On Days of our Lives, Gabi Hernandez has been through the wringer, and now she is about to put everyone else through the wringer, too!  For the last few months, viewers of the NBC daytime drama have witnessed the turn in the character, played to the hilt by Camila Banus.  After suffering major mental and physical anguish, and being sent to prison for a crime she did not commit along the way (thanks Stefan and “Gabby”!), this spitfire is ready to takedown Abby (Marci Miller) and Stefan (Tyler Christopher), and whoever else is the way as part of her collateral damage in her revenge schemes.

Thus far, Gabi has already switched the DNA paternity results of Abby’s unborn child from Chad (Billy Flynn) to Stefan. She has been egging on her ex Chad to divorce Abigail, although that seems to be backfiring on her at the present.  So, what’s a girl to do?  The key to her plot may be poor Abigail’s delicate mental state; after all, Abby suffered from DID and created “Gabby”, and “Dr. Laura” to try to cope with the fact that she murdered Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis).

While Banus is getting the chance to show off her chops on DAYS, she has been landing many exciting projects in primetime and film. Chief among them, Camila has joined the cast of the Fox drama, Star, where she will be making an impact in her new role of Nina Ferrera on the show’s upcoming third season.  Michael Fairman TV caught up with this talented young woman to get her take on how playing bad feels so good. Check out what Camila had to say below.

When you found out that Gabi was going to the dark side, was this something you had hoped would happen?

CAMILA:  Yes.  I think when Ron Carlivati (head writer, Days of our Lives) first arrived; I had a phone conversation with him where he kind of knew I wanted a strong storyline: something that I thought would be worthwhile; something that I thought would be very strong for Gabi.  I didn’t give him a direction.  I thought it was just cool that he did go this way with her.  I think, I even mentioned to him, “I don’t care if she goes crazy.  I don’t care if she has multiple personalities,” but obviously as it turned out, he was doing that with the character of Abigail, but it’s cool, because Gabi’s able to interact with that storyline and play her own dramatic situations that are going on.

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

When you were One Life to Live’s Lola Montez, didn’t Ron write for you then as well?

CAMILA:  He was on board when that was happening.

She turned bad too, didn’t she?

CAMILA:  She didn’t turn bad.  She just took acid on her prom night.  Actually, she kind of did turn bad.  She poked holes in her cousin’s condom, but whatever. (Laughs)  It is what it is.  (Laughs)

Courtesy/ABC

I’m watching the scenes where Gabi is sipping on a martini, and being this bitch on wheels.  You’ve got it down! 

CAMILA:  Thanks!  It’s been a long time, and Gabi has been kind of been s**t on for a while (laughs), so it feels good to have a little redemption, you know?  It’s so fun!

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Gabi is so upset.  She gets beaten up in prison, thrown in there from a crime she did not commit, she learns she may never be able to have children again because of it, and her daughter seems to not like her now and Abby gets pregnant!  You could see how it all could pile up and lead to a spiteful and revenge-filled Gabi Hernandez!

CAMILA:  Well, her daughter is feeling resentment because she’s abandoned her twice, for a very long time, both times.  Arianna is a very small little girl who needs her mom.  She’s pretty angry at her now and she can express it better.  Arianna chooses to act this way, act out, and tell Gabi how she’s feeling.  I think that just goes to show what a great mom Gabi is that her kid is able to speak so freely to her.  It’s been a pretty rough couple of months for Gabi, and then, this last straw has been to hear that she cannot create life again.  She cannot sustain life in her body.  That happened from being beaten in prison and getting a really bad infection that scarred her and that does not allow her to carry a child to term.

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

And then she finds out Abigail is pregnant, and we start to see Gabi’s wheels turning!

CAMILA:  Yes, because the worst thing is that she finds out that Abigail is pregnant.  That really is a punch to her uterus.  It sucks, because she’s been given this other news, and it’s like, “What? Are you serious?”  This gift has been given to the woman that did all of the horrible things to her.

Also, Gabi was in love with Chad.  Is that another reason why she wants to destroy Abigail? 

CAMILA:  I don’t really think that plays into this.  Mostly, it’s just the backstabbing, the lying, and the setting her up for a murder that she did not commit; allowing her to sit and rot in prison, allowing her to be away from her daughter for so long.  It’s pretty hard to forgive.

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

When Gabi found out that it was Abby’s alter, “Gabby” that was framing her for murder, is that still no excuse in Gabi’s mind?  Even though Abby was mentally ill at the time?

CAMILA:  I guess the way Gabi is playing it is, “At the end of the day that was Abigail.  Abigail could have come out at some point and saved me if that was the case and did not.  If that was the case, why wasn’t she seeking therapy?  Why did I have to be the one who was harmed in all of this?  It’s not fair regardless.  So, yeah, I’m kind of blaming it on her.”

Then there’s Gabi’s resentment and anger at Stefan, who was part of the “Gabby” cover-up.

CAMILA:  Stefan just fed the fire of the personality.  He knew what was happening and didn’t do anything about it.  He made it worse

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Speaking of Stefan, what has it been like working with Tyler Christopher?

CAMILA:  It’s been fun!  I loved throwing the cup at him and just all of the fiery conversations that Gabi and Stefan get to have.  It’s great to fight with such a big, powerful character.  It makes me have a lot of power too, so it’s just been great.

Photo Credit: JPI Studops

This week unveils the next leg of Gabi’s plan, where she sets out to try to make it look like Abigail is suffering from DID again.  Do you think the audience will be tweeting, “How could Gabi do that to someone with a serious mental illness?” 

CAMILA:  Karma is a bitch.  That’s how it’s been written, and that’s how I’m playing it.  I think that it doesn’t matter if I like it or not.

Gabi seems to have conjured up this plan, but what does she think that the endgame is?

CAMILA:  She has some plan, but obviously you can’t be prepared for anything.  You can have plan A, plan B, plan C, but you’re always going to get an X-factor or variables.  It’s never going to be something that is going to go your way, especially for Gabi, because she’s not a savvy, dark side person.  She’s just getting into this dark side business.  She had to do what she had to do to Nick Fallon (Blake Berris), but that’s not something that she was planning.  That’s just something she did to protect herself.  I think she’s rolling with the punches.  She’s got Kate (Lauren Koslow), who is her compass in all of this, telling her, “What are you doing?”

Photo Credit: JPi Studios

Marci Miller made the decision to leave the show.  How do you feel about her exit when the two of you built this drama between your characters?

CAMILA:  People come and go all of the time from our show.  I left; I’ve come back.  It’s just something that is just part of our business.  It sucks to not have her around every single day.  We get used to having people here every single day, and then we just try to keep up, and stay in touch when someone leaves.

I thought it was great that your Lifetime movie Killer Caregiver came out at the same time that Gabi started becoming dark on Days of our Lives.  How was playing that role? 

CAMILA: That movie was so fun to play, because I feel like it had a lot of ‘Lifetime’ elements to it, but it also felt really edgy.  It was very, “Hand That Rocks the Cradle.”  I loved playing that role.  It was fun to be such a bad, bad girl.

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

You have been cast on Fox’s hit music dramatic series, Star opposite William Levy. Congrats!  What can you tell us about the role of Nina? Have you already shot your scenes?

CAMILA: Thank you!  I have shot scenes for my role on Star.  Nina Ferrera is a bold and savvy business owner that equals her powerhouse husband.  We are both go-getters and determined to make our mark in the industry and I can tell you that she’s extremely fashionable!

You have such passionate fans, who always want the best for you.  They are vocal on social media.  What have they thought of the turn in your character?

CAMILA:  It’s interesting.  I’m not getting that many haters, which I have in the past when she’s gone a little to the dark side.

Photo: CBanusInstagta,

I remember when that happened, and I was like, “What is going on?”

CAMILA:  Yeah, I’m not really getting too many haters.  I think people feel bad for me!  I think they feel bad that Gabi’s had it so tough.  I mean, being falsely accused of murder … when Gabi was on trial, she went to a maximum-security facility.  That’s not okay.  Melinda Trask had it out for her.  I think that’s why people kind of understand.

They want Gabi to stir the pot!

CAMILA:  Yeah!  We’re in a soap opera.  We’re on a show.  We need drama.

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

When you’re doing certain types of scenes where you have to look at the camera with the martini, or make certain comments to yourself, do you ever worry that it’ll be too over the top?

CAMILA:  I worry every single time, and I know every single time that it will be over the top, because who sits with a martini glass talking to themselves?  (Laughs)  Of course, obviously, I’m not psychotic!  (Laughs)  Again, it’s just part of our business.  It’s part of the scandal of it all, part of the drama.  I get these scenes, and I can say to the producers and the director, “Hey, I don’t want to do this,” and the only thing they’re going to tell me is, “You’ve got to do this.”  (Laughs)  You just try to make it as natural as possible, and roll with it.

Photo Credit: JPI Studiops

How will Gabi’s dear friend and father of her child, Will Horton (Chandler Massey) fit into all of this?  Will Gabi care what Will thinks if he finds out what she is doing?

CAMILA:  Will comes into this a little bit after this story develops as kind of a Jiminy Cricket character, in a guidance kind of situation that she may, or may not heed.

Do you think fans will see bad Gabi continue once this story is over?

CAMILA:  Gabi will continue to be bad as long as people continue to wrong her.  If people stop messing with her, everything will be fine.

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Isn’t she worried her brother Rafe (Galen Gering), who works for the Salem PD, might arrest her if he finds out what she’s doing? 

CAMILA:  No.  (Laughs)  Honestly, that’s the honest answer.  She’s not worried.  She’s really just not thinking about that at all … at all!

Is her company “Gabi Chic” going to continue?

CAMILA:  She cannot have any other baby.  Her other baby is her company, so she’s going to fight for it.

You’ll have great stuff for Emmy time next year.  Is there one particular scene that you’ve loved so far in this story line?

CAMILA:  Yes, but it hasn’t aired yet.

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

What did you like about those scenes; without saying what they are specifically?

CAMILA:  You get to see a little bit of raw Gabi, and a moment of understanding of where all of this is coming from.

She switched the DNA results to make it look like Stefan is the bio-dad of Abigail’s baby when it is Chad’s.  Interesting how she pulled that off! (Laughs)

CAMILA:  It was very convenient.  It just kind of worked out for her, and that’s why it was something that just kind of happened.  Kayla’s (Mary Beth Evans) assistant came in and dropped the results at the precise time Gabi was standing there.

Courtesy/NBC

So, in a broad stroke, you would say to the viewers to look for Gabi to continue to terrorize those who wronged her?

CAMILA:  Yes! Look for Gabi to get the revenge she deserves.

What do you think of Gabi’s plans to get payback on Abby and Stefan?  Do you hope she succeeds  … or that someone will stop her before she hurts so many people?  Are you excited that Camila will be on the upcoming season of Star?  What has been your favorite Gabi bad girl moment thus far? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.