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DAYS Freddie Smith Interview: From Gay Bashing and Bullying to the Will and Sonny Romance!

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Things take a turn for the worse for Sonny Kiriakis this week on Days of our Lives.  First, he attempts to kiss his best friend, Will Horton.  Then he gets gay-bashed, and from there Sonny’s world as he believes and knows it takes a devastating turn!

On-Air On-Soaps chatted with Freddie Smith (Sonny) to discuss the gay-bashing and bullying story arc that begins to unfold, Will and Sonny’s impending romance, and how Freddie feels after waiting so long for a story to sink his teeth into, after being brought on the Salem canvas as the first gay character in the history of the legendary NBC soap opera.

Here’s what Freddie had to say about it all and a preview of what is ahead for Sonny!

This week on DAYS, Sonny attempts to kiss Will (Chandler Massey), and that doesn’t quite work out so well!

FREDDIE:  No, it doesn’t.   He loves Will as a best friend and any situation in real life where you get involved with your best friend, where you begin to have a crush on them; it is that whole cat and mouse where it’s about, “Do I tell him, I like him? Or, do I not tell him because of the friendship?” And with Will, Sonny did not know if he was O.K.  He thought he could have been dead from the whole disaster that just transpired.  I think all of his emotions spilled out. He was just so happy that I don’t think he thought anything. Sonny just went in for the kiss and Will is caught off guard. So it was all of Sonny’s emotions that were built up that came to the surface.

So you had to play it that deep down Sonny had crush on him, or did he just realize this spur of the moment?

Photo Credit: Adam Campbell

FREDDIE: I think something like this can happen in a situation that brings it to the extreme, where your life is at stake. There are a lot of times in real life like that people come forward with their feelings.   It was more like, “I almost lost you, and you need to know how I feel.”   But Sonny has always had a crush on Will.  He is a good looking dude, and funny and clever.  They are best friends.  I think in real life a lot of relationships start that way.

Will then goes running to Gabi and they have sex! Does Sonny find out about this?

FREDDIE: I cannot touch upon the fallout of that yet, as a lot goes into it.

The big thing then this week is Sonny is a victim of some gay bashing! What goes down?

FREDDIE: “T” comes back to Salem and Sonny and “T” never had a resolution.  Things just ended poorly.   He doesn’t like Sonny, and Sonny is like, “Well, dude.  I don’t like you, either.”    He did not like Sonny because he is gay, and he is gay basher.  He is close-minded and he is not comfortable with it for whatever reason.  He comes back to town and this time what gets him even more fired up is when he finds out that his best friend, Will, has now come out of the closet.  “T” is blaming Sonny for it.  So there is this whole issue that happens and he is just lit! He is so mad. It gets very intense and it plays out and it’s an on-going storyline that is going to play out over a couple of weeks.   You will see the repercussions of what happens and the negative effects. You see how people on “T” and Sonny’s end handle it.   It’s a very good storyline. I am excited to see how it all turned out on the air shows!

Sonny is victimized obviously, and does this send Sonny on a downward spiral?

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

FREDDIE:  This is more of an internal thought: Sonny has a scene with his dad, Justin. I feel that Sonny has gone through the coming out process and the gay bashing. He finally came to terms with who he is, and he thought all of this was in his past.  And to have somebody start stuff with him, I think it just brings him back to “Dad, I thought this was over? Is this always going to continue to happen?  What is going on?”  I think he has that vulnerable moment to where he is taken aback.  Sonny is a positive character, and he does bring himself back from this, but he does have that moment where he is like, “Oh, man!”

Hopefully, Will comes to Sonny aid?

FREDDIE: Absolutely! He does and that is what is important and in real life too. It is having family and friends who are there for people who are bullied and any other situation that is bad, of course.  It is nice that his friends and family are there to pick Sonny up.

Freddie, you got to Washington D.C. to speak to congress recently on bullying that must have been very gratifying.

FREDDIE:  I got to speak in front of congress and men and women at the nation’s capital.  So it was something I will never forget.  I got to talk about bullying and my main point of interest is what I think can help stop bullying is parents getting involved in their kids life at an early age, and to bring awareness that this is not something that just goes on to middle school or high school.   People and kids grow up and are carrying this with them as an adult, and I mean everyone.  As an adult, you can think back to how you were bullied.  You never forget that.  That is why it is important to stop it at a young age, and why it is important to have parents help their kids and understand not to bully others. It is causing a lot of trouble in the world.

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Where you bullied as a kid?

FREDDIE:  It was more bullying moments.  I was not bullied every day. I think everyone has been bullied at one time or another in life.  We get it as adults too, honestly. There are a lot of people and groups and programs hopping on board to stop bullying, so it’s great, and if I can be a small part of that to bring some awareness of it through my role on daytime television, that is great too.

Are you getting exiting that the Will and Sonny romance is finally going to kick-off big time after so many presumed starts?  It seems now a story has been built that is so intricate?

FREDDIE: Me, as an actor and as the audience, we have all been waiting for Sonny to have these storylines, but I also think it was important to wait.  When I first came on the show and was being interviewed, it was all about being the first gay character.  A year and half later people are like, “So Sonny is doing so and so in his life.”   He just became Sonny, not labeled just the first gay character. I think it was great that they came to know Sonny for Sonny.  I think fans that waited will be very happy that they waited and hung in there with us.  Now, Sonny is going to take Salem by storm and people can start to invest and enjoy in his storylines.

Courtesy/NBC

It’s all good because it sets up emotional obstacles and problems for Will and Sonny to be able get together.  And as with any soap couple, fans are then rooting for them to get together and that is needed to keep it interesting!  And so it doesn’t then just languish on the back-burner, hopefully!

FREDDIE:  If it was a fairytale the story would die in two days and people would not care. The producers and the writers have done a phenomenal job at setting this up. I am so excited I have this material to work with.  It begins this week on air! I am looking forward to seeing all the scenes from an audience perspective.  There are a lot of emotions in this, as you will see.

So soapers, what do you think of the story point where Sonny will be gay bashed?  Are you looking forward to the Will and Sonny romance?  How do you feel about Will running to Gabi and having sex after Sonny makes a pass at him?  Are you happy to see DAYS tackling a bullying arc?  Let us know all of your thoughts!

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The “romance” has taken entirely too long.

I love the friendship between Sonny and Will. Sonny is definitely an underrated and undeused character. I miss him being on my screen! He’s amazing. Freddie Smith is a fantastic actor. Definitely my kind of guy!

I love the fact they address it verbally with Will and physically with Sonny. They’re both very powerful. The romance I’m looking forward to and they’re making it like a romantic slow trip you take to true love. But I think they hit a pot hole in the trip when they put in the WillGabi sex. They say it’s romantic history, insecurities and comfort. But how can you touch someone you couldn’t touch after the first time. I know Will is insecure in his feelings. But to make him test if he’s gay or not by screwing someone he didn’t want too before is insulting and stupid. It’s insensitive to show this in this time. When some think sexuality can be switched on and off like a light switch. Why taint the fragile image of a character when you’re promoting a romance Days?

I agree 100%. Will knows he has feelings for Sonny. After seeing Sonny with Brian and misunderstanding, I think Will was probably trying to get revenge. But this was SO stupid! Like THE EJami grief sex.

this is just going to confuse my mom further, who has been asking me “Will’s not going to STAY gay, is he?’ lol

I find the Will/Gabi storyline insulting. It would be more realistic if he slept with another man.

They are kind of making it look like Will is “bi”. Soaps always do outlandish things with the gay characters, like having AMC’s Bianca fall in love with straight women, and then those women magically “turn gay”. The weirdest was when she fell for the transsexual, LOL. Of course, the straight characters have outlandish stories too, so I guess it’s fair.

So happy that Sonny is finally getting a major story. Freddie has been so underutilized since being hired. Yes, the romance has taken way too long for Sonny and Will. I just hope the wait was worth it. Kyle and Fish have the standard set. I guess only time will tell if DOOL can out do that and I’m not so sure with how conservative they have been toward the gay storyline since it started. Hoping that was the fault of the old writers. Again, only time will tell.

I can’t wait to see it play out but i feel that this is a rehash of Tomlin’s old storyline from OLTL with Kish all over again. Will rejects Sonny & runs to Gabi & later sleeps with her, probably gets her pregnant, then Gabi uses it to try to hold on to Will as Wilson are getting closer.

OLTL’s gay storyline was conservative too, and it does appear as a rehash. But Fish was drunk/drugged and it made sense because at that time he did not fully realize who he was. But again to say that, other conflcted men don’t have similar sexual encounters when in doubt or acting upon revenge, would be unrealistic too. Nonetheless, I find it insulting, almost disngenuious, like another twist in plot could not be used, instead of Will hooking up with Gabi. Will was interested another man who provided him with an alibi. What about him? Anyway, Gabi may wind up pregnant. How convenient and predicitable! Didn’t Will go to his shrink grandmother, Marlena and talked things out? Months we watched his coming out process. He came out to be confused? Maybe Rafe was right when he said look how messed up Will is. With new writers, I will just wait and see, but I hope DOOL and its viewers don’t shut down a potential good storyline. Now that would another travesty similar to that which occurred on OLTL.

I prefer Sonny’s character. He is a good egg. He is honest. He is winsome. The viewers are invested and want to see more of him. I think the bully storyline, more so the bashing, may have a bigger impact. And another man showing some interest in Sonny would make good drama too. But WilSon will prevail; it’s a soap after all.

Tomlin was not at OLTL for Kish. That was Carlivati/Valentini

Excited for this story to get off the ground some more, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed Will and Gabi are going to be making whoppie. The story, since November 2011 IMO has been moving forward one beautiful and precise step at a time. And it still sounds that way to me, with exception of Will turning to Gabi, which takes everything a giant leap back.

I’ll watch and see how it plays out, but I wish they didn’t take this route.

Will sleeping with Gabi is not only stupid but insulting! With the way soaps treat their gay characters and storylines, I don’t know why fans even bother anymore. Look at how Luke & Noah were treated on ATWT and Kyle & Fish on OLTL.. And those are just two examples because I could name more! These shows like the attention they receive from these storylines but they never fully deliver what fans really want to see. Look how long things have taken with Sonny and Will. If they were a straight pairing things wouldn’t have taken this long. Inevitably, fans of ‘WilSon’ will be continually let down, disappointed and angered like fans of the couples mentioned above. Sadly, it always ends up being this way.

Freddie Smith finally gets some story…hooray! But, this Will/Gabi thing is crap. It would have been an okay plot device BEFORE Will came out. Now, it is a slap in the face. Is this someone’s grand plan to keep Gabi on the show? Because, frankly I would like nothing better than seeing her go off to a convent or something. The character is annoying and a waste of screen time.

Good interview! I’m interested to hear Freddie’s take on things. Sonny’s a likable character and I’m hoping with more Sonny comes more Justin and Adrienne. I am looking forward to seeing Sonny and Will’s romance take off. We’ve waited a long time for this, and I don’t want to be disappointed by crummy writing now. I have to say, I’m not happy with the Will/Gabi sex thing, and I especially don’t want to see something as predictable as an unwanted pregnancy to come out of it. Even if it were well-written, I just don’t want to see something so mundane cluttering up Will and Sonny’s story. There are plenty of other sources of angst for them.

Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Star, Greg Vaughan, Gives Health Update and Thanks Everyone for Their Support

Greg Vaughan (Eric, Days of our Lives, ex-Lucky, GH, and ex-Diego, Y&R) provided an update on his health on Sunday, March 17th. Vaughan had previously shared that he had become ill during a trip with his sons to Colorado, and had developed altitude sickness when he was having trouble breathing accompanied by terrible headaches and landed in the urgent care.

Now on St. Patrick’s Day, Greg took to his Instagram and shared how he is feeling now, and to thank everyone for their love and support.  As it turned out, Vaughan was diagnosed with high altitude pulmonary edema, commonly known as HAPE. However, he is on the mend slowly and surely.

In his new video post, the DAYS favorite started by expressing, “I just felt such an appreciation and gratitude for everything. . reaching out. Your prayers have been felt. It’s been a struggle, but I’m over the top. And, taking this moment just to say I didn’t realize the things that I was going through. My (original) post was simply just to educate, put some information out there and some things that I was feeling, just share that information and the struggle that I was going through, which I didn’t quite understand. And it wasn’t because I’m stubborn or just because I’m a father, a man, and didn’t want to go to a doctor. It is just something I thought was so minor that I could overcome it, just by taking care of myself.”

Photo: JPI

The Daytime Emmy winner then revealed his actual diagnosis, “So, basically my situation was high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). With some good friends, doctors that had reached out to me, it kind of gave me some understanding on the aftermath, which was very, very beneficial.”

“But I’ve been resting, taking care of myself even though I live in a hamster wheel,” said the dad of three teenaged boys. “I gotta get up and, you know, do my normal domesticated stuff, eventually. I’m tired of laying down in this bed, but, I am feeling much better.”

Photo: GVaughanIG

Talking on his confusion of trying to understand what could have been ailing him, Vaughan expressed, “I couldn’t quite figure it out, even though I was emphasizing and professing to my children going on our spring break getaway about hydration. I professed it. But, even though I was acting on it, it had a greater effect on me, and for which I did not even think, because my head was such in pain, and I was in a very bad state of mind – not being able to be out there with my kids on the mountain, enjoying their time, as well. I thought I was doing the right thing. Unfortunately, my lungs were full of fluids and my head was in severe pain and even migraine pills didn’t even help. So, I just want anybody that goes into the Colorado Mountains to know, it is no joke. It is this very serious thing which I guess is why they call it the Mile High City.”

Greg had a mountain of ‘thank you’s’ to give for the outreach he received from his original post, “For everybody internationally, wherever you are, I love you and I appreciate you and just the time and the thoughts that you’ve shared with me,” said Vaughan. “I didn’t realize that it would make such an impression on so many people around the world. I feel tremendously loved and I can’t say it enough. I’m good. And I appreciate you.”

Photo: GVaughanIG

The actor concluded his video with, “To all the family and friends that have reached out to me, man, it means the world. So take care of yourself, enjoy your spring break with your families. It’s Saint Patty’s Day, obviously. I wish I could be out there.” Vaughan added, “I feel loved and touched and I can’t emphasize that enough. I’ll take better care of myself, promise you will do the same.” Before he signed off, Greg shared, “Just know, that I’m alive and well and breathing, and I’m sore. So, be well, take care. I mean it. Thank you, tremendously.”

Glad to know that Greg has been on the mend, and shared his appreciation for everyone that reached out to him during this trying time? Comment below.

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Access Hollywood’ and ‘Couple to Throuple’ Host Scott Evans to Appear on Days of our Lives

Scott Evans, host of Access Hollywood and the Peacock reality series Couple to Throuple, will make a guest appearance this week on Days of our Lives.

Circle the Thursday, March 21st episode of DAYS for Evans’ arrival in Salem. During his tape date last fall (since DAYS tapes months well ahead of when episodes actually stream), Scott posed for a snap alongside Mary Beth Evans (Kayla), Jackée Harry (Paulina), James Reynolds (Abe) and Greg Rikaart (Leo).

Teasers for the 3/21 episode of DAYS share that Leo tries to come up with his next gossip column, and Paulina and Abe return home to a mini-celebration set up by Johnny and Steve. Will Evans pop up in one of those scenarios? Stay tuned.

Photo: JPI

For a long time, soap opera fans knew only of one Scott Evans. The one who played Oliver Fish on One Life to Live from 2008-2010.  But in show business, there are two Scott Evans’ that are widely-known.

Last Thursday, March 12th at the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards, it found both Scott Evans and Scott Evans together in the green room and they taped this video ditty below, calling out how they both share the same name.

Photo: JPI

Last weekend, viewers saw OLTL’s Scott Evans on-stage at the Oscars when he performed in the musical number “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie led by Ryan Gosling.

As for Access Hollywood’s Scott Evans, he has been with the entertainment news program since 2015, appeared in the recent Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas with Linda Gray, Donna Mills, Nicollette Sheridan, Loni Anderson and Morgan Fairchild, and currently has an overall talent and development deal with NBCUniversal.

So, looking forward to seeing Scott on DAYS? Check out ‘Evans meeting Evans’ below, and then share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Star Greg Vaughan Shares Sudden Health Scare: “I Truly Feel Like I Work & Live in a Soap Opera!”

What started out as an adventure with his sons, quickly turned into a nightmare for Days of our Lives Daytime Emmy winner, Greg Vaughan (Eric Brady).

In a series of Instagram posts, Vaughan shared the sudden health crisis he found himself in.  The images show Greg with an oxygen tank to help him breathe.

The actor began to fill people, sharing, “I’ve said more than a few times, I truly feel like I work & live in a Soap Opera! 🤪 this trip was nothing short of another great Vaughan adventure!”

He went on to say that on a father and son Colorado spring break trip, he began to feel shortness of breath, feeling tired and with a headache and after two days of hoping he would feel better, Vaughan finally went to an Urgent Care to get checked out.

Photo: GVaughanIG

“I finally surrendered & went to urgent care and to my shock I learned that I was experiencing severe altitude sickness.” Vaughan admitted. “My Blood Oxygen was at 54% & my lungs were full of fluids! Blood oxygen, also known as oxygen saturation, represents the percentage of hemoglobin in your red blood cells that is carrying oxygen. Most people have an oxygen level of 95-100%….”

Providing more detail to his health scare, Greg shared, “Well, 4hrs later, a couple of bags of IV & oxygen tank strapped to my face, I was told that I needed to immediately get off the mountain! However I couldn’t, we still had another day to go & wanting the boys to enjoy their last day on the hill tops! I opted to go home with an oxygen tank, a good laugh for everyone, and I know will follow, but my boys looked after their old man & fortunately they had friends on this trip!”

Photo: JPI

The experience of altitude sickness in the Colorado Rockies gave Vaughan a bit of a new perspective, “In all seriousness, no matter your age, and all the times I’ve ⛷️ & 🏂 in my lifetime, Colorado Rockies is no joke! As they say, ‘ take a breathe and smell the roses!’ That is truly something we need to remember & appreciate! #recover”

Share your well-wishes to Greg as he continues to be on the mend via the comment section below.

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Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

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