Exclusive: DAYS’s Martha Madison Says Belle ‘Knows Exactly What She’s Doing’ With EJ

EJ and Belle’s no-strings relationship took a twist on Days of our Lives when EJ uncharacteristically opened up about his feelings for his former sister-in-law/now lover. Soap Opera Digest checked in with Belle’s portrayer, Martha Madison, for her take on her character’s inner struggle where her evolving relationship with EJ is concerned.

 

Soap Opera Digest: How does Belle feel about EJ’s candor and vulnerability? Did she ever think their relationship had legs and was actually real to him?

Martha Madison: The way it ended between them the last time has made Belle very careful. She knows exactly what she’s doing. It started off as a physical thing and sort of almost like a dominance test between the two. So, it was fun for her, but I don’t think she went into this with any feelings that this was going to be more than just fun. Now that there are feelings growing between the two, it becomes more confusing. She’s really battling with the devil and angel on her shoulders. She knows [being involved with EJ] is bad news and terrible territory to enter. She’s seen how it all ended before, but she’s not thinking with her brain.

Digest: In the past, they’d sometimes show that devil and angel egging on characters.

Madison: I remember that. And we used to do a lot of voice-overs and talking to ourselves stuff. The good news is Belle does have a lot of conversations about this, but it’s mostly with her brother and her mother. You will start to see and hear more about her own sort of inner struggle as this continues.

Digest: Did EJ’s admission take Belle off guard?

Madison: It was a big surprise to Belle, because I don’t think she sees EJ as someone who has feelings [laughs]. So, in that regard, yes. It just makes her more cautious, but also even more excited, as you are when you’re falling for somebody. I don’t think this is a story about logic and reason. It’s a story about feelings and listening to your gut – or not.

Digest: Is Belle ready to reevaluate their situation when EJ opens up to her?

Madison: She has a moment where she feels like maybe this is more than she expected it to be. But EJ is EJ, and she learns that pretty quickly. This is about her realizing that she can’t trust him — but she also can’t trust her own instincts where he is concerned. That’s troubling for Belle, because she is a really smart person who’s making really dumb decisions.

Digest: Going into this Belle/EJ dalliance, did you ever think they could have longevity as a couple?

Madison: As far as anybody having longevity on a show, they could, but they would have to really tell the whole love story. There would have to be a lot of changes and adjustments made through that story for the characters to have it make sense. That’s really hard to do, but over time, anything’s possible. I think this really is more a story about Belle’s own self-exploration than it is about a love story at this point.

Digest: You could tell Belle was in over her head during a scene with Brady where she mentioned EJ being a puzzle she wanted to solve.

Madison: Oh my gosh, I read that on the page and I was like, “Yes. Exactly.” I think that was actually the first show that [former General Hospital co-head writer] Dan O’Connor wrote. I met him at the Daytime Emmys, and he introduced himself to me. He had just started with the writing team, and he said, “My first script is actually you and Brady.” I was like, “Oh my gosh. I can’t wait to read it.” Then I read it and I was like, “Oh my God. I love him.”

Digest: A lot of women are attracted to bad boys and want to fix them. What’s your take on that?

Madison: Well, the 20-year-old me made a lot of these similar mistakes. I don’t know that it always ends well, but I will say that a string of bad boys in my own life led me to my now-husband, who is not at all a bad boy and probably the most interesting person I’ve ever met. So as long as it leads you to the right person, it’s all fine.