“I’ve got nothing but respect and love [for] her,” says Robert Scott Wilson (Ben), reflecting on Victoria Konefal’s (Ciara) decision to leave DAYS. “I support her 1,000 percent. I want her to skyrocket and her career to take off. If for some reason she doesn’t crack something good, I hope we can pick up where we left off, because we’ve got something special. I know the work that we’ve put up, and I’m proud of it. I’m proud of her.”
Wilson was privy to the news long before it broke, and immediately offered his support to his leading lady. “When we first talked about this and she said that she wanted to leave, I was like, ‘I’ve got your back. I get it. You need to be able to spread your wings and try other things,’ ” recounts Wilson. “She’s super-talented, and I expect her to do well.”
Still, the news is bittersweet for Wilson, who, on the one hand, wants Konefal to soar, but, on the other, will miss his on-screen soul mate. “She’s been my partner in crime on DAYS,” he points out. “I’m lucky that Ben has a lot of relationships with other people, but she’s his wife now.”
And it’s been a popular pairing, despite some early reservations from viewers who refused to accept Bo Hope’s daughter finding love with The Necktie Killer — even if he was reformed and mentally healed. “The story of Ben and Ciara made history,” contends Wilson. “We came, we saw, and I feel as if we conquered in a short amount of time.”
If the show should recast the role of Ciara, Wilson “Of course, it would be different. But, at the end of the day, Ben is Ben, and Ciara is Ciara. It would be hard shoes to fill. Godspeed to whoever would have to do it. But the show kind of has to go on, unfortunately.” But he feels, “I don’t think that would be the move right now, to recast her. I think it should breathe a little bit and see what happens. Maybe she comes back.”
To Ciara and Ben fans, who have been hit hard by the news of Konefal’s departure, Wilson advises, “Trust the process. This is DAYS OF OUR LIVES, man. It’s been on over 50 years. We’ve seen covers on magazines about people leaving, and, three to six months later, they’re already back on the canvas. So keep the faith. We have extremely talented writers and producers, and they’re going to make sure they take care of this story. They’re going to fill the void the best they can. We’re going to miss Victoria in the time being. But, like I said, hopefully she pops back in and stays a familiar face in Salem. That’s the goal. We’ll see.”
