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Trevor St. John Talks On Becoming Y&R’s Tucker McCall

Photo: JPI

The Young and the Restless has scored a major get by nabbing Trevor St. John to join the cast of the top-rated soap opera, and just in time for the daytime drama’s 50th anniversary season.

If you caught today’s episode, it was revealed that St. John is indeed playing Tucker McCall, the son of the Grand Dame of Genoa City, Katherine Chancellor (the late Jeanne Cooper). The role of Tucker was last played by Days of our Lives’ Stephen Nichols (Steve ‘Patch’ Johnson) from 2010-2013.  Now with Tucker back in town look for fireworks, relationships renewed, new conspirators, and some major plot twists and shifty business maneuvers including his mysterious relationship with Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters). Let’s not forget, Tucker has a past with Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson), as well.

Daytime audiences know it has been a decade since Trevor appeared on the network soaps following his memorable performances and star-turn as Todd Manning/Victor Lord Jr. on One Life to Live.  St. John actually debuted in Llanview back in 2003 as “Walker Laurence”, and closed out the ABC version of One Life appearing in the final scene in 2012; when it was revealed that Victor Lord Jr. was very much alive and was being held captive by Allison Perkins.

Later in 2013, Trevor appeared for a short-run on Prospect Park’s reboot of the series.  Since that time, the talented actors has appeared in numerous films and TV series including the CW’s Roswell, New Mexico and Containment.   

Michael Fairman TV connected with St. John to get his thoughts on: his new digs in Genoa City, what he thinks of his new role and co-stars thus far, and much more.  Here’s what TSJ had to say below.

Photo: JPI

It has now been officially confirmed and revealed on Monday’s airshow, that you are indeed playing Tucker McCall. When Y&R approached you about the role, what did they tell you about the character? Did you do any Google, or You Tube research to connect the dots to any of his past relationships?

TREVOR: The only info they gave me was a broad overview of the relationships Tucker has with the other characters and their history. I didn’t do any research on my own. I’m learning on the job!

How do you view Tucker at this juncture, and from what you’ve been given to play so far in the scripts? 

TREVOR: You know, it’s strange, I prefer to never draw any conclusion about a character – my view of him – because the second I do, I’ve limited him/myself, if that makes any sense. I never want to put any unnecessary limits on myself.

Photo: JPI

What has it been like for you working with the likes of: Eileen Davidson (Ashley), Susan Walters (Diane) and Bryton James (Devon? Had you crossed paths with any of them previously in your career?

TREVOR: I had not crossed paths with any of them prior to this point. However, I’m enjoying working with each one immensely. Not only are they open and talented actors, they’re good people.

Photo: JPI

Do you think Tucker will have a difficult time reconnecting with his son, Devon?

TREVOR: Since Tucker has been away from Genoa City, it’s safe to say he has a lot of ground to cover when it comes to re-establishing relationships, most importantly with his son, Devon.  We will also see Tucker form some new alliances as well.

How was it meeting and working with Y&R icon Eric Braeden (Victor) for the first time? 

TREVOR: Eric was great. He’s strikes me as a man who knows exactly who he is and has no qualms about it. That’s the kind of person I like to be around – totally genuine and authentically themselves. I hope we get to work together often.

Photo: JPI

You knew Y&R head writer and Co-EP Josh Griffith from previously working with him.  Did that factor in to your decision to take the part of Tucker and come to Y&R?

TREVOR: Yes, I remember liking Josh as a person and his writing, so that gave me confidence I’d be in good hands on Y&R.

Photos: CW

You have appeared in numerous primetime series including Roswell, New Mexico and Containment, plus motion picture roles in The Grief of Others, In the Family, and more.  Do you have a favorite part that you wish you could sink your teeth into again? 

TREVOR: I’d love to take another crack at Leo from CONTAINMENT. He was a deeply flawed, confused character, so wouldn’t have to act at all. I could just be myself!

B&B’s Tanner Novlan (Finn) killed your character Jesse Manes in Roswell, New Mexico. Since B&B is across the hall from Y&R, have you yet to run into your ‘killer”?

TREVOR: I have not run into Tanner. Except for that he murdered me, he seemed like a decent chap.

Photo: JPI

Did your good friend, Michael Easton (ex-OLTL, now GH) offer his thoughts on your return to daytime and Y&R? What does he think about your new role at the show?

TREVOR: Michael told me what he had heard about Y&R – that EPs Tony (Morina) and Josh had created a supportive, positive atmosphere and gathered a terrific cast, director roster, writing staff, and crew that fostered creativity. It turns out what he had heard was spot on. It’s a great group of people, top to bottom. I’m fortunate to be a part of it.

Do you and Michael watch each other’s work?

TREVOR: No, we don’t watch each other’s work. I don’t even watch my own work.

Photo: JPI

Finally, what could you preview that Y&R viewers should expect, or look forward to from Tucker in the weeks ahead?

TREVOR:  In general, I think you’d better strap in.

So, looking forward to seeing Trevor ‘s take on the role of Tucker McCall? What do you see Tucker becoming romantically involved with? Share your thoughts and first impressions of Trevor on Y&R in the comment section below.

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This was a great addition.

Congratulations Y$R fans. You are getting a wonderful, powerhouse actor. I love Trevor St. John. He is absolutely terrific. I sincerely hope the powers that be use him wisely. Enjoy.

I agree. I hope he gives Victor a run for his millions. Victor did black mail Asland to signing papers as the man was having a heart attack. Do anybody remember Nikki’s profession when she first entered the show? Or the roll Jill played? Did anyone ever answer to murder that Victoria, Nikki, Phyllis and Sharon committed? Yet, they judges everyone else. Adam, Sally, and Diane came aboard as underdogs who did not stand a chance out the gate. Summer did try to seduce her mom’s boyfriend…Billy. They forgive Jack’s mom. This show is so twisted and not fair to those who hold grudges from the past. I have one, bring back Adam’s mom from the dead. The only decent person on the entire show is Nick…and Asley. Sally and Adam fought back, but did not draw first blood. This show sends a SAD message. The clique can get away with murder, and no one else stands a chance at redemption. Also the infamous K. Chancellor did have a face-lift on the show before she left. So what if Devon’s dad looks a little young. Los Angeles is the capital of looking young. This soap is slowly loosing a lot of fans.

Mr. St. John is a truly Great actor like Eric Braeden who had done a zillion T.V. shows & had been on the big screen, before Y&R was lucky enough to get Mr. Braeden to join the show. Hoping that until a Big Screen offer comes along for Trevor St. John, that he stays on Y&R until that time. He did a scene on the show with a female cast member, which to me, was one of the Most Erotic and Sensual scenes that I have seen on a daytime drama in a Very, Very long time. He is such an Amazing actor.

I saw that too! Humble, Hot, & Heavy!

Yes, I absolutely agree with you Maria, it really was! And done in Very good taste too.

Everyone thinks this guy is great. I don’t know his work or him, and my first reaction to him was eh! I remember Steven Nichols as Tucker and is quite a bit older, more in line to be Devon’s dad and “lover” to either Diane or Ashley.
Iam reading he and Sharon may hit it off, at least more in line with his age.

I totally agree, too young to be Devon’s dad.

Well, that’s with any soap—look at Sam and her father. Julian—only nine years apart in real life. Etcetera!!

I prefer Steven Nichols as Tucker. Wish they would bring him in. I should give StJohn a chance but it just doesn’t fit right.

I agree 100percent

Oh Violet, I admit that I didn’t expect to like Trevor SJ but…I am sold. I think he’s terrifically poised, relaxed, confident, and dare I say it — sexy. Though, you know me, his hair is a little short for his beautiful facial structure. The only drawback to him is the albatross known as Diane. Arrogant, scheming Diane is bad enough. Now, with Tucker, she’s whiny and frightened Diane. Enough of her!

LOL and HaHaHa, Soaphound—-I love Trevor, too. Diane—what can I say—-she has not drawn a lick of sympathy from me yet. I honestly do not remember the actress ever playing the role—-and I’ve been watching this soap the longest ( toddler). I’ve only known Maura West in the role. I think I had just graduated College when she joined Y&R—-not sure. But, that’s when I “fell” for Maura despite her bad-girl ways.

The character of Diane was created in the eighties MW would have only been 10 years old it was stupid and part of Marina Bells tenure of let’s destroy Y&R . Since 2006 they have proceeded to do that with me they accomplished that have at it ! Susan Walters took over the role way back when but Alex Donnelly created the character then Jack was played by Terry Lester.

K–what was stupid? Not clear. If I strike you as stupid?–not much I can do about that.
I was born in the 80’s—thus, I could not know the original “Diane”.
Susan Walters does not ring a bell for me. Obviously, she did not make an impact—I was in High School at the time and I did watch Y&R– I guess she was that mediocre, not to make an impression. My grandmother does remember her as Diane and also as Lorna, on LOVING–
I distinctly remember Maura West–I was much older and in College–she’s a Bostonian!! Right around my dorm.

Celia, it sounds like some folks don’t even know Maura West played Diane. Doing a little research before resorting to terms like ‘stupid’ would be nice. Looks like Diane causes trouble EVERYWHERE, even on this site (tee-hee). Remember when horndog Nick slept with Diane around the same time as Victor? He REALLY needs sex therapy! Off-topic, what’d you think of Kyle and Summer’s second wedding? You know they’re bereft of ideas when we’re forced to see a ceremony we didn’t care if we missed the first time! Granted, Kyle looked gorgeous but that’s nothing new.

Hello, my beautiful friend-
Thanks for the back-up!!
You are too funny—yeah!! Diane needs a kick in the arse. My Nanna actually loves Susan Walters, a name which never came up between us in the past. Trust me, she chews my ear off about all the characters —-her assertions definitely influence my opinion—-she’s that forceful. LOL.
She loves talking about our soaps—she uses her own not-so-nice language for certain characters, but, as I said she loves Walters, and the only mean comment she made, so far, was about her legs. Double LOL.
It’s nice to have money, yet I am not into showing off— I truly pity those who feel the need to show the world their “hillbilly-ish” extravagance. No class. I know many who fall right into Moliere’s, “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme”.
Kyle’s and Summer’s second ceremony was so trivial—it’s akin to spiting those couples who can’t even afford a first reception. So superficial—and, of course, as usual, we agree on our taste in men!!❤️

Celia for the record I never call fellow posters stupid !! Sorry you took it that way Maria bell miscast MW which was not the actress fault ! End of story to put MW up against PB and EB who are decades older and yes it shows was stupid !

Well, K—perhaps based on YOUR record you did not call me stupid. Your sentences are “run-on”—-no punctuation. I did say, “not clear”—-nonetheless, I do not take offense because I know who I am. Need not prove myself. However, I appreciate the explanation.
“All’s Well That Ends Well”.

Trevor St. John is quite the talent. There’s no one quite like him in the industry. I hope Y&R uses him wisely. I’d like to see him in scenes with Adam as those two give similar vibes.

Absolutely, Jill. I only hope he doesn’t start too much trouble—-but, if he does, perhaps it’s only the mischievous kind. LOL.
Who knows why Tucker is back. Would he go against his own son and team up with Nate? Too far-fetched?

Celia, dear, what do you think of Trevor St. John so far? I think he’s hot…great body, smile, could use more hair. But he’s a really good actor and I only hope he can be rid of Drippy Diane pronto. I finally see some hope forming. Who knows, maybe he can put Victoria in her place (she’s so greedy and unscrupulous…the very things she accuses Adam of being). Tucker and Sharon? I don’t see it yet but who knows. I still like Sharon and Adam together but that seems unlikely. And that self-righteous Nick! Ignoring Adam’s heartfelt plea to let Sally alone for a while, he then takes her to Noah’s new club (what an eye sore that dump is) and starts sniffing her perfume like a bassett hound in heat. Bad form, Nick.

Oh, my Lord, Soaphound( Oops–I’ve just committed a mortal sin …(Exodus –can’t remember what verse). I took the Lord’s name in vain. Sorry.
But, Trevor IS hot—a fave since OLTL.
Tucker will make trouble, silently and snakily. He will work with Nate and shake the apple cart, as it were, by resolutely infiltrate the Newman realm and gain majority.
You’re right about Victoria—what happened to her? I really liked her!!—apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Just ask Newton.—what’s up with me and apples, today? LOL.
I pay no attention to Nikki—she is a true representation of the nouveaux riches–tres bourgeois!! Arrogant nose way up there as if smelling fetid air!!
Then,?there’s fatuous Sally talking sweet-idiocies with Nick who is suffering from Peter Pan syndrome.
Oy vey and mamma mia!!

Great actor but another great actor Stephan nichols couldn’t do this role justice the character is a bore and shrinking his age by almost 20 years is ridiculous. Another boring character is Devon who is supposed to be his son who will share scenes with him sounds like a hot mess to me the show really has been a hard watch and I’m not sure this is a step in the best direction stay tuned

I have never seen him before so will reserve judgement. People are complaining about him being 20 years younger than Tucker should be – but I guess we have to suspend belief. I did like the character when he was on previously – although I’ve forgotten what he did to make everyone in GC now hate him apparently.

Since there is this interesting connection to Diane, I can only hope this is the beginning of the end of her!

Bad casting choice, he looks younger than his son Devon. Too small and meek to be a powerful character. He may be a good actor but not impressed so far.

Great reveal and revival of Tucker McCall, excited to see Trevor St.John in this roll he’s exactly what Y&R needed and this lifelong fan couldn’t be happier.

Y&R signed on a terrific actor! Trevor St. John was outstanding on OLTL. He is one of the best soap actors I’ve been privileged to watch over the years. He is on par with a younger Eric Braeden (I only say this because Eric isn’t on as much anymore with juicy storylines and I feel that they softened his character too much), Justin Hartley when he played Adam, etc. I don’t mind him being younger than what his character should be. After all, soaps are notorious for making kids turn into teens overnight to promote storylines. It’s not any less realistic than bringing characters back from the dead either. I hope Y&R gives St. John juicy storylines and has him interact with as many characters as possible. He is that awesome of an actor, but as we know, the writing has to be there for the actors too. When Trevor took over the role of Todd Manning onOLTL from the amazing Roger Howarth, who I’m fortunate to be able to watch on GH, I was so skeptical. But, Trevor made the character his own and won so many fans over. Give him a chance. He will grow on you.

Agree!

I love Trevor–no matter the role. Good guy, bad guy, in-between guy—it doesn’t matter which way the plot goes . Happy to see him —Better he, as Tucker, than Nate, who has the Dr Jeckel/Mr.Hyde syndrome..
Poor Elena is in a quandary. She does not want to betray either. What to do, what to do……
I think Elena will eventually fess up because she’s too honest and I bet she’s already getting guilt-pangs—-Drumming away in her pristine chest!!

I really, really, really hope he gets to play opposite the fabulous Michelle Stafford. She’s a spontaneous actress, & TSJ is such a reactive actor that I think their scenes together would be dynamic!

YES!!!! Michelle Stanford and Maura West are my favorites in any role.
And, absolutely double yes—Michelle is credible and natural !!

Sorry, Teleia, —-that should read Stafford. No one else on that soap compares!!

Celia Damn you Autocorrect!!! Those are my 2 faves also!

Hi, Teleia—Autocorrect is not so correct..LOL. Most times I skim over my comment—but, I’m always in a hurry; trying to get all my thoughts in —
Yes, we do seem to look for similar qualities in a character—I am not particularly fond of the prudish, “miss little goody two shoes” types—-I like to see vitality with a dash of risqué. And, both “Phyllis” and “Ava” fit the bill–I draw the line at evil; yet, such acting only boosts a particular actor’s/actress’ skill ( eg. Esme (GH)

I love good acting – & daytime actors as a whole are so well disciplined & some are as good as you’ll find anywhere. For me, Susan Flannery is the Queen of daytime actresses. I love Cynthia Ward is too. I prefer a character that changes (like Nelle on GH) as opposed to one who starts out rotten (like Esme). But I’ve also been a fan of TSJ & the interesting choices he makes.

Cynthia Watros – damn auto correct!

Oh how I enjoy Trevor’s arrival to Geneo city! Stir the pot!also, he has the bluest eyes so handsome, desirable!!

Yes, George! We really needed this infusion of talent, sex appeal, and swagger. Kyle, Nick, and Chance are gorgeous but Tucker has that irresistible bad boy vibe I can’t get enough of.

Trevor St. John is just so fun to watch and it’s a thrill to have him back on the soaps. Look out Victor, there’s a new sheriff in town!!!

I love me some Trevor. Met him in 2011! My only regret is that I can’t witness a scene between him and Michael Muhney. Wouldn’t that be spectacular?

Phyllis, those two hotties in the same scene? With that much heat, they’d need the Hollywood Fire Dept. on stand-by.

New Tucker character, looks younger than previous characters! Something to get use to!

He found the Fountain of Youth in that Tibetan ashram. Or he’s Benjamin Button.

Telela McCabe
It’s kind of funny, he got younger while the ladies got older, pointedly Ashley/Eileen who is 63 to his 51 but she still looks pretty good.

He’s too young for Ashley and looks stupid mooning after her.

You know, Violet, I like Ashley in every story except romances. She always seems distant, atonal, and preoccupied. So, someone as interesting as Trevor SJ just doesn’t mesh with her. And since I never bought this “great love story” when it first aired, I’m surely not interested now. They’re not like Nikki/Victor or Sharon/Nick or even Billy and Victoria.

I love him so much

Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Star Blake Berris Chats On the Everett Lynch/Bobby Stein Mystery, Working with His New Co-Stars, and the Last Christmas Episode with Bill Hayes

On Days of our Lives, the return of Blake Berris is making for some very intriguing drama, with the audience guessing just which way the story will go.

When Berris arrived back on Days of our Lives, after previously playing Nick Fallon, he was taking on the new role of Everett Lynch, who has a past with Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) and Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu). Only, as it has been revealed, the past he had with Jada was under the name “Bobby Stein,” who from what we can tell was far from a nice guy.

Blake visited the Michael Fairman Channel for a livestream interview this week, where fans in the live chat were weighing-on what could be the truth about the guy – is he a split personality suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder? Did the accident that cost him a year of his life in a coma, never happen? Recently, someone set fire to the beloved Horton house. Fans are suspecting it would have been “Bobby” who is working for Clyde Weston (James Read). Others believe that Everett/Bobby could actually be Clyde’s son. With upcoming therapy sessions with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) about to start, things are about to get more juicy in Salem.

Photo: JPI

Here are just a few excerpts from our conversation with Blake on a myriad of Everett/Bobby subjects. Make sure to check out the full interview for more.

Did you know that they were going to make Everett Lynch a Jewish character? This is only the second time in the history of the show that they have even had a Jewish character on the canvas. Didn’t they reveal this at the Horton family Christmas episode?

BLAKE: No, they never asked me. I am half-Jewish on my dad’s side. There was never like, ‘You’re Jewish, right? We can call you Jewish on the show?’ At the Horton Christmas, “They made a real point of it, yeah.”

And now the new ‘character’ is “Bobby Stein” …

BLAKE: “Right, and that suggests more Jewish, and then Lynch must be coming from somewhere else, maybe the mother. I was so curious because I think the show has been historically, I’m gonna say, Catholic more than like Wasps. With the Bradys there’s this sort of Irish influence, and then the DiMeras, that’s Italian. So, we’ve got Catholics sort of on both sides that are dominant. Now I, “represent”.

Photo: JPI

What has it been like working with Abigail Klein?

BLAKE: I think she is extraordinary. We start off sort of frosty, or she’s frosty with me, like she doesn’t want to let me in. And then, for a while things are going really well. I just could not adore Abigail more. She’s such a good actor. I could always rely on her to bring me back into a scene and be there in this emotionally, supportive way.

Photo: JPI

Everett and Chad seemed to be becoming friend-ish, when all went awry when at the PCPD interrogation room, Everett let him know about Elia and Bobby Stein, and Chad let him have it for worming his way back in to Stephanie’s life.

BLAKE: Billy would call us the ‘disgusting brothers’ and that’s a reference from Succession, because all of a sudden they’re just so chummy with each other. It’s like all of a sudden we just had this like ‘Bernstein and Woodward’, sort of dynamic duo. I think that Everett really started to think of Chad as a friend and feels sort of disappointed, and he feels, “Oh, it’s that easy? I just needed to have some other identity and now you’re a fair-weather friend?”‘

Photo: JPI

In recent scenes, Jada sees Bobby Stein for the first time, and we see you and Elia Cantu share scenes with each other for the first time. What is it like working with Elia?

BLAKE: She’s fire, man. She comes in hot and she tells you the way it’s going to be. I think early on, we were trying to suss each other out and the more we worked together, the more comfortable you get with somebody. I think actors do this sometimes with each other; if there’s spice on screen, you like to keep some of what you have on-screen in your (real-life) interactions because it helps … it helps the work.  Eventually, we just sort of wore each other down and we’re like, ‘I actually totally get you, and you’re great.'”

Did you know that they were going to make Everett Lynch a Jewish character? This is only the second time in the history of the show that they have even had a Jewish character and didn’t they reveal this at the Horton family Christmas episode?

BLAKE: No, they never asked me. I am half-Jewish on my dad’s side. There was never like, ‘You’re Jewish, right? We can call you Jewish on the show?’ At the Horton Christmas, “They made a real point of it, yeah.”

And now the new ‘character’ is “Bobby Stein” …

BLAKE: “Right, and that suggests more Jewish, and then Lynch must be coming from somewhere else, maybe the mother. I was so curious because I think the show has been historically, I’m gonna say, Catholic more than like Wasps. With the Bradys there’s this sort of Irish influence, and then the DiMeras, that’s Italian. So we’ve got Catholics sort of on both sides that are dominant. Now I, “represent”.

Photo: JPI

You were on set and in the annual Horton Christmas episode which sadly marked the last for Days of our Lives legendary Bill Hayes, who passed away in January of this year.  What do you recall of that tape day?

BLAKE: It was the Christmas episode when we were watching Susan (Julie) and Bill, say ‘Merry Christmas.’  And there was something about it that just felt like it could be the last time. I mean, it wrecked us all on set. Bill gets so choked up and there was something really profound about the moment. They kiss each other as they have so many times before on the show. It was just beautiful. It felt beautiful to be there for that last Christmas. He’s just such an icon. Every time I’d see him, he was so with it … he knew my name, he knew his lines. What an incredible, incredible man.

Photo: JPI

Fans will get to see Everett in therapy sessions with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)? Would you say she is helping the guy?

BLAKE: Deidre’s always making jokes about Marlena, ‘She’s the worst therapist in the world’ (Laughs) I remember in the first therapy session, we almost couldn’t get through the scenes because it’s just so clear that Everett has a litany of very profound psychological issues that he is going to have to work through. He’ll keep coming back. This guy’s gonna pay the bills!

Photo: JPI

Viewers are waiting to see how they mystery of Everett Lynch/Bobby Stein plays out. What can you say as a tease for what’s to come?

BLAKE: As far as a tease, I would say, you have all these characters sort of, trying to wake up the ‘sleeping giant’ in a way. I think it’s safe to say that like if you poke a bear, the bear might wake up.

Watch the livestream chat with Blake in full below.

Now let us know, what do you think is going with Everett/Bobby? What has happened to him in his past? Share your theories in the comment section below, and make sure to catch Days of our Lives next week on Peacock for more to his story.

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Interviews

Y&R’s Melody Thomas Scott Talks on 45 Years as Nikki Newman, the Keys to Playing Drunk, And Those Genoa City Relationships

February is ‘Nikki Newman Month’ in soapland as the The Young and the Restless iconic Melody Thomas Scott celebrates her 45th anniversary in her leading role.

My how time flies! Nikki has had numerous marriages, and some to the same man, battled her addiction to alcohol too many times to count (and we loved it all), and faced so much heartache in the process.

Currently, on all-new episodes of the top-rated CBS daytime drama series, Nikki can’t quite get a grip as Jordan (Colleen Zenk) is out there and in the middle of her next master plot to make Nikki suffer, all the while Nikki is drinking again. Thanks to the heinous plot concocted by Jordan and Claire (Hayley Erin) that revealed itself last November.

Photo: JPI

In a special conversation for You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Melody shared her thoughts on a myriad of subjects including: her current story, those long tape days at Victor and Nikki’s weddings, why she plays drunk better than anyone on television, plus we take a mini-deep dive into Nikki’s past.

Y&R fans were stunned when the powers-that-be had Nikki kidnapped and then hooked her up to an IV of booze. Just how much did Melody know of the story going in? She elaborated, “I knew Nikki would be terrorized. That’s all that I knew. I thought that sounded like great fun. I didn’t know for a little bit that she was going to fall off the wagon in the process of it. And then when I heard how it would happen, I was thrilled to bits. I did kind of want to have a little leader (or crawl) down at the bottom of the screen saying, ‘Hey, people don’t put an IV with vodka in your arm because that will kill you.’ But, poetic license, I suppose.”

Photo: JPI

Melody also weighed-in on if she thinks Nikki will stop drinking anytime soon, expressing, “She just can’t get out of this. Then of course, Jordan’s not letting her out very easily. Just when Nikki thinks she is mentally strong enough to never take another drink, well, of course she does, because something else happens. I think it’s also a learning point for people who are watching the show who may have an addiction problem. Now, I could be wrong, but I think it’d be highly unusual for somebody to be just mentally strong to be able to stop.”

If you wondered if Melody enjoys playing a drunk Nikki, look no more, “I do. That’s simply for selfish reasons,” she shared. “That’s for my enjoyment. I take great pleasure in it. It’s fun for me, and just the process of pretending to be drunk. I love the end result. I try not to do too much because there’s nothing worse when an actor is overplaying drunk. So you have to kind of keep it a little bit underneath (the surface). However, sometimes because of Jordan, Nikki does get much sloppier than I normally would play it.”

Photo: JPI

In recent episodes, it seems that Jack (Peter Bergman) and Nikki are gravitating more to each other, as both are drawn together through their shared experiences with addiction. Victor (Eric Braeden) is not happy that his arch-nemesis is helping Nikki try to stay sober. Could Melody see Jack and Nikki becoming romantic again? “I love Peter. I mean, Peter was my second favorite husband on Y&R. It would be wonderful, but I don’t know if the fans would go for that,” she explained. “They’re so invested in Niktor that I think they would really be upset about that unless Victor did something really crummy, then I could buy that.”

Photo: JPI

One of the more ‘out there’ stories during Melody’s 45-year run, was when Nikki was paired with Crazy Edward, and he took her home to meet his mother … who was in an urn! You would think maybe Melody didn’t like the story .. but think again! “Bill Bell (co-creator, Y&R) was writing the show in those days, and Bill kept that information pretty tight. I don’t remember us knowing even a week in advance. Maybe, we would get our scripts, three or four days in advance and that was it. You knew nothing about future story, but I loved the story,” she raved. “It was almost Hitchcockian, shall we say. The actor who played Crazy Edward, Paul Tulley was so magnificent and such a sweetheart. We loved working with each other so much, but man, when that red light came on the camera, he scared the you-know-what out of me. He was absolutely terrifying. But then, the minute the scene was over, we’re fooling around and laughing and everything. He was so good. So good!”

Photo: JPI

According to Melody, the pairing of Victor and Nikki was not something she, nor Eric Braeden, initially thought would made sense: “I was a little terrified when I heard that he and I would be doing scenes. I thought, ‘What, what?’ He also wondered, ‘What am I going to be doing working with that young kid, that snotty kid?’ We had no idea what Bill Bell saw. He had a vision with us and somehow knew that we would have chemistry. It didn’t take Bill long to show us in the scripts why he put us together. Then, we started to see it. Although, it was hard to imagine at first, certainly we knew it worked by the time Nikki had baby number one during the ‘Who’s the father?’ storyline. Nikki and Victor weren’t even married yet. So, we did figure it out pretty early on.”

Photo: JPI

From her early years as Nikki Reed, Melody reflected back on some major story points in her character’s history, relating, “I actually did like her in the very beginning when she was just a little brat living with her sister and her father, who of course ended up trying to rape her…  and she had hit him over the head with a lamp … and he died. I did not care for the stripping storyline at all. Only because I knew that I didn’t have the natural dancing ability. I wasn’t fluid enough to really look good up there stripping. I know they hired wonderful choreographers and everything for me, but I just didn’t feel worthy of being up there … I guess is what it was. Of course, now I look back on it and I think, ‘Oh, I guess it wasn’t too bad.’ Later, there was a strip she did in the Colonnade Room. At the time, she was married to Jack. Victor’s sitting there with some other woman and she’s drunk. I saw that scene recently, and I thought it was great. I didn’t at the time, but looking back, I thought, ‘Wow, that was good.'”

Photo: CBS

Watch the full 45th anniversary conversation with Melody below.

Now let us know, are you enjoying Nikki being back on the bottle? Would you want to see Jack and Nikki try their relationship one more time? What has been your favorite storyline of Melody’s over the last 45 years on Y&R.  Let us know in the comment section.

 

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Legendary Susan Seaforth Hayes Talks on the Horton House Fire Storyline, Mourning the Loss of Husband Bill Hayes & His Near-to-Final Performances

It has been an emotional time for longtime fans of Days of our Lives and beloved veteran, Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams). On-screen, the iconic Horton home was burned to the ground in what appears to be a storyline-dictated decision that shocked many. In real life, Susan is mourning the loss of her husband and DAYS enduring favorite, Bill Hayes (Doug Williams), who passed away at 98 in January. Over the weekend, during the 2024 SAG Awards In Memoriam tribute, Hayes was remembered along with other motion pictures and television stars whom we lost over the past year.

Since the Peacock streaming soap opera tapes months ahead of air, the Horton home fire and its aftermath are currently playing out in all-new episodes with more on this story featuring Susan to come. Bill Hayes also appeared in several of these episodes making it all the more touching and heartfelt.

When Julie came back to the Horton home to see what remained of it after the fire, Days of our Lives fans were treated to a heart-tugging episode that streamed last Wednesday, February 21st. In it, newly-taped scenes of a young Tom (Zach Chyz) and Alice (Sydney Kathrann Smith) Horton telling the story of how they came to live in the house to raise their children, juxtaposed with Julie and Doug (and members of their family and friends), surveying what’s left of the beloved house, brought many a tear.

Michael Fairman TV talked with Susan Seaforth Hayes for this very candid and heartfelt conversation to get her feelings on the Horton house fire, and being given the opportunity to have a storyline at this point in her storied career. In addition, Susan provides some insight on what it was like for her ailing late husband to tape scenes at DAYS shortly before his death, what the series plans to do about writing off the character of Doug while honoring the legacy of Bill Hayes, and how she knew she had the greatest love affair that anyone could hope for in their lifetime, which in turn, has inspired all of us.

Photo: JPI

I was shocked when they decided to burn down the Horton house. Were you at first devastated … and did you know that there would be a big story surrounding it?

SUSAN: I did not know how big a story was with it. I knew that many years ago, another regime had planned on trashing the set and getting rid of the set because nobody cared about the Hortons anymore. It was stopped by one person, and I was eternally grateful for that. This time I thought, “Oh, my goodness! I guess I’ll be meeting people for a cup of coffee at the Horton Square. No home, no roots, no reason to be called in,” and thinking that’s the end of Julie. That’s the end of Doug and Julie. Then, when they began to structure a story around it, I think all of this came up during the writer’s strike. So of course, I was curious to see how this was going to turn out. I enjoyed the aftermath, because in the aftermath, and a little bit before the fire, if you saw the show, I get to talk a bit about the history of the household and the people in it.

Photo: JPI

In the special episode that aired last Wednesday, Julie gave Leo (Greg Rikaart) the family tree history of the Hortons for his story in the Spectactor.

SUSAN:  I’ve had a couple of good long soliloquies about the past. I’m fated to be the character that does that because I’m the one still standing. I must say, I do enjoy doing them. Emotionally, all I have to do is rerun some of the actors and my own family in my mind and the emotion starts to come, you know, the emotion starts to flow.

Julie talks to Maggie (Suzanne Rogers) immediately after the fire. She is upset that the Horton family Christmas ornaments are gone. Fans were not happy that they could possibly have burned up. Thank God! There was a happy ending when they were located and unscathed, or there would have been hell to pay! 

SUSAN: I knew that they were in the prop room and that they still existed. But how much they were going to put a story around their loss, I did not know. We don’t get to ponder the plot. We just get to show up and start doing it. I think on this particular matter, something as important as a structure of the original set of the show, there’s been quite a bit of interest. So, I can appreciate that.

Photo: JPI

I was thinking, ‘Did they decide to burn the house down, because they were finally retiring the old Horton home set?’ What was the purpose of it?

SUSAN: They’ve done everything to make quicker set changes, which is remarkable and very efficient right now. The set designer said, “I’ll be interested in your input,” which was nice. The one thing that I loved that had been done, didn’t work. You couldn’t shoot into it. It was a federal mirror over the mantle. I loved it. The size was perfect. I was just delighted. And then, we tried to shoot it, and because of the roundness of the mirror, you got a perfect view of camera one and camera three. So, it came down.

This is Julie’s project to renovate the home. She’s determined to bring back all the memories and redo it?

SUSAN: Absolutely, which is another nice note to play for my character. She’s determined to make the house something that her grandparents would recognize and still feel comfortable in.

Photo: JPI

What did you think of the episode that just aired where the show incorporated flashbacks of a young Tom and Alice Horton?

SUSAN: Well, I set it up. They had their own their own lovely scenes. I read them, and I’m sure the audience was charmed.

What do you remember when you first came to DAYS, and you were in that house, in that set?

SUSAN: What did I notice about the set? I noticed that it was a strange shade of green. (Laughs) It was explained to me that that dull color meant that your face would pop on color TV. I understood that. I loved the little window up the staircase. I’ve always loved that. And at one time, there was a model of the house that sat on the set on its own little pedestal, a little playhouse of the exterior of the house. Whenever the house was on (and remember this is when we were a half-hour and practically live, but not live, because there was no editing), there would also be the sound of a barking dog whenever we reached the Horton house neighborhood. We never saw the dog, but I’m sure his name was “Spot”, and I’m sure he belonged to someone.

PhotoL JPI

You shared so many scenes with Frances Reid (Alice) and MacDonald Carey (Tom) in the Horton living room set and up till they passed. Did they get along well with Bill? Looking back, how was your relationship with them?

SUSAN: They loved him. Well, Mac and Billy had worked together before in theater. Mac was very kind to me at the beginning and helpful. Frances was as well. As Frances got older, she got a bit testy. When someone says, “You’re not going to read the line like that … are you?” It catches your attention. (Laughs). I got peeved at Frances from time to time, but her intent was always to make everything as good as it possibly could be. I saw her come back from her stroke. learn to talk again, learn to do it all again. Not do it easily, but to do it at all was wonderful, and the same with Mac. In his last shows, he was very frail, but we’re actors. We liked being there.

Photo: JPI

During the taping of the episodes surrounding the Horton house fire, Bill was mostly in them with you. How was Bill doing at the time you taped these scenes?

SUSAN: He was okay. He was up for it. He had difficulty moving at that point. So, they restricted his movement a lot. Bill always enjoyed coming to work a lot, and it was extremely difficult for him because he was blind, and didn’t move very well. And now, to do a scene with people who may or may not, have rehearsed with you, who may or may not, give you the exact cue, and when they are attempting to have you look each other in the eye, you can’t see who’s eyes they are, that was the hard part. The easy part was working with him, which was lovely and was a gift. It was a gift from Corday Productions that he was able to work within three weeks of his death, which I thought was super and extraordinary.

Photo: JPI

That is amazing. Did Bill understand everything that was going on at the time of the tapings?

SUSAN: Absolutely. He understood what was going on. He just couldn’t see it or touch it.

The timing couldn’t have been easy for you with Bill’s declining health, and that the show was going to burn down the Horton home where you shared so many scenes and memories.

SUSAN: Well, it hasn’t been my greatest stretch. But I knew that life would be like this. I’ve had five decades of an absolutely wonderful, blessed marriage and a chance to work and a chance to live in my own home and travel, all good. And now, we’re going to have the epilogue. And the epilogue is the hard part, seeing rapid change around you and losing the people that were the center of your life. I’ve just been very fortunate to have cultivated some wonderful friendships, and to have a wonderful large family of Hayeses.

Photo: JPI

You do realize that you and Bill were the gold-standard of what we all should be lucky enough to have in our lives. What an incredible, beautiful, passionate, loving marriage that the two of you had. You don’t see marriages like that anymore. We were all just in awe of the two of you. To us, it was the greatest love affair. You got to have that which is so extraordinary.

SUSAN: I know, and it was all Bill. I mean, any idiot could have been married to Bill Hayes and been deliriously happy. The guy was so perfect in every way that you really would have to pick something and blow it out of proportion to ever complain about any of his traits of character. He was just all good character, goodwill, and good humor. I just followed along and tried to live my life for him, with him, and follow his style, which I hope to carry on. I hope to be as good to people as he was to people, and, not be selfish.

Photo: JPI

I always remembered how the two of you would come to the studio with your suitcases, ready to work no matter what material, large or small, they gave you. You showed up. You just had such great work ethic and you don’t see that as much anymore.

SUSAN: At the moment, it’s hard to find it everywhere. I think it’s probably generational. You cannot get too angry at people that are still holding up their phones in the one rehearsal that we have. I think it’s more convenient to receive your work electronically, but somehow it doesn’t seem quite as real. You don’t have a script in your hand anymore unless you print one up yourself.  Sometimes you haven’t met the person you’re working with. Well, that’s not unusual, but no rehearsal at all, that’s kind of marvelously new.

Photo: JPI

Does Julie lean on anybody for emotional support as she tries to rebuild the Horton home. Who’s there for her?

SUSAN: As far as I can tell, nobody. I’m supposed to be the wise woman, and Marlena (Deidre Hall) is supposed to be the other wise woman. I haven’t had any scenes with Marlena for help. I would think Marlena would be the person I would be going to for grief counseling, for friendship, for all of that. I haven’t seen it in the scripts, yet. I’m still deeply entwined with Chad’s (Billy Flynn) storyline.

How is Billy Flynn to work with?

SUSAN: A pleasure. Billy Flynn has grown a lot as a human being and as an actor since I’ve known him. I’m really enjoying his company and really enjoying doing scenes with him. We rehearse and then we get on other subjects and laugh and talk and inform each other. We’re interested in a lot of the same things. He’s a new parent. He’s really devoting himself to that, to that experience in the best possible way. So, I’m lucky.

Do Julie and Chad try to figure out who set the fire?

SUSAN: Oh yeah.

Photo: JPI

I kept thinking about how Julie got burned in the kitchen fire years ago and her face was scarred, At the time, your mother Elizabeth Harrower was writing DAYS and wrote that for Julie. Did you hate that story?

SUSAN: Well, I know where the story came from. It came up from something in mother’s own life. I knew the people involved, and I wasn’t crazy in love with the idea. Then, when it was supposed to go for six weeks and went on for months and months, I was concerned. Mainly, I was concerned that my face was going to be affected because of the appliance, the scars, that I was wearing. I was told by a dermatologist, “You’re going to have a little beard after this. Ripping your face every single day to get this off is going to be hard on you.” But, I seem to have survived.

Has the show even addressed with you how they plan to handle writing-off the character of Doug Williams, and how they want to honor Bill?

SUSAN: Only in the smallest way. I had a conference call with the producers and our head writer last Friday. I was informed about the immediate, immediate future. I’ve also been promised that they’re going to keep me busy. It’s a cast of over 40 people. I’ll be happy to show up and to be included.

Photo: JPI

I was just hoping that whatever they decide to do with the character of Doug that they were going to run it by you, first.

SUSAN: They have, and they have been very sweet about it.  I’ve got to tell you, this regime, they have a sign up on the wall now, that says, Things we expect on this stage.”  The first one at the top of the list is “kindness.”

Have you watched your work back all these years? I know some actor’s never like to watch the scenes they taped.

SUSAN: I think you learn by watching yourself, if you have an open mind, and if you are not hypercritical, or dismissive. I cannot be dismissive of a character that has given me such a wonderful life. I’m still interested in Julie, perhaps I wouldn’t have been if I’d been on the show for three years and never returned to it. But I’m quite interested in her now, and what she has to offer as a member of this ensemble.

Photo: JPI

Julie’s ties to the whole history of Days of our Lives from this point on are very important. How do you feel about that?

SUSAN:  There are those that don’t care about the history of the show. I know that. I know there are those that only care about continuing with something snappy to keep eyes on the screen through action, adventure, drama, death, kidnapping, missed opportunities, all that, which I suppose that’s what the audience craves. But, that’s not just what the show can do. What the show can do so well is character. There’s a lot of people over 70 who are still on the show now. I’m the oldest one, but I’m not the only one. We’re coming up on the 60th anniversary. I don’t think the show is worn out. And if it is, it’s had a remarkably successful six decades.

Lamon Archey (Eli) is back on DAYS for a stint. What has it been like to work with Lamon as his on-screen grandmother?

SUSAN: I think he’s terrific and visually he is so beautiful, so appealing. I think both Eli and Lani (Sal Stowers) are very appealing as characters. I’m delighted to be connected to Eli as a family member. That was a lucky break for me.

Photo: JPI

Do you think DAYS fans are going to continue to be emotional in the aftermath of this fire and all the story that comes out of it? Do you think we’ll be touched by what Julie goes through to get the remains all cleaned up for a new house?

SUSAN: I think anybody in America who’s gone through a disaster, and have unfortunately had the disruption of their home, will be sympathetic and interested in how it all turns out. It’s a nice note to play. We haven’t had to do that very often. We just go from one lovely apartment to another without much discussion. I think this is the one set that meant a lot to people. I was very sorry to lose “Julie’s Place,” as it turned into kind of a sandwich shop. I still loved having a business, a tangible place to be, and an alternate place for people to meet.

Photo: NBC

Upon reflection, what was your favorite scene with Bill? Was it when Julie and Doug got married on-screen, or was it something else that was much more intimate?

SUSAN: I think our last scene is going to be more important, emotionally. I think the first wedding was beautiful, but the material around the time of our second wedding, when Brenda Benet (ex-Lee) came back on the show and Doug stood up to her and says, “I’m not going to be manipulated anymore,” was also strong. There has been a lot of very important times – when Doug was killed-off by James Reilly, and we met in the tunnel of light. That was a day. That was a difficult day, which I certainly can’t revisit right now emotionally. When Julie found out Doug had run off and married her mother, Addie, that was a day. It was a day because, I went to the producer at the time, Jack Herzberg, and said, “Is this it? Am I not going to work with him anymore?”And he said, “Right! That’s it. You’re not working with Bill Hayes anymore.” We were not married at the time, and I thought I was going to go through the floor! That wasn’t a happy day.

Photo: JPI

In terms of Bill’s final day on the set with you, did you know that it was his last, and what would turn out to be his last scene?

SUSAN: Well, they didn’t know. But I knew. I had been allowed to rewrite it. So, I can’t tell you Bill’s last line now, of course, but I will in time.

What do you think about the sentiments shared by Susan on her late husband, and this storyline? How do hope the show properly honors Bill and Doug Williams when the series writes-off the character? Are you enjoying the Horton house fire story arc or does it upset you too much? Share your thoughts 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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