Stacy Haiduk (Kristen, DAYS) Offers Insight Into Her Alter Ego
How has Kristen changed since you first started playing her? “When I first started, Kristen was very revengeful. She would act instantly on what she was feeling instead of taking the time to think things out before she reacted. She would act always on her anger and frustration from the past, all the grudges she had. I feel like she’s grown and softened in a way since having her child, who she absolutely adores and worships. She takes more responsibility before she acts. She still has her intensity side, but she’s grown and taken some responsibility for her actions in the past.”
What are her strengths and weaknesses? “Her strength, which can also be her weakness, is her passion. She is loyal. She’s a very caring mother. She’s intelligent. She goes after what she wants, and if she’s not betrayed, she can be an excellent partner and friend. But you can’t screw her over. As for weaknesses, she can be revengeful. She can hold grudges. She reacts sometimes before she thinks about the best course of action.”
Who would you say is her best friend? “Lani Price. Since I’ve been on the show, Lani has been the only friend for Kristen, because of all the stuff that went down when they were at the convent together and the bonding that they had there. It means a lot to Kristen, because she really doesn’t have anyone who actually just loves her for her. Well, maybe her daughter. But Lani loves her. She doesn’t hold grudges. She tells Kristen exactly what she needs to hear, no fluffing it or beating around the bush, and Kristen listens to her. Lani really cares about Kristen. There’s a deep, honest love between those two.”
Does she have an archenemy? “It would have been Marlena in the beginning, but I think sometimes Kristen is her own archenemy, if you really think about it. She kind of screws herself over. She crosses the line too much. Aside from that it’s probably Chloe. Those two are the only ones she cannot stand. She tries to like Marlena, but deep down, they still have animosity for each other. As for Chloe, every woman who is with Brady becomes an archenemy.”
Who is the love of her life? “Probably her daughter. Other than that, it would be Brady, but he doesn’t want to commit. She trusted him from the beginning. He was always there for her beside his father [John], who she once loved and adored, but she had a lot of problems with that. Brady was the only person that she would connect with, and he would be there for her. Kristen has deep feelings for Brady. Deep down, she truly loves him.”
What do you most admire about her? “Her tenacity, her strength, her unwillingness to give up. Kristen is so strong-willed. She just keeps going. She won’t stop until she gets what she wants. I admire her for that. I like her complexity.”
Is there anything you dislike and would want to change about her? “When I think about her, the one thing I dislike is that she is so loyal that she doesn’t have another love interest. It is very frustrating, because everybody else flies around, but she stays true to one person, Brady.”
If you could go back in time and change one decision she has made, what would it be? “Maybe when she asked Lani to help her escape, but I think she really had to, to get her daughter back at the time. I always feel like she definitely has a reason for everything that she does. If she could go back, she wouldn’t have put her friend in that position. She’d go back and change that moment, because it hurt Lani’s position at work and with her husband. It put her marriage in jeopardy and her career in jeopardy.”
What were the best and the worst times in her life? “Some of the best times were when she and Brady were connecting. Also, her pregnancy. That was a wonderful time for her and Brady. They really came together. That was really the first time she was with a family, when you think about it. That was an incredible time in her life. Spending time at the convent with Lani was also wonderful. Then there was that moment when she got Rachel back, after thinking she had died. The worst time in her life was when she was told Rachel had died. That was definitely the lowest point. She felt torn and like, ‘What’s the point of living?’ There was no point. The love she had for Brady was there, but she felt totally empty [inside] and didn’t know if she could keep him.”
What would you pick as your signature storyline from your time on the show? “Probably the mask storyline, when she came back to Salem and pretended to be Nicole, that whole journey that she had, which led to her pregnancy. It was a big storyline for six months. What I loved about that storyline and what I really thought the writers did such a good job with is that everybody was a part of it. Every single character in Salem was a part of it. It was a really grand story for six months. It was fun and great, but I did like it when Kristen was finally out in the open in Salem again.”
What comment or questions do you get the most from fans? “A lot of it used to be, ‘How do you play both Kristen and Susan? Do you get mixed up with the characters? Is it hard? How do you switch back and forth? How do you play opposite yourself?’ Now that I’m just playing Kristen, they’ll tell me they like Kristen, even though she’s so mean, mean, mean. One of the comments they make is how much they hate Kristen, but they love her. They always say, ‘I hate her, but I love her.’ ”
Me vs. Her
What are the biggest personality differences between you and Kristen? “Kristen takes revenge on her enemies, and I would never do that. I wouldn’t be around my enemies. Also, how she reacts to people. She’s evil in some sort of ways, where I’m the total opposite. Eric [Martsolf, Brady] has had to tell fans that at times, because they thought I was evil and didn’t want to meet me at first. He was like, ‘No, you’ve got to meet her. She’s one of the nicest people that you’ll ever meet.’ I, personally, care about human beings, the fans and everybody, where Kristen won’t give anybody the time of day, if she doesn’t like them. She acts before she thinks about things. She just reacts, whereas I think about how [what I’m going to do] is going to make somebody else feel. She doesn’t listen. I listen. She takes people hostage. I would not do that.”
Who has a better wardrobe? “It depends on what you like. I’m more of a hippie type. Kristen is more together. Kristen does have some fun outfits that I really love. There’s a black leather button-up suit dress that she wore recently that I really liked. There was a really beautiful tight, short-sleeved pink dress that I wore when she was falling in love with Brady. Honestly, I would probably wear pieces of Susan’s wardrobe more. There were pieces that she had where I’d go, ‘I’d wear this.’ I just wouldn’t wear them all together. My wardrobe is more comfortable. I don’t need to wear heels and a tight dress all day long. I wouldn’t be happy.”
Who has a better home? “I love my little home, so I’m going to say me. My home is old and charming. It’s like one of those fairy-tale cottages, like Hansel and Gretel’s cottage. If you walked in, you’d go, ‘Yeah. I get that you live here.’ It’s very artsy, very creative, very special. I feel Kristen’s home is just enormous, and they probably can’t even fill all the rooms. I prefer my little sweet cottage with a lot of decorative things around. It’s my sanctuary.”
Who’s a better mom? “I am. I will put my daughter first always. I told her from day one, if she ever needs me, I will be there. I will drop everything to be with her. I always have. I love that child more than anything. I think Kristen is kind of growing into that. I listen to my daughter. She’s my best friend, and that’s what I wanted when I had her. I wanted to create a relationship where she could trust me, always.”
How is your relationship with Eric Martsolf different from Kristen’s with Brady? “Eric and I will talk about everything and laugh. Brady and Kristen argue all the time. Eric and I are friends, where Brady and Kristen really are not friends. They have this weird dynamic, this love/hate relationship. Eric and I have a loving relationship, a friendship. It’s very different. We hang out and go to lunch. Kristen and Brady are not having a glass of wine or shooting the breeze. They have too much going on in their lives. They’d have to work so much stuff out before they could have that kind of relationship.”
How is your relationship with the DiMera siblings different from yours with your real-life siblings? “Well, we don’t fight over a company. We don’t betray one another within the family. The DiMera brothers and sisters are always trying to one-up the other, trying to take the reins. Power is more important to them than being a part of a family. There’s a power trip that the DiMeras have that I do not have with my own family. My relationship with my siblings is loving. We may have silly family drama where we disagree on something, but it’s a normal family; where, with the DiMeras, there’s so much drama going on. The DiMera family is so screwed up.”
