Exclusive: DAYS’s Eric Martsolf on Brady’s Family Drama, Pull to Kristen
Eric Martsolf (Brady) thrives on playing family drama storylines. So when he learned that his Days of our Lives daughter, Rachel, would be running away from home, he was all in. After all, he knew the turn would not only mess up Brady’s budding relationship with Ava, but it would also mean that he’d be working more closely and intensely with Stacy Haiduk (Kristen), who plays Rachel’s mother.
Embracing the Chaos
“I embrace that kind of thing; I love when there’s chaos,” enthuses Martsolf. “That’s what I love to play, when there’s frantic chaos going on. I think that’s what draws viewers in, as well. They want to see how people handle these crazy scenarios, and how Brady and Kristen are going to get their daughter back. And it always ends up being something that brings couples closer together.
“That’s why you have kidnappings and fires and things like that,” continues the actor. “DAYS historically has always had these disasters that have not only brought people together, but also created new relationships.” As an example, he offers, “In the midst of when the town blew up from that giant gas leak [in 2012], it brought new relationships into the fold, and characters that necessarily haven’t been together or are in a separate town find themselves communicating and sometimes having feelings for one another.”
Martsolf has played a multitude of storylines during his DAYS tenure, from drug and alcohol addiction to battling EJ, which he sees as an extension of Brady’s family turmoil. “I wouldn’t put them in separate camps,” notes Martsolf. “I think they’re one and the same. The family drama is intimately connected to all Brady’s other issues. I mean, when he went after EJ, when they had that giant fight in the Horton Square, at one point Brady was kicking EJ’s head like a football. Each time he was kicking his head, he was like, ‘This is for Sami. This one is for Nicole. This one is for this family member.’ So everything is attached to his love for his family. That’s why you can’t fault the man, because the reasons behind his behavior usually have to do with the love for his family and loved ones. It’s always rooted in that. Days of our Lives is rooted in love for family, and that’s what makes us do crazy things sometimes.”
This particular family drama — Rachel defiantly running away — has also finally gotten Brady and Kristen to realize that their troubled daughter needs professional help. “Enough is enough. The bucket is overflowing with reasons,” contends Martsolf. “The most interesting thing about this is that it’s in these tragic times where there’s no hope, as much as there is anger and frustration between Brady and Kristen it inevitably pulls them together, because Rachel is the one thing that they have in common. They can be as erratic as they want as adults and as lovers, but they are parents at the end of the day that love their daughter. So it’s also the glue that brings them together, which is interesting as well.”
That, of course, is what crafty Rachel is counting on. “The cat’s out of the bag on that one,” says Martsolf. “That’s how smart the girl is. She wants her parents to be back together. At the end of the day that is Rachel’s main goal. That is her hunger, to have her parents together. She’s aware that, ‘How do I get these two people in the same room to realize that they actually do care for one another? Oh, I know I’ll be a source of contention, and they will inevitably fall in love again and want to be a family.’ She’s a smart cookie. She might be the smartest person in Salem at this point.”
Common Cause: Sharing a daughter with Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) ensures her continued presence in Brady’s life.
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