The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be held on Friday, Dec. 15, with the ceremony airing live on CBS starting at 9 p.m. ET. Soap Opera Digest chatted with the nominees to get the scoop on how they found out, what episodes they submitted, and more as we count down to daytime’s biggest night!
Outstanding Younger Performer
Cary Christopher (Thomas, DAYS OF OUR LIVES)
Benedict West Photography
How did you find out you were nominated? “I learned I was nominated when school got out that day. I saw balloons and thought, ‘Cool, is it someone’s birthday?’ But then I realized my parents were the ones with the balloons! They handed me a picture frame and inside was a list of the Daytime Emmy nominees, and I saw my name on it. I didn’t know they were being announced that day, so it was a huge surprise. And it’s pretty neat I’m the youngest nominee this year. My footage was from when I was 7.”
Did you get any messages from any of your co-stars congratulating you and do any stand out? “I got a lot of great messages from my co-stars, friends, and family! Billy Flynn [Chad], who plays my dad on the show, called me. That was really cool. And Abigail Klein [Stephanie], she sent a nice message on [Instagram]. Bob Lambert, one of the casting directors, sent an email. And I saw a post DAYS did on Facebook for me. My agent and manager sent me an awesome gift basket that had cookies with my face on them.”
What episodes did you submit? “My manager helped with that. There were scenes with Billy where our characters were really upset. We got mad at each other, but then we made up and got frozen yogurt [and] saw Greg Rikaart, who plays Leo. Some other fun scenes with Greg were included and with my on-screen mom, played by Marci Miller [ex-Abigail]. There was also a long scene where I was interviewed by the police detectives about Leo. Or, should I say, ‘The Tooth Fairy!’”
Did you do anything to celebrate? “I had baseball practice after school, and then we went to dinner. Then a few weeks later, my parents surprised me with reservations to The Magic Castle in Hollywood for an incredible brunch. That was my first time wearing a tuxedo.”
Are you excited that your TV dad, Billy Flynn, was nominated too? “I’m so excited that Billy got a nomination too! He said something like how he was more excited for me than he was for himself. I totally get what he means, because I am so happy for him. He’s such a great actor, and puts so much of his feelings into it, that it helps me do my best. I hope I do the same thing for him. We have this connection in the scenes. It’s just like it’s real, but deep down, I know it’s Billy, and he’s so kind to me. He totally deserves the nomination!”
What does the nomination mean to you? “This nomination is special to me because kid actors work really hard and sometimes we are overlooked. We go and perform our scenes on set and still have to do schoolwork and maintain good grades and attendance. I’ve been acting professionally since I was 3 years old. I’ve had some really cool experiences from it and have worked really hard to do my best, and DAYS has given me so many opportunities to do challenging scenes. To be recognized for my work playing Thomas feels really, really good.”
Who are you bringing with you to the ceremony? “My dad, my manager Sandra, and my mom. I wish I could bring my Jack Russell dog, Oreo, onto the red carpet. He’s really good at wearing a bow tie. And he behaves really well, too, unless somebody has something yummy nearby and he wants to steal it. So that’s probably why he’s not allowed to come, but it would be really great if he could.”
