DAYS Exclusive: Cherie Jimenez Dishes About Gabi Taking Down Arnold!

Double Trouble: Arnold’s (Galen Gering) days posing as Rafe are numbered, thanks to crafty Gabi (Cherie Jimenez).

The jig is just about up for Rafe impostor Arnold — and Gabi plays a key role in exposing his duplicity after she plucks a hair from his head, hightails it over to the hospital and asks Kayla to run a DNA test on the man she believes has been impersonating her big brother, Rafe. It all leads to the end of the line for the elaborate con that’s been pulled on the Hernandez clan, not to mention Rafe’s fiancée, Jada. Actress Cherie Jimenez, who plays Gabi, discussed her part in the Days of Our Lives plot and what she’ll miss most about the freewheeling Arnold with Soap Opera Digest.

 

Soap Opera Digest: Were you happy when you read the script and saw that your character would be heavily involved in Arnold’s takedown?

Cherie Jimenez: Yes! Honestly, it took Gabi long enough to realize that something was up, but she was so focused on everything else. And, obviously, her romance with JJ has been growing. Once Jada realized that things weren’t adding up, everything started to come together, and I was so happy [to be involved]. I was like, “Yes!”

Digest: And to think, it all starts with yanking a couple of hairs out of Galen Gering’s (Arnold/Rafe) head.

Jimenez: What’s so funny about that scene is that I had to pretend to pull hair out of his head. In rehearsal, I was like, “Okay, yeah. I can do that.” Well, I ended up pulling actual hair out of his head, not meaning to, in the actual take! I just got a little close. So Galen’s reaction was very real.

Digest: Obviously, Arnold is headed off the canvas. What will you miss most about working opposite Galen as that character?

Jimenez: So much. During that time, he was having so much fun. Whenever I was in a scene with him or would be watching him play a scene [as Arnold], I would always say to him afterwards, “You just look like you’re having such a great time.” Because as far as Rafe goes, he does things by the book. He’s there to offer advice and be the good guy, so Arnold allowed for Galen to play outside the box a little bit more freely and be a little reckless. I really enjoyed seeing him be so free. It was also a really cool thing to play opposite a character that is my brother, essentially, but isn’t, because it’s his evil twin. And because Galen had so much fun with it, I had so much fun with it.

Digest: What do you think interacting with Arnold brought out in Gabi?

Jimenez: He really allowed me to bring some sass and a little bit more attitude back into Gabi. Since JJ and Javi came into Gabi’s life, I love that the softer, more fun and carefree sides of her have come out. But at the same time, Gabi still has that fire in her. So [the situation with Arnold] allowed for the fire to come through in different scenes, especially with Savannah [the stripper]. She really set Gabi off. It was nice to be able to bring that out again.

Digest: What can you tease about Gabi’s reaction when she finds out for certain that Arnold has been masquerading as her brother for weeks?

Jimenez: Oh, my God. Pure anger. There are a lot of different emotions that come through, and pure anger is just the tip of it. There’s also the fear that comes in, the fear of, “Hold on. So if this isn’t my brother, then where is my brother?” She also feels validated in questioning [Arnold] and what has been going on, and she’s trying to understand it all. Knowing that he’s an impostor, that he isn’t Rafe, makes her [wonder], “Where the hell is he?” She doesn’t know that part of it yet, and it’s scary. I mean, obviously she has Javi now, but Rafe really has been her only family for a very long time.

Guess Who? Gabi is on the verge of solving the mystery of “Rafe’s” true identity.