It’s a happy new year, indeed, for Aaron D. Spears, who, in addition to his role as B&B’s Justin, will continue to air as DAYS newcomer Lt. Raines. “Salem’s been really cool, man,” the actor shares of his latest soap home. “It all starts with a welcoming group of individuals. If you don’t have people already rooting for you, or at least wanting you to be part of a team, then it makes things a little difficult. All the people have been very engaging in terms of making sure I know what I’m supposed to do and when I’m supposed to do it.”
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Look for his new alter ego to have an impact on the canvas, reports the actor. “I think you will see his effect on Salem in a very short period of time,” says Spears. “He’s definitely a by-the-book guy. He doesn’t pull any punches. He shakes things up in ways that haven’t been done before, using the edge of who he is as well as what he feels needs to be done. He won’t let anything slide, and I think his methods definitely cause people to take a second look at what’s going on around him as well as who’s doing it. This is shaping up to be quite an interesting stint.”
Though he’s already used to the hectic pace of soaps, the seasoned Spears admits that things move quite quickly at DAYS. “At B&B, we definitely were moving at a pace,” he chuckles. “Then I arrived on DAYS and was like, ‘Oh, okay. I thought we were moving fast. We are just straight smokin’ here!’ If you can’t handle that, it can be disturbing, but I know what I need to do at the time we need to do it. There’s no, ‘Let’s go to the dressing room and talk.’ No, you come in, get your makeup, start your lines and you’re ready to rock ’n’ roll.”
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Daytime isn’t the only timepart keeping Spears busy these days. He just played a key role on the new season’s biggest hit, THIS IS US, as young Randall’s martial arts instructor, which received a lot of buzz. “There’s a possibility I could be back,” he reveals. “We’re trying to see if it’s going to work from a contractual perspective.” And he has another project in the works. “There is a show that I’ll be doing called GREENLEAF [the sudsy, Southern nighttime drama] on OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. I’ll be recurring on there, as well.”
He’s also waiting to hear the fate of his character, Mark, on BET’s BEING MARY JANE, which returns for its fourth season on January 10. Mark was last seen quitting his job and setting off for Nigeria. “I hope he’ll be coming back,” notes Spears. “I’m not sure, still, to this day. They’re keeping everything hush-hush. I know there are a lot of changes behind the scenes, and how those changes parlay will determine whether you see me season 4 or you see me season 5.”
Happily, Spears’s personal life is thriving right along with his professional one. He and wife Estela are the proud parents of five, and, he beams, “Everyone’s doing great. My oldest daughter, Nayali, just graduated college, so she is now applying to grad schools. Next in line, Aiyana’s doing very well in school. Man, I think she had straight A’s last report card, with one B. She made the All-Star team in soccer. She’s doing her thing. Next is Henna. She also made the All-Star team in soccer. She has straight A’s. And then, Kaaria made the Select team and she got all A’s this year. And then my youngest, Riaz, went to the World Cup this year in soccer. He ended up winning the bronze metal. They missed the championship round by one point and went into triple overtime! That was an exciting match. He also has good grades, only two B’s. Don [Diamont, Bill, B&B, who raised seven boys] and I talk about our big families quite often. It’s crazy because after they get older, their responsibilities increase and now you’re like Mr. and Mrs. Uber. They always have somewhere to go, man. It’s nuts! But I’ve always said, my 401k will definitely be the reason to get up [laughs].”
The actor feels he couldn’t have achieved what he has in his life without his loving wife. “You have to have someone that you trust at home with the foundation,” he asserts. “It makes my job a lot easier because sometimes when you leave [for the set], you literally don’t know when you’re coming back. Like the last gig I did? I didn’t get in for like 24 hours. I was on a plane, and the kids were asking, ‘When are you coming back?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. I haven’t filmed it yet.’ It’s how I make my living, but you have to learn to adjust, and we’ve all done that together.”
Spears, who will mark 20 years as a professional actor this year, doesn’t take his longevity in the business for granted. “It’s actually great considering the number of people who attempt to do it and the actual number of people who can make a living from it,” he reflects. “That’s quite an astonishment, man. I’ll go home tonight and pour a big glass of wine in celebration of that. I’ve never taken the time to smell the roses and all.”
As for where he’d like to be 20 years from now, Spears shares, “Doing the same thing, but on a bigger level. Continuing to grow, continuing to expand, moving behind the scenes. I’ve been dabbling in that for some time before, and I’m trying to perfect it — and help others through doing that. So, not only am I achieving and making progress, but what I’m seeing and doing helps others make progress. That’s what I would love to see.”
Spears has a lot of experience playing law enforcement officials. In 1997, the actor got his start on TV playing Officer Washington on SUNSET BEACH, then donned another badge on GENERAL HOSPITAL in 2004 as Officer Watkins, and now is back on the right side of the law on DAYS. “It seems like I’ve played a cop a million times,” he nods. “When I did Babel [in 2006], with Brad Pitt [ex-Chris, ANOTHER WORLD] and Cate Blanchett, I also played a cop. I don’t know what it is, but it seems like every job I go for I’m a cop or some form of a cop. I chalk it up to my grandfather’s presence. I always remember my grandfather having a very strong presence. So, I guess it’s my presence! I’m giving off that cop vibe, and my voice doesn’t hurt, either. It is what it is, and I’ll
take it!”
Just The Facts:
Birthday: July 10
Hails From: Washington, D.C.
What Does The D. Stand For? “Darnell.”
The Real Husband Of Hollywood: He and wife Estela will be married 16 years on April 29. “That’s like 60 years in Hollywood, right [laughs]?”
Party Of Five: Spears’s children are daughters Nayali, 22, Aiyana, 13, Henna, 9, Kaaria, 8 and son Riaz, 7.
Familiar Feeling: Spears was happy to run into former B&B co-star Brandon Beemer (Shawn, DAYS; ex-Owen, B&B) on his first day in Salem. “It was nice to come in at the beginning of a storyline and have a conversation with somebody you already knew from back in the day.”
Crossover Appeal: Of appearing on both CBS and NBC, he notes, “A lot of things have changed in the television industry and are continuing to change. It’s not that it’s not about the networks anymore, but the way people watch TV has changed so much and so much interest has been put on individuals and individualistic television. We all benefit because the audience is broadened by the people that that person brings to a show and vice versa.”
