Days Of Our Lives
THE JAMES SCOTT INTERVIEW – DAYS OF OUR LIVES
EJ Wells found himself in several predicaments in the last several weeks. First, he is still in the dark about the daughter he just baptized, and that the woman he finally made love to, is lying about being the baby’s mother! Then, there’s the love of his life, Samantha, who has just returned from being in the Witness Protection Program with another man in tow! Not to mention that his brother Tony is stirring up all sorts of trouble, which will lead to his ultimate downfall, and then, throw in EJ’s business projects that are all twisted and tangled and you’ve got more plotlines than any character can handle.
Days of our Lives heartthrob, James Scott, certainly seems to be carrying quite a heavy load on his shoulders, so we got down to business to answer some of the questions that “Jami” and “DAYS” fans want to know about all the shenanigans in Salem.
Without further adieu…the charming Mr. Scott!
Listen to the audio:
[display_podcast]
MICHAEL:
Last week on “DAYS” Nicole and EJ baptized Sydney, and EJ is still in the dark about Nicole’s baby machinations. How long will this go on, that he will remain clueless?
JAMES:
One can only imagine he will be clueless for a while. There are no indications that this storyline is about to come to a conclusion anytime soon.
MICHAEL:
Is that daunting?
JAMES:
Well, most of the soap operas play the same beats, but what is interesting is trying to make them feel fresh. But still is it daunting? I wouldn’t say so. It’s always interesting to get new scripts and see how the writers are going to get Nicole out of it for another day, week, or whenever it may be.
MICHAEL:
Does it ever feel to you that the writers dummy down EJ?
JAMES:
Well, there have certainly been times when I have said to the producers, “Look, this guy is not this stupid.” Nobody is, and we have to try to make some changes, and it’s complicated. On the one hand, they want to tease the story without giving it away, and more often than not, they want to tease it to the person who doesn’t know where the stakes are highest, and he finds out. Yet, he does not find out for a little while. It’s a very thin line, and quite a lot of the skill of good soap opera is knowing how to dangle that just far enough away for one character, so that he or she won’t look like a complete idiot!
MICHAEL:
How has it been working with Arianne Zuker (Nicole)?
JAMES:
Arianne is a pleasure to work with! I have been lucky, and the circle of people that I work with are all fantastic, and certainly Arianne is a very gifted actress. So I have a lot of fun working with her, as I do with Alison Sweeney (Sami). I also have worked along with Joe Mascolo (Stefano) and Thaao Penghlis (Tony), who are strong, strong actors who give you a great deal.
MICHAEL:
Will “Jami” fans continue to be upset? And, I know we have Rafe in the picture now as a spoiler for that relationship!
JAMES:
Well, I will give you my take on that. I don’t think I am giving anything away by saying that the writers and producers, (and I can only imagine that they are aware that there is a huge amount of support for that storyline) have got to think, at some point, that they are going to pay that off and give the fans what they want. Because, if there are a lot of fans that want it, and there are a lot of them, you can be pretty sure they are not going to get it straight away. The show is very careful not to alienate fans that particularly supported a character for a long time. It’s always a natural conclusion to lots of storylines. You have the situation where EJ has a child, a daughter with Samantha, which he does not know about.
MICHAEL:
Do you think the four of them, EJ, Nicole, Sami and Rafe, will be a quadrangle for a long time? Nicole is going to get caught at some point!
JAMES:
Nicole is in a no-win situation, and let’s be honest, if you have watched soap operas for a week, you can get away with things for a certain amount of time, and then, “gosh darn it”, you always get caught. And, that is why people watch soap operas, because there is always a consequence. They may not realize that consequence for a day or two, but ultimately they do have to realize the consequences of their actions.
MICHAEL:
What was EJ’s initial reaction to seeing Sami and Rafe kiss?
JAMES:
Initially, he is surprised because the last time he saw Samantha she was going into the Witness Protection Program. There was some unsaid feeling between the two of them. EJ has moved on with Nicole, and in many ways, he has been able to move on because Samantha was not there. He doesn’t have to see her. If he had any feelings, he certainly did not have to deal with those feelings, so he put them aside. So, not only does Samantha come back into his life, but she comes back into his life with what looks like feelings for someone else. So, I think it’s primed! Obviously, I think in our own lives when we have an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, and you see them a little bit later with somebody else, even if you parted on good terms, it’s hard to see them with somebody else. And that goes for even if you parted as good friends. It twists your stomach a little bit. Sometimes, in a good way, you are sorry with what you had with this person that you don’t have anymore.
Often, it can be difficult to watch.MICHAEL:
When he finally makes love with Nicole, was it reactionary? Was it because he was upset seeing Sami kiss Rafe?
JAMES:
Is it reactionary? Are you joking? This poor guy’s fiancé has not had sex with him in seven months! She has been hiding this whole deal with the baby, and if he would take her clothes off, he would take one look at her and say, “My goodness darling, you are not really pregnant!” So, he hasn’t had any action! I don’t know what the boy’s done. It’s not a reaction, no. He is happy for anything he can get it.
MICHAEL:
What have you thought of the EJ and Tony feud?
JAMES:
He is my brother. I don’t think anybody who has a brother doesn’t know that when there are the two of you, and one father, that there is going to be jealousy; and especially when it’s about running the family business. If your mother and father have to choose between one of you for something, it doesn’t feel great to not be the one who is chosen. EJ is the one who is chosen. So he feels more confident than he would be otherwise. However, EJ is very upset when Tony dies.
MICHAEL:
How did you feel when you heard that Thaao would be leaving the show?
JAMES:
I was very, very, very upset to see Thaao leave the show! I have seen other people come and go, but I was particularly sorry to see him go. I love Thaao Penghlis. He is a wonderful actor. He is great to work with on set, and he can be the most difficult bugger, but that’s his charm. I really was very sad to hear it and to see it, and upset indeed! He was one of those actors that just bring something. You know, a level you don’t often find. You can give him terrible material and he will always come back with something, and he will give you something that is compelling. They were not making any choices based on quality of performances when they let him go, because he just rises above other people. I am not saying everybody. But, if you saw the Emmy nominations from last year, it was breathtaking and wonderful to see his work. I think it’s sad, and a great shame, and I wish they could have found some way around it. I think it’s a great loss for the show.
MICHAEL:
Well, the writing was on the wall, when Tony is the one who finds out Nicole’s baby switcheroo secret. There is nowhere to go from there but into an early grave!
JAMES:
I think they made the decision not to continue his contract several months ago, and that was the decision. It was instead of finding a way to get rid of Tony off the canvas, they decided to kill him.
MICHAEL:
What do you think about EJ’s involvement in the Alternative Fuels Project?
JAMES:
The Alternative Fuels Project! Now there is an interesting thing! Here is a project devised by a 12 year old. I think that’s what Melanie is, with her ex-boyfriend… who is currently in prison for being the Unabomber or something… and they came up with this multi-billion project! So, all these rich men and criminals are running around trying to get the rights to it. It’s interesting! It’s a fun story! I find it to be wholly implausible. If you throw all the implausibility and the reality of it out the window, it can be actually quite fun to watch.
So, I would advise our viewers to do that, and they will find it much more pleasant.MICHAEL:
How is working with Alison again, after her rather short maternity leave?
JAMES:
Alison is wonderful to work with! It’s one of the great things about my time on the show. She is fun, she is professional, and it’s a great pleasure, always!
MICHAEL:
You have been working on a very special project close to your heart. Tell me about it.
JAMES:
I have an organization called “Urth Solutions” that I have been running for a couple of years, and it’s been working to help communities help themselves in other parts of the world: particularly in Bolivia and Madagascar. It’s going pretty well. It’s interesting, and thank you for asking. We are working to help communities harness some of their natural resources in a sustainable way, and in the last few months it’s been interesting. I got a telephone call recently from my guy in Madagascar, that in the town in which we were working in, one of the townspeople went to attack their president and shot 23 people including the President! After that, they were rioting in the streets! Since then, the country has gone down hill rapidly, and it’s certainly not like working in Washington. It’s been very challenging!
Listen to more of James this week on XM 24 “The Pink Channel’s” Soap Break.
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, “We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood — An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,” Getting the Band Back Together
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,” Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ” Episode 4041
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,” Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actress and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
“We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,” NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. “As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
It’s Daytime Emmy nomination week, and as previously reported things kick-off on Monday, July 13 when Entertainment Tonight (7pm ET) will announce the nominees for Lead Actress category and Daytime Talk Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition on Monday, Extra (7pm ET) will reveal the nominees for Lead Actor and Daytime Talk Host.
On Tuesday, The View (11am ET) starts things off with their announcement of Daytime Drama, Entertainment News program and Outstanding Daytime Personality-Daily. That is followed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) full reveal of all the categories beginning at 12noon ET/9am PT on their website and their official social handles on X and Instagram.
Then, Tuesday night at 8pm ET/5pm PT join Michael Fairman as he hosts his 12th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 live on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where he will chat with some of the just announced nominees as we celebrate the hard work of the men and women in front of the camera who will be going for gold.
WHEN ARE THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
This year, the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed out on October 30 in ceremonies in Hollywood, California (Venue yet to be revealed). At that time, as like last year, both the major categories and creative arts will be presented. There is no word yet on a broadcast partner for the annual celebration of daytime programming, or if it will soley be streamed on NATAS’ watch.theemmys.tv and various apps and platforms.
WHO WILL BE APPEARING ON THE DAYTIME EMMY NOMINATIONS SPECIAL 2026?
Throughout Tuesday, keep an eye on Michael Fairman TV’s social media handles on X, Facebook and Instagram, for updates of who will be expected to appear on our live show.
If you have a question or comment for one of the nominees, or on the nominations, we can encourage you to join us in the live chat on Tuesday night.
So, who are you hoping lands a nomination from Beyond the Gates, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, The Bay, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless? Let us know via the comment section. More Tuesday!
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series
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‘The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards’ Nominations Announcement Date Revealed: Who Will Be Going For Gold?
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Steve Burton Returns to ‘General Hospital’ on Its 16,000th Episode: How Will Jason Be a Changed Man?
‘Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026’ Live on the Michael Fairman Channel
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers Promo: Jason’s Back, Drew Begins to Make His Move, Portia Goes Into a Labor
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
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