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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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 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!
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).
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!
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.
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.
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.
Eileen Davidson is officially reprising her role as Kristen DiMera on Peacock's "Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem." Find out what she has to say about the "Days of our Lives" spinoff, playing Kristen again, and much more.
Charles Shaughnessy is bringing Shane Donovan to "Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem" and gives us the inside scoop on what to expect, how streaming is the future of soaps, joining the cast of "General Hospital" and how long he'll be in Port Charles.
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.”
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
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.”
Sean Smith/JPI Studios
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.”
Paul Skipper/JPI Studios
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.”
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.
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
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.
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
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.”
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).
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
“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.”
Though “Days of our Lives’” Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow) has proven that she’s a force to be reckoned with and can hold her own with the big boys of Salem, her latest love interest — shady Southerner Clyde (James Read) — is making for some very worried viewers!
“I’m really having fun with this story, and the audience seems really intrigued. Although, I’m getting a lot of warnings on social media, on Twitter, saying, ‘Kate, you better watch out! He’s dangerous,’” Koslow says of reaction to her alter ego’s new partner. “I love it.”
Though some fans aren’t too happy with the fact that Clyde had a hand in the death of EJ (James Scott), the actress surmises that Kate doesn’t see it that way. “I don’t think Kate would have a problem with it. He didn’t do it,” she says with a laugh, adding that the way Clyde operates is very much how Kate operates. “They’re very much alike.”
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
However, she appreciates that the fans are keen enough to know that Clyde isn’t all that he seems. “I think people get a sense. That’s why I love this audience. I think they get a sense that there’s more there than meets the eye — especially if Kate is interested and intrigued by him!” she says. “You have to remember when he first came to town, he slightly blackmailed her into supplying a work crew for him, without it being said. The subtext to me, to Kate, was, you know, he’s in some business, some edgy kind of business, and she helped him out. Obviously she’s helping him out with DiMera… so she knows he’s connected, that there’s something going on there, and that’s intriguing to her.
“[James] is such a wonderful actor,” she continues. “I didn’t know where the story was going, and when we did our very first scenes in the coffee shop… James came in and sat down, and we just did our first rehearsal, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is going to work out. He’s going to be here for awhile.’ Because he’s a wonderful actor. And we work in a similar way: Very much in the moment, very spontaneous. He’s just always there and focused. And it was intriguing for me, because I didn’t know anything about the character, and the same thing for Kate, but Lauren and Kate are both fascinated with this man. Even though I feel like Kate knows, ‘Why am I? I shouldn’t be.’ But she can’t help it. It’s a chemical attraction to him.”
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
That is, of course, because Kate has always loved a bad boy. And that’s why she barely flinches when Chad throws her a fast one later this month. “The thing is with Chad is, I think she’s proud of him, that he is what he is,” she explains. “He’s a little bit of a snake, and that’s ok. In true DiMera fashion, he’s assuming his position in that family, which she is happy for him to do. And really, she wanted him to do that before…. And now, he is a threat. He came back all edgy. And Billy [Flynn] is doing such a good job. He’s really good. And hot! So there’s a lot to come out there. So as much as she’s angry about what he [does], she has to step back a little bit and say, ‘Good move.’”
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
Speaking of the DiMera clan, viewers have been wondering what’s going to happen once Stefano (Joe Mascolo) is fully back on the canvas — and Koslow says what’s to come may be unexpected. “The stars are realigning,” she teases of the show dynamic a whole. “You have exits of very long term characters, and the writers, I think, are doing a wonderful job. They’ve just launched into other stories, and there is a realignment, and it’s kind of fascinating for us, the people who have been on the show for a long time, because that means you’re mixing it up with people that you didn’t necessarily mix it up with before. And there’s a lot of that coming on. And it’s really good. Stefano, he’s been in her life a long time. And it’s a strong influence, and that’s a battle. It’s a different kind of relationship now, because they are true adversaries. They really are adversaries.”
Meanwhile, Koslow says to look forward to some new faces that fit into the changing dynamic of the show. “There are a couple of new characters that we’re going to find out about… who really influence a major storyline in a major way,” she teases. “I think it’s happening the next few weeks, maybe the next month, in a major way. It’s going to be a shocker!”
Ever since coming to Salem as a struggling model 16 years ago, “Days of our Lives’” Nicole (Arianne Zucker) has been on a non-stop whirlwind journey filled with emotion, tears and a whole lot of super soapy drama. And for the first time in that near two decades, the character is about to embark in an entirely new direction that may elicit some surprise from fans!
Having gone through the ringer as of late, Nicole finds herself in a precarious position emotionally — which leads her down a path with someone special from her past. “She’s at that point in her life where literally, if you look at the depth of her… both her parents are dead, she has an estranged relationship with her sister, her brother is God knows doing what, she can’t have children, and she can’t adopt, and the love of her life hates her and is playing the victim, so she’s trying to find a way to rekindle a relationship,” she explains, adding that Dr. Daniel Jonas (Shawn Christian) is the lucky man this time around! “Daniel seems to be, at the moment, the only one who’s left the door open. Maybe Brady, but Brady has got his own stuff going on right now… So Daniel is the only one who’s opening that door a little and allowing some forgiveness to happen. And Nicole has a lot of work to do, and I think that’s what you’re going to see is this build of Nicole trying to just be honest with herself.”
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
The result, she reveals, is not necessarily a redo of a romantic love story for the pair, but rather a refreshing break for her alter ego. “It’s a lot of fun… and I don’t think my character has ever just had fun on the show,” she says. “She’s always been in some kind of mess. You see her in an episode, and it’s like, ‘Oh, this is going to work, everything is going to be wonderful,’ and then something happens and she’s doing something bad. Right at this moment, you’re just going to see some fun color. It’s maybe not as exciting, but it’s definitely a change for the character.”
And it’s also quite a change for Zucker, too. “I’m not crying!” she says with a laugh. “It’s a nice break, because I feel like I’m crying every time I turn around. Something is happening or nobody likes her. But yeah, we’ve had a lot of fun. A lot of silliness on set.”
Paul Skipper/JPI Studios
Speaking of fun on set, we recently askedJames Scott (ex-EJ DiMera) to name his favorite storyline, and he said it was the baby swap storyline featuring Nicole and Sami (Alison Sweeney). Zucker also named it her favorite. “It was really special to all of us,” she recalls. “It ran for two years, and just the deception, and the way that, for myself, I had to find a way for the fans to stay connected to me as well, as much as Sami, because I was taking her baby. But I was trying to find the justification of, ‘Oh god, I hope this doesn’t corner my character.’ So that was really fun for me to be able to play and work with that and work with everybody and kind of prove that this character has more value.”
It’s hard enough keeping a good man down, but try keeping a bad man down. It’s impossible, as proven by “Days of our Lives” Stefano DiMera. Though the hits keep on coming for the patriarch, he’ll make like Sia and remain bulletproof, nothing to lose, as they fire away, fire away. And his portrayer, Joseph Mascolo, seems to share the cavalier attitude — at least when it comes to certain aspects of the storyline that ushered James Scott’s EJ off the canvas and Billy Flynn’s version of Chad onto the screen.
Jill Johnson/JPI Studios
“The person that was closest to me that was supposed to be my son died as of late, which I personally felt sorry for, because he and I were good friends. But that’s showbiz,” the actor says of EJ’s death and the resulting change of the DiMera family dynamic. “[Billy Flynn] was hired… and was to be my son. So the way I work is, I don’t fool around once we’re doing work; when we’re working, we make it for real. So I placed him in a corner and said, ‘Ok, now let’s go for it. This is reality.’ And he’s just wonderful, and we became good friends, and we’re enjoying each other very nicely.”
EJ’s death was a devastating loss for viewers, and it hit Stefano equally as hard. The grieving father lamented his son’s demise and tried to manipulate the situation — even going so far as to order Kristen (Eileen Davidson) to sneak into the morgue and inject a mysterious substance into his son’s arm. Which begs the questions: What exactly was the substance in the syringe? And will it eventually bring EJ back from the dead — if he’s even truly dead?
“Thanks a lot for asking me that, because I don’t know what [the mystery substance] was!” Mascolo says with a laugh. “I didn’t know, and as a matter of fact, I watched [the show] because I tried to figure out what in the world did he get?!”
As for whether or not he thinks “DAYS” will recast the role of EJ, Mascolo is pretty confident they won’t — at least for the time being. “Because it’s soap opera, people assume that it’s stupid. But it’s not always that stupid: He’s dead,” the actor concludes. “Now, if he comes back, I don’t know, how would you bring a dead person back? I mean, even with God on your side. So I don’t know. I have the feeling that [James Scott won’t return if they bring the character back], because he was there for quite a while, because he’s young enough now, that I mean, what I did in the theater, he would like to do now. So I think he’s going to hold off as far as anything like that goes.”
Howard Wise/JPI Studios
No matter how it plays out, Mascolo says you can bet that there will be hell to pay once Stefano learns the truth about EJ’s murder. “[James Read’s Clyde and I] haven’t crossed paths yet. If we do cross paths, I’m going to give him stuff to worry about, because I don’t know how that happened,” the actor says in character. “[Stefano’s going] to find out why and how it was done.”
