a new relationship with Ben — which the actress says she’s really enjoying. “I love working with Rob. It’s so great,” she enthuses. “He came on and really stepped into a character that we didn’t know a whole lot about, as someone who didn’t have a family or anything. And it was really fun. I just think that the way this story develops is really interesting. And it’s just going to keep getting deeper and deeper, so I think the fans are really going to like it.”

However, that’s not to say that Chad won’t be in the picture. In fact, he’ll be an integral part of her storyline in the coming months because, as she teases, one never forgets one’s first love. “There’s a real weight with Chad, because of the history,” she explains. “And I think Abi feels the way that he’s hurt her so deeply, that she’s cautiously optimistic in seeing what will happen. But she never stopped feeling all those feelings for him.”

The post ‘DAYS’’ EJ Rocked Abby’s World — Can Ben (or Chad) Measure Up? Kate Mansi Tells All! appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

If you’re one of the fans who thought that “Days of our Lives’” Clyde (James Read) would swoop into Salem, stir up trouble for Ben (Robert Scott Wilson) and Jordan (Chrishell Stause), and then get the heck out of dodge, think again: He’s playing with the big boys now, and he’s here to stay!

 “I knew I would be around for awhile,” Read shares with Soap Opera Network. “I didn’t know exactly where the plot was going to take Clyde, but the handwriting was on the wall to me pretty quickly that he was going to have to do business or battle with EJ (James Scott).”

The story eventually led to Clyde’s involvement in EJ’s death — which the actor says he was nervous to see play out. “At one point, I asked one of the producers, I said, ‘The audience is really not going to like this character, where you’re going with it,’ and they said, ‘No, they’re going to love to hate him,’” Read reveals. “Every good story needs a good villain, and I think that they’ve done a really good job at presenting a multi-dimensional villain that the audience is perhaps is wondering, ‘Well, he’s not that bad, is he?!’”

One person who’s sure of his bad side is Kate (Lauren Koslow), Clyde’s new lover. As the audience knows, the powerhouse exec is sucker for bad boys. “There’s such a great dynamic [between them]; these characters both try to dominate their social environment,” Read says of the couple. “I think from their first scene together, there was that sense of ‘What’s your real story? Why are you really here? Who are you? You’re not leveling with me, you’re not who you say you are, but you’re really attractive. I really like you!’ So that dynamic, I think, the writers have done a great job in maintaining that and developing that so that you never know from one scene to the next exactly where the relationship is going. You go from thinking they’re going to kill each other at any moment to hopping in bed before the afternoon is out.”

Speaking of killing, that might be what Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) may want to do to Clyde once he starts delving deeper into his son’s murder. “You would have to expect that if and when Stefano learns of Clyde’s involvement in EJ’s death, fur is going to fly,” the actor teases, adding that both EJ’s father and Victor (John Aniston) are obstacles in his alter ego’s future. “Both Victor and Stefano represent immovable forces that Clyde has to try to move.”

Though honored to be working with vets like Aniston, Mascolo and Koslow, there was one daytime legend he was particularly excited to meet once he found out he’d landed the job: “Deidre [Hall]!” he exclaims of Marlena’s portrayer. “I had a crush on Deidre in high school.”

He has yet to tell the actress the secret news, but now that that the cat is out of the bag, he jokes, “I’ll be sure to tell her now!”

No matter what Clyde’s future holds or which actors he may cross paths with, Read says he’s honored to be part of the show that he says is as much a part of the American social fabric as apple pie and Chevrolet. “Who doesn’t know ‘Days of our Lives?’” he asks, adding that when he landed the job, “I turned it on and was like, ‘Wow, there’s Marlena! Wow, there’s John and Roman and Victor!’ All these icons are still going strong. It’s great.”

The post ‘DAYS”’ James Read: When Clyde and Stefano Come Face to Face, ‘Fur Is Going to Fly!’ appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

The moment “Days of our Lives” fans have been waiting for is finally happening: Molly Burnett is returning as Melanie Jonas today, November 21! But what exactly brings Melanie back to the canvas? And how long does Burnett plan on sticking around in Salem? Soap Opera Network spoke with the actress to find out!

“It feels like coming home!” Burnett exclaims of rejoining the soap opera on which she starred from 2008 to 2012. “They left the door open [when I left], which was great, and I just wanted to come back for a little bit and do some acting and be with the people I grew up with.”

But don’t be alarmed by that “little bit” part: The actress has signed a contract, so Melanie will definitely be sticking around for a considerable amount of time. Which is a good thing, considering both the character and her portrayer have grown up a bit in the two years since they’ve been away from Salem. “I made Melanie pretty similar to myself. I don’t do as many crazy things as she does, but the way she looks at life, she cares about everything, and she kind of wears her heart on her sleeve a little bit and she’s impulsive and she’s a goofball, and she runs into stuff, and she’ll die for any of her family or loved ones, and that’s kind of how I am, so the more I grew, the more she grows a little bit,” she explains. “[However], I don’t necessarily think it’s been too much of a switch. There hasn’t been much of a big change, just… I was gone for two years, and so was Melanie, so it’s the same feeling of, ‘You’re back in town. Is everything the same a little bit, or is it different?’ And so you kind of portray that onscreen a little bit, too.”

As fans might recall, Melanie left the canvas and headed to Europe to visit her mom and brother. But, as Burnett teases, the trip hasn’t gone so well! “She got herself into a dangerous situation, kind of as per usual. Europe is not a good place for Melanie!” the actress declares with a laugh. “She does bad things over there and then comes back, and her dad and Brady [Eric Martsolf] and Nicole [Arianne Zucker] have to help her out.”

A lot has changed in the town since 2012, and both Melanie and Burnett will have to get used to the differences. “I was talking to Eric Martsolf, and I was like, ‘Ok, I need you to go through and show me who some of these people are,’ because Chad [now played by Billy Flynn, previously played by Casey Deidrick] does not look at all the same!” she says. “So yeah, some new faces, but the same family feeling. I think I started when I was 19, and I spent my college years, in theory, here. So this is my first family in LA and it’s everybody that I just love to death.”

“For the most part though, it’s my usual crew,” she continues. “I get to work with Nicole a lot. And I love Ari Zucker. I always wanted Melanie and Nicole to [be in scenes together] because they’re kind of soul sisters. They get each other, because they make terrible decisions that at the time, they think is a good idea, but it never is. She’s great, and very comedic. But Brady and Daniel [Shawn Christian] and Maggie (Suzanne Rogers], the usual crew… Oh and Theresa, Jen Lilley. I love our stuff. She’s become such a good friend of mine. People know what Theresa has done to Brady, and obviously Melanie is not going to be ok with that, so there’s a kind of a Stephanie/Melanie, Chelsea/Melanie [dynamic] which has been really fun. She’s great. She’s a little spitfire. We say terrible things to each other and then they say ‘cut’ and we laugh and joke around and then jump back into saying these terrible things to each other. It’s been fun.”

Another new face she’s been sharing scenes with is Guy Wilson (Will Horton), though she explains that his face wasn’t exactly new to her. “Guy was a friend of mine before this, actually,” she says. “He’s a huge football fan, and so am I, and we met through some mutual friends ,and we’ve always joked around about football and watched games. So I’ve known him for a long time.”

READ ALSO: ‘DAYS’ Shawn Christian on Melanie’s Return: Daniel Has To ‘Harness a Reckless Child’ Who’s ‘Trouble In Both Barrels!’

And speaking of a long time, Burnett says it feels so good to finally be able to acknowledge her return on social media sites — something she hasn’t been able to do since she began filming at the beginning of the summer! “It’s been hard, because I like to interact with fans on Twitter, and it’s hard to just ignore them, but it’s what you have to do. You have to ignore them,” she explains. “I would have a lot of fun taking pictures behind the scenes and tweeting them or instagraming them so people could kind of get a glimpse into stuff, so it’s been hard not saying anything.”

Now that she’s back, she admits that though she’s enjoyed the freedom she’s had over the past two years to pursue outside projects and to travel [she went to Europe, just like Melanie!], she knew that “DAYS” is where she belonged. “This is your family. So even though you’re going to go do other things for a while, this is still who you kind of grew up with, and so it took awhile to get used to not seeing all these people all the time,” she explains. “I would still hang out with Shawn and Eric and Freddie [Smith, Sonny Kiriakis], but it was weird to leave.”

The post DETAILS: Molly Burnett Teases ‘Dangerous Situation’ That Brings Melanie Back To ‘DAYS!’ appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

Since stepping into Salem earlier this September, “Days of our Lives’” Chad has been trying to prove that he’s now a force to be reckoned with. And as viewers have slowly but surely seen, he’s well on his way to living up to the last name he shares with dad Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) and brother EJ (James Scott).

“Chad, he’s been kind of playing everybody at this point. It’s like that game at the carnival when you’re shooting the water, and you see all the things coming up, and I think he’s just waiting to see which one gets a little further ahead before he decides which side he’s going to take,” adding that his alter ego will soon be double crossing Kate (Lauren Koslow) in the worst of ways. “He respects Kate and Stefano and he obviously makes that choice to get what he wants. And Kate is going to be pissed but she also does appreciate it. Before, the old Chad was kind of whiny and… now finally, she’s like, ‘Finally, somebody that I can get along with.’ Because she loves it, the cat and mouse game that her and Stefano had over the years, and I think she kind of gets off on that. So she’s like, ‘Ok, it’s about time that there’s a DiMera that can do something.’”

READ MORE: ‘DAYS” Lauren Koslow on Kate’s Dangerous New Lover, Battling Stefano and the Changing Course of the Show!

While he’s mixing it up with Kate, Chad will also have his hands full with Jordan — though the recent news that her portrayer, Chrishell Stause, is leaving the show means that whatever is in the couple’s future will be short lived. “The stuff that we got to do was a lot lighter, it was a lot of fun,” he says of the story that will be playing out before the actress’ exit. “It was like a breath of fresh air, because she didn’t have to hold a gun or talk about what happened with her mom. And [Chrishell] is a sweetheart. I loved working with her.”

“She came in and said [she was leaving] one day, and I was like, ‘Um, what?’” he recalls of her shocking news. “I thought [the story] was building toward something that wasn’t her leaving, but you know, things have taken a different turn, and I like the way it’s going… I think the game for Chad was never really Jordan to begin with, and I don’t think it ever will be.”

With Molly Burnett (Melanie Jonas) back on the canvas, one has to wonder if perhaps she and Chad will pick up where they left off. “A little bit,” Flynn teases. “But not as much as anybody would have thought.”

Which leaves one other girl, of course: Abigail (Kate Mansi). “That’s a fun relationship,” the actor says of the former young lovers. “There’s always going to be something there. I’m biased about it, but I think Kate and I have really great chemistry. I think it’s a really interesting dynamic on the show, because even though there will be scene where we’re in the same room, I feel like you can always feel a tension. And it just kind of came off that way, because I tested with her in the beginning, so we’ve had a great chemistry since the get-go. But yeah, it always comes back to her, and I think it always will. I think it’s that kind of relationship that most primetime shows have, how you never see them together, they almost get together but they don’t. I think they did it right this time by not doing that. They keep us apart.

READ MORE: ‘DAYS’’ EJ Rocked Abi’s World — Can Ben (or Chad) Measure Up? Kate Mansi Tells All!

“There are some interesting things that are happening,” he continues, before teasing that things are about to get a whole lot more interesting for the former pair. “It will always be Abigail, but there will be somebody that I think he uses again as bait, kind of. But things work out for Chad the way he wants them to — eventually!”

The post ‘DAYS’’ Billy Flynn: Chad Double Crosses Kate, Says Adios to Jordan and Tries To Manipulate Abigail Back Into His Life! appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

It’s raining men at “The Price Is Right,” which has been in the thick of a national male model search of manly proportions for the past couple of weeks. And seeing as how the game show not only helped launch the career of “Days of our Lives’” Robert Scott Wilson (Ben Rogers; ex-Pete Cortlandt, “All My Children”) but also decided to include “The Young and the Restless’” Melissa Ordway (Abby Newman) and Daniel Goddard (Cane Ashby) in this year’s search (which Soap Opera Network was the first to reveal), we decided to have executive producer Mike Richards come on down and give us the full scoop!

This year’s exciting male model search may not be the first the show has launched, but it is definitely the largest, having been nation wide, the inspiration for a web series and will be an upcoming topic on CBS’ “The Talk.” “The production team on ‘The Price Is Right’ is phenomenal; we never stop thinking of new things to do, how we can expand the brand and get more people to watch the show and be a part of it,” Richards explains of how the idea for a second model search came about. “Our mandate internally was, ‘We just have to make it bigger and better,’ and that’s why we have Melissa and Daniel, who are already in our universe, here. That’s why… [former Miss USA] Shana Moaklar is a judge, that’s why the winners are going to be announced on ‘The Talk.’ It’s a lot bigger this time.”

In the midst of all the excitement, fans of Robert Scott Wilson — the first ever male model on the show — are wondering if perhaps the show will strike gold a second time. Richards is hopeful but points out that it will be nearly impossible to replicate exactly what Wilson brought to the show. “He’s just that good,” the exec praises, adding: “Whenever you’re the first of anything, you’re always going to be the tough act to follow. Do we want someone that is as natural and charismatic and good looking as Rob on our show? Yes. Do we want another Rob? Probably not. Because we want someone different. What was so great about Rob was that he was Rob. So we want those baseline things, but we want someone completely different. And what’s great is, America votes and we give them options, but [in the end], they’ll decide what they want.”

That being said, Richards — along with Goddard, Ordway, Moaklar, Wilson and others — have been weeding through the hopefuls so that the top three out of thousands can be presented to America. And through that process, the EP has noticed his own favorites. “What’s interesting about this, and it happened last time too, you have people you thought would be great that ended up not being great. And then you have people that are a little weak, and to be honest, and Rob knows this, Rob was not my favorite going through much of the process,” he reveals. “The producers and I went back and forth about having him on, and he knows this. And I called him out on it on the show. I said, ‘Hey, you’re too calm, you’re too mellow.’ So now, we definitely have people that we like, but in each of our challenges, strengths and weaknesses have been exposed, and so we’re kind of challenge to challenge. We do go, ‘Ok, here’s what we think is going to happen,’ and then we do the challenge, and we go, ‘Oh no.’ Because he was great, and who knew he was going to be that good? We have an 18-year-old, Jarrett, who submitted through the Internet, and I thought, ‘Oh, he’ll make it one round; he’s young and charismatic,’ and here he is in the final five, and this guy just keeps better and better and more confident, and I’m telling you, he’s getting better looking, too. He’s evolving into the role, and ultimately, that’s what Rob did. Rob evolved into what you see now, because he’s a pro.”

Soap stars in general tend to be pros, and that’s why Richards and the ‘Price Is Right’ team decided to include “Y&R’s” Ordway and Goddard into the action. “If you watch Daniel Goddard [when he guest stars on ‘Price’], he’s a ham, he’s good looking, he’s funny, he lights up every room he’s in. He can’t help it. If you look at Melissa Ordway, she’s good looking, a ham, lights up every room she’s in, makes every scene better, whether it’s on the soap or on ‘The Price Is Right.’ So that’s what we’re looking for: People that can really elevate it.”

As for whether or not Richards has seen a direct correlation between increased ratings and soap opera actor appearances on the game show, he says the “Price” team doesn’t look at it that way. “We don’t track things that closely to where we go, ‘Oh, there’s a big bump,’” he explains. “My belief about daytime is that when you do things well consistently, that’s what draws people in. In primetime, you stunt someone, and it can change the number, because there’s promotion and advertisement. But on these shows, it’s harder to do that. So for us, it’s about consistently making it better, consistently having the soap actors on, consistently having them great on the show. And so it’s more about over time repetition and being really, really good than it is about one big, ‘Well, we had Daniel Goddard here today.’ Now, that being said, he tweets about it, the soaps tweet about it, CBS Daytime tweets about it, so people are aware of it. And then there’s that, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s my favorite actor, I didn’t know he was going to be on today. That’s Melissa Ordway, holy cow, I love her.’ Or, ‘There’s Hunter [King, Summer Newman], a phenomenon who won an Emmy this year.’ That’s my theory, anyway. And that’s why those numbers don’t pop, because it’s more like, ‘Oh, that was great. I want to watch again tomorrow.’ And that’s why you see a steady increase, rather than [a temporary boost].”

As for the future, Richards says he’s very much looking forward to the next chapter of “The Price Is Right” and the addition of the show’s next male model (who will win a week-long modeling contract for the week of Monday, December 15). But he also reveals that including male models on the show in the first place was a nerve-wracking decision. “It was a big change that I was really nervous about,” he admits. “But there are a couple of benefits: One, we have a fan base that is largely female, and it gives them the guy that’s running around on the jet skis and having fun… and the thing is, it gives us a place to go. The more varied talent you have on an ensemble cast, which ‘The Price Is Right’ is, the better the entertainment. And I’d rather see [a male model] on a motorcycle than one of our female models. Our female models do an amazing job, but it just makes more sense. So there are a lot of benefits. And honestly, bringing someone new in like Rob, he elevated everybody’s game: My game, [host] Drew [Carey’s] game, [announcer] George [Gray’s] game, the director’s game, the models’ game, everybody’s game goes up, because they went, ‘Oh, here’s this new guy, and he’s really naturally good at this.’”

And now, the challenge will fall to the show’s next male model. “And then, it will be up to America, so don’t screw it up, America!” the exec teases with a laugh. “We want them to pick the right guy that they love. And by the way, they nailed it with Rob Wilson. The other guys who entered were good, but they chose Rob, and they got it right.”

Be sure to tune into the Monday, December 1 episode of “The Talk” to see the final three male model contestants, and then cast your vote for your favorite at www.priceisright.com!

The post EXCLUSIVE: Which Guy Is Right For ‘The Price Is Right?’ EP Mike Richards Reveals the Secrets Behind the Game Show’s Male Model Search and Its Soap Opera Crossover! appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

Ever since Jill Abbott Atkinson decided to push forward in removing Chancellor Industries from the clutches of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), who was left the company per Katherine’s will, fans have clamored for the ultimate showdown between the pair and they’re definitely in for a great ride as Jill’s portrayer, Jess Walton, tells Soap Opera Network of the storyline that picked up steam on yesterday’s episode. The actress also reveals her thoughts on onscreen husband Tristan Rogers (Colin Atkinson) deciding to stick around Genoa City, how much input new head writer Charles “Chuck” Pratt, Jr. (“All My Children,” “General Hospital,” “Melrose Place,” “The Lying Game”) has had in the direction of the Jill vs. Victor battle, which began under previous regimes, how she learned of the passing of former co-star Beau Kazer (Brock Reynolds), and if the show should possibly memorialize the character as they did with Katherine Chancellor, Brock’s mother, after the death of portrayer Jeanne Cooper in 2013.

First things first: The new year has been very good to Walton. After spending the Christmas holiday break among friends and family in Oregon, where football was playing upstairs and chick flicks downstairs, the actress opened 2015 looking forward to a fabulous time. “I just think it’s going to be a fabulous year. I really believe you can decide and I’ve decided. So, there you go,” she says enthusiastically.

Speaking of a fabulous year, when she returned to work earlier this month it included news of Tristan Rogers deciding he’ll be sticking around a little while longer as Jill’s husband, Colin Atkinson. “I like being in a storyline with him because he’s very amusing. I think it keeps Jill viable and young, to be in a love storyline, and Tristan is hilariously funny to work with and he’s a really good actor. He brings so much to that character and to that relationship,” Walton says happily of how Colin helps flesh out Jill by making her a more well-rounded person.

Speaking of Colin, it was his input that helped Jill in deciding to pursue Chancellor Industries despite what Katherine’s will stipulated. “He’s always been a distraction because she loves him very much and he loves her. It’s wonderful that he’s going to help her get the company back and she’s just focused on the company right now and not the [nuances] of their relationship,” Walton shares.

While it’s too early to tell what exactly it will take for Jill to get the best of Victor, who Walton admits her character ultimately hates, she feels “come hell or high water,” Jill will [eventually] do it. “Jill had an affair with Victor a long time ago, and she was really in love with him way back then, but since then she’s just watched the horrible things he’s done. She has no respect for him whatsoever as a human being and she always kind of flirted with him a bit and fakes it a little bit, but she does not like him.”

Which is why the revelation that Victor’s the one behind the warehouse development came at the perfect time. “She’s actually very happy that this came out because now she doesn’t have any qualms about going over and getting back this company that she always thinks should have been hers,” which Walton notes was pretty painful for Jill at the beginning, despite nothing really being made of it when she first found out.

Considering Colin has been in the picture for quite sometime now, his being a distraction essentially kept Jill’s mind in the clouds for a while, but “now that everything is coming back down to earth, I think she is completely determined, come hell or high water, and she’s gonna get that company back,” says an as determined Walton of Jill’s mindset. “I really think she believes that Katherine did this as a test for her. I really think that. I mean, Katherine has always played games with her, and she really believes that Katherine gave the company to Victor, not because Jill couldn’t handle it, but to see if she was strong enough to get it back.”

Whether it is a sign from heaven or just pure luck on her side, “[Victor] being behind all this is the proof for her that she can go ahead.”

With his material hitting the air for the first time late last week, after officially being named head writer and co-executive producer of the soap last November, Charles “Chuck” Pratt, Jr. is now helming the creative ship, but one can only wonder how much input the veteran daytime and primetime writer has had in the direction of Jill vs. Victor. Making clear that the story has been years in the making, Walton says, “The minute Katherine’s will was read, there was always a possibility of trouble there in that area… Before Chuck came on board, we had been talking about Katherine and Jill, and Victor, so it wasn’t something unheard of or unthought of before he came.”

With an average of 5 million viewers tuning in each day this season, “Y&R” continues to amaze after nearly 42 years on the air, 26 of which includes ranking as daytime’s most watched drama series, and Walton credits the fans. “The fans are very loyal. And we’ve had a lot of regimes and we’ve still got a core of wonderful fans, and everybody is pulling together. We have a new head writer and we’re all very excited about it and very hopeful for the future,” declares Walton, who has yet to understand why the show and daytime as whole doesn’t seem to get the credit it deserves, particularly in the Nielsen ratings, where it continually outranks every show on The CW and several others on the big four networks.

“I’ve never understood it. It makes my husband furious. I realize that. I mean, he can’t even believe [it]. The answer always is, ‘Well Daytime, they’re built for a certain demographic…a younger demographic,’ and I’m thinking, ‘but it’s the older demographic that has all the money!’ All the younger demographic is moving back in with their parents and then they say, ‘But [the older demographic] are set in their ways, they’re not going to buy a new product’ and I just say that’s BS. I mean, we’re the baby boomers. Maybe 200 years ago they used Borax or something [laughs], some of them may not have changed from Borax, but nowadays we’re the boomers. It’s a whole different ball game. I never understand why we get the short end.”

On December 30, 2014, “Y&R” lost one of its own. Actor Beau Kazer, who portrayed Brock Reynolds off and on since 1974, passed away. Walton learned of his passing while in the “Y&R” makeup room. “Lauralee [Bell; Christine Blair] told me about it and I was just so shocked and baffled to hear it. I emailed his wife [Sharon Alkus] and she emailed me a lovely letter back. He was such a talented actor. When he would give his speeches… he was very professional. He loved to rehearse, which I love to rehearse. He was kind and he was giving. I always judge people by my ability to cry with them. It means I feel safe with them. If I feel safe with them. Truly enough, I used to cry very well with Eric Braeden [laughs]. With Beau, I felt very loved. I just thought the world of him. It makes me very, very sad to think that he’s gone.”

As for whether the show should memorialize Kazer, beyond yesterday’s end credit mention, Walton would welcome it with open arms. “I certainly hope they will. I certainly would love it if they would put on a show where we heard it and they had a memorial. It would be a great way to get Tricia Cast [Nina] and a bunch of old cast members together again. It would be a way of honoring him, so wherever he is he knows how much we valued him, how much the fans valued him. I can’t say enough about how much of a wonderful guy he was… I hope they realize how much it would mean to the fans.”

The post DETAILS: The Battle is Set — ‘Y&R’s’ Jill vs. Victor appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

Since joining the cast of CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” in early 2014, Cady McClain [ex-Dixie Martin, “All My Children”; ex-Rosanna Cabot, “As The World Turns”] has seen her character, Kelly Andrews, finally deal with several family matters that have helped shape her into who she is today. “Her child died, her marriage broke up, her mom was a drunk and was very unstable. She thought her father was good, and it turns out her father was abusive. So Kelly had a really rough life experience. I hope that the fans kind of remember that. She’s really hanging on by her fingernails and trying to make this life, and Jack is a real key… falling in love,” McClain says in an exclusive interview with Soap Opera Network, following the Tuesday, February 17 episode of “Y&R,” which found Jack Abbott’s (Peter Bergman) actions contradict his words when he once again became intimate with Kelly as they did the deed in the storage room of The Underground.

The result of which seemingly gave hope of a future to a woman who many have begun to question her mental state. McClain also reveals in our interview some things you may not even realize about Kelly, the difference from being a recurring actor on a soap vs. a contract player, if any, and what’s next for one of Genoa City’s most exciting triangles.

When we tweeted, “Poor Kelly or crazy Kelly? Things are getting very interesting for Ms. Andrews,” shortly before the conclusion of Tuesday’s episode, some of you sided with the crazy side of the character. McClain doesn’t agree. “Poor Kelly! [laughs]. Poor Kelly. She loves Jack and now he’s being weird and just using her. She doesn’t know. She thinks it was very confusing to her what just happened,” says McClain, who had just completed an eventful live tweet during that day’s broadcast. But she does think collectively Jack, Kelly and Phyllis (Gina Tognoni) “all have to be crazy to be together [jokes] and people putting up with all of this, or each other.”

While the triangle is currently where Kelly’s concentration stands, it hasn’t cost Kelly anything storywise. Although there may be some story points she would have liked to have played, nothing really has been missed since the introduction of the character in 2013. “I honestly think they’ve done an amazing job of filling in the backstory with her mom. Remembering all that with Meredith Baxter and the murder of her father that turned out to not be by Stitch [Sean Carrigan], and to be by the mom. I suppose it would have been fun to have done more. I didn’t get to act with Meredith Baxter as much as I wanted to. I would have loved to have had some mother/daughter scenes. If Meredith ever wants to come back to the show, I’m sure they would embrace that. I know I would. ‘Come back. Bring back mom,'” exclaims McClain. “I think they’ve really covered all their bases with her pretty well. Family is really where it’s all at. Those family connections and I’m very lucky that I get to work with Sean Carrigan. He’s just so good. I just love our scenes together as a brother/sister. It just lends that other element of history and that’s what’s really important, I think, for the fans too. The fans have this sense of the history of where that character’s come from.” And that includes her love for Mr. Abbott.

“He really courted her with the roses. They were in love. They seemed very, very real. Phyllis coming in just sort of really threw a big ol’ wrench into all of that. It’s really pushed Kelly to the edge. That doesn’t make her crazy, it just makes her willing to do things that maybe she would think about twice if her life was more stable.”

As for those scenes where Jack took Kelly into his arms, and took her to heaven so to speak, one has to wonder if Jack has finally reached his breaking point after dealing with the loves of his life. “I don’t think that Jack has had a mental break. Didn’t he used to be called Smiling Jack back in the day? Wasn’t he like a cad, the bad boy?” McClain recalls of of Mr. Abbott’s early beginnings. “I think it asks the question, ‘Do people really change as much as you think they do?’ I mean, has Jack really changed that much? Did something push him over the edge? Did Phyllis make him want to go back to his old self. Did Kelly make him want to go back to his old self? I mean, I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. Peter and I were talking about the scene… we played it as written. That’s what we do, read what we get and we play that and just go for it. That was our plan. It was just, ‘Okay, let’s go for it!’ Clearly Jack and Kelly enjoy sex together. That’s one thing they had in common.”

After the deed was done there was a moment where Jack and Kelly were getting redressed. If you looked closely you would have noticed Kelly pull up her underwear. That wasn’t a scripted moment. “Who has sex with their underwear on? That’s pretty difficult. I was like, ‘I want to make it look real.’ When you stand up, you kind of like have to pretend like you’re getting them back on… I think everybody really tries to keep that reality in there because the viewers don’t miss a beat. That was certainly my goal and Peter and I talked about that too. He puts his pants on. He puts his shirt on. That’s what people do!”

Outside of her own storyline, viewers are truly enthralled with “Y&R’s” FANtastic February umbrella storyline, “Flirt with Disaster,” which includes the aforementioned Underground collapse, a plane crash that has stranded several characters, an apartment building fire that’s found enemies working together to save each other’s lives, and a murder mystery that has left many rootable characters wondering which one of them could pull off the unthinkable. “I think the credit really goes to [executive producer] Jill Farren Phelps and [head writer] Chuck Pratt. They are the ones that really engineered this whole ‘Flirting with Disaster’/’Fantastic February.’ This kind of style, and that’s great to hear that [viewers] are digging that,” notes McClain of the February Sweeps storyline that kicked off on Friday, February 13.

Back to Kelly: Where is she headed now that Jack seems to have shown he might still care about her? “I definitely see Kelly… this is a big connection with her. This moment that she and Jack make love again after him telling her, ‘I don’t want anything to do with you!’ I think she’s not going to give up on Jack. This was the moment she’s been waiting for. Like proof that he still wants her,” explains McClain. “I think she’s going to pursue that as much as she can, to make that happen because she really loves Jack. Jack is everything to her. Now she’s got proof that he loves her too, or [at least] she thinks he loves her. He certainly wanted her there.”

Speaking of stability, McClain is on recurring status with “Y&R.” You probably wouldn’t notice based on storyline. That’s okay though. “You know, I’m very happy as a recurring player. It certainly gives me some flexibility. On ‘As The World Turns’ too, I was a recurring player and I worked like a contract player. These days it’s so weird. It just doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. I mean, you work however they work you and there’s never any guarantees. Even in your contract. If they let you out, they can let you out anytime pretty much. I’m very happy just being here.”

If Kelly’s plate wasn’t already full with Jack, you probably might not of thought about who else the character might make some magic with. During her live tweet on Tuesday, McClain wrote, “I’m good wit this!” in response to a pic of herself next to Scott Elrod, who plays Joe Clark.

I’m good with this! @Scott_Elrod @YRInsider #YR #fantasticFebruary pic.twitter.com/raWmDSo6Dc

— Cady McClain (@CadyMcClain) February 17, 2015

McClain explains: “That would be pretty funny, wouldn’t it? Yeah, that would be hilarious. Getting together. They could, I don’t know, work together on something, but who knows. He’s pretty into Avery [Jessica Collins], I gotta say. That’s his goal and Kelly’s pretty into Jack right now, so it would have to be really down the line. Or they would hook up with a goal together and maybe just have like a casual fling, I’m sure. I don’t know about love, but it just can be fun. They can just have some fun.”

What Do You Think?

The post ‘Y&R’s’ Cady McClain: ‘[Kelly] Loves Jack and Now He’s Being Weird and Just Using Her’ appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

On the Thursday, March 12 episode of CBS’ “The Young and the Restless,” fans of the daytime drama series will be introduced to “The Price is Right” male model search winner James O’Halloran, who will guest star as a waiter in scenes with actors Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren Fenmore) and Christian Le Blanc (Michael Baldwin). In an interview with Soap Opera Network, O’Halloran reveals that his appearance on “Y&R” marks the first time he has ever been on the set of an American soap opera, his thoughts on winning the “The Price is Right” male model gig and what’s next for the 6’1 Australian native.

In December, O’Halloran was introduced to American television audiences when it was announced that he had won the second male model search on “The Price is Right” by host Drew Carey. Since then he’s appeared on the game show on numerous occasions, and it looks like it might become something long-term. “It’s been an absolute trip since winning. It’s been a really great ride,” O’Halloran says happily. “It’s certainly stretched down and I’ve got some dates booked all the way until this season, so I guess we’ll wait and see what happens after that. There’s been some talk of them making a chair with my name on it so that might mean that I might be coming part of the furniture there,” teases O’Halloran of his future on the popular daytime program.

Outside of modeling, O’Halloran is experienced in the martial arts (Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). He plays the guitar and is also a singer and songwriter. He enjoys swimming, surfing and horseback riding and loves getting his hands dirty while working with animals and several types of machinery. He happens to hold a degree in industrial design. He’s also an actor.

Like Robert Scott Wilson (Ben, “Days of our Lives”; ex-Pete Cortlandt, “All My Children”) before him, O’Halloran had some inkling that he’d likely be appearing on a soap opera at some point. “Fairly close into the program I was aware of what had happened for Rob and that sort of thing, and I guess it’s not a direct line between them, but certainly I was aware that I could [have] some possibilities. Though it’s been a little bit of a surprise.”

READ ALSO: And the Next Male Model on ‘The Price is Right’ Is…

In scenes filmed in early February, “Y&R’s” Lauren and Michael are seen having lunch at the Genoa City Athletic Club. Their waiter (O’Halloran) comes over and delivers Lauren her fruit cocktail. In reality (since this is TV we’re dealing with), what she’s given is a liquid drink consisting of blue fruit dye or something similar. It’s supposed to represent the alcoholic beverage Blue Curacao.

“They were such a pleasure to work with,” says O’Halloran on sharing the screen with Bregman and Le Blanc. “[They were] so accommodating and they strayed away where they were interested in me and asking questions. Asking if I wanted to run lines with them and that sort of thing… just really welcoming and friendly making me feel right at home.”

In addition to his appearances on “Price is Right” and “Y&R,” O’Halloran can next be seen in the the feature film “Deadly Crush,” where the tag is “true love never dies.” He’s also finding time to take part in the Los Angeles theatre scene.

“I’m actually working on an original play at the moment that’s playing at the Renegade Theatre [‘Boner & Other Stupid Mis Takes’] and apart from that I’m starting up another play… Tennessee Williams‘ ‘The Glass Menagerie,’ which will be showing in April,” says O’Halloran enthusiastically, while sharing that he’s cleared some of his available time to audition and take part in pilot season. “It’s been really great. Busy time… really fun.”

James O’Halloran Show Reel

You might be surprised to learn that O’Halloran might best identify with comedy, but drama is still in play as evidenced by his experience on “Y&R.” O’Halloran says, “I really feel comfortable in comedy at the moment. I think that’s what I lend myself to. I do enjoy drama as well. I do think it’s always good when you can bring a bit of comedy to the drama too, a bit of a dramedy.”

Ultimately, however, his concentration currently remains on his gig on “The Price is Right,” which seems to be working out for all parties. “It’s great that it’s been working. They seem to be happy and it’s an amazing opportunity.” As for how he got the job, O’Halloran admits it was a fun process. “By the end of the process, and getting to work with some of ‘The Young and the Restless’ stars, and things like that, I felt that if I didn’t get it, I would have been happy anyway.”

For more on James O’Halloran visit his official website and make sure to tune into “The Price is Right” and “The Young and the Restless” weekdays on CBS.

The post ‘The Price is Right’s’ James O’Halloran Talks ‘The Young and the Restless’ appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

Several “Days of our Lives” stars have speculated on the changing shape of the NBC sudser now that James Scott (EJ) and Alison Sweeney (Sami) — two front burner, leading characters — have left the canvas. The chess pieces have been moving, giving other Salemites a chance to shine. And Soap Opera Network can report that Bryan Dattilo’s Lucas is one of the characters who’s been given the chance to step up to the plate!

The post Bryan Dattilo: ‘DAYS’ ‘Did WHAT With Lucas?!’ appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

When "Days of our Lives'" Will Horton left Salem last month to join his mom and younger siblings on a Los Angeles adventure, fans of Will and Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith) were left wondering what that would mean for daytime's only married gay couple and their future together, considering it was stated that Will would be gone for upwards of six months. Turns out six months is just several weeks in the world of soap operas as Will's portrayer, Guy Wilson, tells Soap Opera Network that he'll be back on air sooner than you think. "It was written as six months, but it's not going to be six months," he shares, while noting, "something will happen that will force Will to return early." Whether that something has to do with the trouble heading Sonny's way, or the mystery Will finds himself looking to solve right alongside his father, Lucas (Bryan Dattilo), the actor is definitely looking forward to seeing what's ahead on "DAYS" play out on air.

The post DETAILS: Guy Wilson Talks Trouble and Mysteries Ahead For ‘DAYS” Will, Sonny and Lucas appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

Sharing sex scenes with some of the hottest men in daytime must be a tough gig, but someone’s got to do it. And (un)lucky for the rest of us, “Days of our Lives’” Kate Mansi (Abigail Deveraux) is the actress who’s been called upon for the gig. First she got Chad (then played by Casey Deidrick, now played by Billy Flynn), then she got EJ (James Scott), and now she’s got Ben (Robert Scott Wilson). But where has this bad boy bonanza left her burgeoning alter ego? Soap Opera Network spoke with Mansi to find out!

The post ‘DAYS’’ EJ Rocked Abby’s World — Can Ben (or Chad) Measure Up? Kate Mansi Tells All! appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

If you’re one of the fans who thought that “Days of our Lives’” Clyde (James Read) would swoop into Salem, stir up trouble for Ben (Robert Scott Wilson) and Jordan (Chrishell Stause), and then get the heck out of dodge, think again: He’s playing with the big boys now, and he’s here to stay!

The post ‘DAYS”’ James Read: When Clyde and Stefano Come Face to Face, ‘Fur Is Going to Fly!’ appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

The moment "Days of our Lives" fans have been waiting for is finally happening: Molly Burnett is returning as Melanie Jonas today, November 21! But what exactly brings Melanie back to the canvas? And how long does Burnett plan on sticking around in Salem? Soap Opera Network spoke with the actress to find out!

The post DETAILS: Molly Burnett Teases ‘Dangerous Situation’ That Brings Melanie Back To ‘DAYS!’ appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

Since stepping into Salem earlier this September, “Days of our Lives’” Chad has been trying to prove that he’s now a force to be reckoned with. And as viewers have slowly but surely seen, he’s well on his way to living up to the last name he shares with dad Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) and brother EJ (James Scott).

The post ‘DAYS’’ Billy Flynn: Chad Double Crosses Kate, Says Adios to Jordan and Tries To Manipulate Abigail Back Into His Life! appeared first on Soap Opera Network.

It’s raining men at “The Price Is Right,” which has been in the thick of a national male model search of manly proportions for the past couple of weeks. And seeing as how the game show not only helped launch the career of “Days of our Lives’” Robert Scott Wilson (Ben Rogers; ex-Pete Cortlandt, “All My Children”) but also decided to include “The Young and the Restless’” Melissa Ordway (Abby Newman) and Daniel Goddard (Cane Ashby) in this year’s search (which Soap Opera Network was the first to reveal), we decided to have executive producer Mike Richards come on down and give us the full scoop!

The post EXCLUSIVE: Which Guy Is Right For ‘The Price Is Right?’ EP Mike Richards Reveals the Secrets Behind the Game Show’s Male Model Search and Its Soap Opera Crossover! appeared first on Soap Opera Network.