Five Days of Our Lives 2017 Daytime Emmy Nominees gathered to chat and take fan questions during a Facebook live event last week.
A Casual Gathering But Lots to Say
The actors shared everything from where they were when they heard of their nominations, thoughts on the daytime genre, and more!
2016 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama winner Eric Martsolf (Brady Black) and 2016 Outstanding Lead Actress winner Mary Beth Evans (Kayla Brady) served as informal moderators for the group. The others present included Billy Flynn (Chad Di Mera), James Reynolds (Abe Carver), Vincent Irizarry (Deimos Kiriakis), Kate Mansi (ex-Abigail Deveraux) and Tobin Bell (ex-Yo Ling). Two other nominees–the venerable John Aniston (Victor Kiriakis) and James Lastovic (Joey Johnson) couldn’t make the chat fest. Watch the full video below to get in on the fun–and excuse the fact that it’s sideways, but that’s how it is on the show’s Facebook page too!
Milestone Moments
Evans and Martsolf started off the chat by addressing the “elder statesmen” of the group, Reynolds and the absent Aniston. Those gathered agreed that it was welcome news that, after debuting on the soap in 1986, Aniston finally got his well deserved due this year with his first Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama. Reynolds humbly but proudly proclaimed that he’s played his role for 36 years. A three-time Emmy nominee, the fourth time just might be the charm for him this year in the same category!
Where Were You When …?
Two actors had humorous tales of where they were when they were nominated. Irizarry was on the phone with his bank, of all things, because…well, let him tell it! “Somebody was trying to hack into my account, and I was on the phone changing my password. I could not get off!” he exclaimed. “I was on the phone for about an hour, and I kept getting beeps on my phone and on the computer was getting Twitter notifications. Everything turned out fine with my bank account, but I waited for confirmation [of the nomination)]before commenting.”
Mansi was in the middle of curling her hair when she got the call confirming her nod for Outstanding Supporting Actress. “It’s such a wonderful gift to be given,” she said. “The last year of working on the show really defined and solidified who I was as a person and an actor,” she said.
An Enduring Genre
The actors agreed that, although soaps can be a challenging genre in which to act, thanks to the sheer volume of lines that need to be memorized, their upside outweighs that. “I’ve always thought that daytime is the most rewarding medium to be involved in because you get to do these long running stories with character development that sometimes goes on for years.” Reynolds concurred. “Audiences love to live with these characters over time,” he said.
A Delicate Balance
One fan question in particular that stood out came from a viewer who asked if it was difficult to balance work on the show with offscreen family life. Mansi gave a thoughtful reply. “It depends on your partner and family,” she said. “I think if they allow you the space, it can build you up in your work, and you can come back [home], travel, and do whatever you have to do.”
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