DAYS Exclusive: Abigail Klein Says Stephanie’s Secret-Keeping Is ‘Eating Her Alive’
Secrets Are No Fun: Stephanie’s (r.) friendship with Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) is at risk because of the lie they are perpetuating.
Stephanie and Philip’s secret about the forged letter from Victor — the one that helped Philip acquire half of Titan Industries — started to unravel when Xander misconstrued a conversation between the pair and jumped to the wrong conclusion: that Stephanie is cheating on Alex with Philip. Days of Our Lives actress Abigail Klein spoke to Soap Opera Digest about the complicated secret her character is keeping.
Soap Opera Digest: This whole thing started when Philip asked Stephanie if she was considering revealing the truth about Victor’s letter now that she’s involved with Alex, but she assured him that she’s not. Why?
Abigail Klein: Stephanie feels really protective of Sarah — and Sarah’s relationship with Xander. I was thinking about it from [that] standpoint, too, because they have a child together. Stephanie is just looking out for them as a whole, and Sarah has said before [that keeping this secret is] for the greater good. So Stephanie just keeps going back to that. As much as Stephanie feels like Philip really took advantage of her – that her whole career could have been at risk and it was such a violation to her – she wants to still be there for Sarah and support Sarah in this.
Digest: Did Stephanie ever consider sharing the truth with Alex now that they’re a couple? After all, this secret involves his family.
Klein: Keeping this family secret from him is eating her alive. She doesn’t want to be in that position, and that’s another reason why she’s angry with Philip. He’s put her in this position. And she’s angrier at herself for continuing to keep up his charade. All of that is bubbling underneath the surface. Stephanie is also all about crisis management, and, unfortunately, she’s having to manage her own personal crisis at the moment. She’s also trying to keep some semblance of control over the situation. So, for her, telling Alex or not telling Alex… She wants to be able to do that in her own time and when she deems it the best time. So she is always strategizing behind the scenes about how to manage the situation.
Digest: Unfortunately, Stephanie might have to amend that strategy, because Xander eavesdropped and heard her and Philip discussing how Alex can never know “their secret” and jumped to the wrong conclusion.
Klein: I remember filming that scene. Oh, my God. Paul [Telfer, Xander] is the best. He was so funny filming Paul overhearing Stephanie and Philip… It was just one of those good soap moments, one of those great soap reveals. I love working with Paul and J-P [John-Paul Lavoisier, Philip]. That’s been so much fun. And Paul and J-P are so hilarious together. They have their own thing going on, which is so fun to witness. I love working with both of them. It’s just awesome.
Digest: What did you make of the twist of Xander assuming that Stephanie and Philip are having an affair?
Klein: Xander thinks that he’s just the smartest guy in the world when he hears them talking. I remember thinking it was all so convenient that that’s the best Xander could come up with, that Stephanie was having an affair with Philip. But I guess it’s a good thing that that was the conclusion that he drew as opposed to anything else, for Philip’s sake.
Conversation
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