DAYS Newcomer Al Calderon Chats About His Salem Debut As Javi
Al Calderon with his Salem cousin, Cherie Jimenez (Gabi)
Al Calderon is set to make his Days of Our Lives debut on Monday, October 28. He’ll be playing the role of Javi Hernandez, a cousin of Galen Gering’s Rafe and Cherie Jimenez’s Gabi. The actor, a native of Long Island, NY whose singing aspirations led him to be cast on X Factor in 2013 and who booked a role in Grotesquerie shortly after landing his DAYS gig, opened up about joining the Salem ranks in a new interview with TV Insider.
The New Guy In Town
Calderon shared with the outlet that Javi comes to Salem in the wake of his mother’s death. “He’s ready to start over,” the actor noted. He revealed that he felt a kinship to the character in that regard, having been through a similar loss. “My mom passed away in 2020 and she was my best friend in the world.”
Javi is an openly gay character, and Calderon is proud to take that on. “It’s a big responsibility but I feel honored to be able to be a part of something that might change someone’s perspective,” the actor noted. He also teased that Javi’s love life will blossom in Salem, praising the DAYS writers for doing “a really great job of creating a genuine love story that isn’t pander-y, but two people living their lives authentically and unapologetically.”
As Javi reconnected with his cousins in Salem, Calderon forged fast bonds with the actors who play Rafe and Gabi. “Cherie has become like a big sister to me,” he gushed. As for notorious jokester Gering, Calderson remarked, “If Galen and I were the same age in school, I feel like I’d get in trouble with him.” He voiced his appreciation to both co-stars for showing him the ropes. “They really took me under their wing and that was really awesome.”
Their support sounds like it came in handy, since Calderon copped to having major butterflies his first week of DAYS week. “On my second or third day, I had a scene where I’m sipping from a glass. I was so nervous that I chipped my tooth a little bit,” he revealed. “I noticed it days later and luckily, my friend is my dentist and I was able to get in the next day.”
Conversation
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