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Interview

ICYMI - Christopher Sean, Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey Interview

"Days of our Lives" Set Gallery Shoot 2017
Chandler Massey, Christopher Sean, Freddie Smith "Days of our Lives" Set Gallery Shoot 2017 NBC Studios Burbank 09/206/17 © John Paschal/jpistudios.com 310-657-9661 Credit: JPI

On a sunny day at DAYS’s Burbank studios, Chandler Massey and Christopher Sean sat down to chat with Digest while an under-the-weather Freddie Smith called in from home

 

Soap Opera Digest: Freddie and Christopher, how did you react when you heard that Chandler was coming back? 

Christopher Sean: I was so angry. I hate him and I hate everything about his character.

Chandler Massey: They cried tears of joy!

Sean: No, actually I was very excited because he’s a multi-Emmy award-winning actor and I was like, “What can I learn?” I knew that also meant that we were going to work a lot more and I was excited about the drama, too.

Freddie Smith: I was very excited, just because Chandler was one of those people who showed me the ropes when I first got there and it was really nice to hop back into that storyline of Will and Sonny and rekindle that love. When Will left, they kind of left on bad terms with his character cheating and us breaking up and then us getting back together almost and then [him] being murdered. This is a really cool way to resolve that storyline and get “Wilson” back together in the future, hopefully. And like Christopher said, Chandler is talented as hell and he makes me a better actor working with him, so I was so excited to just be able to do scenes with him again.

Digest: Sonny and Paul were in such a good place, about to get married. Were you disappointed to see it end so abruptly?

Sean: I was very disappointed because I absolutely love working with Freddie. I think he’s a consummate professional and I think he’s extremely talented and super-attractive, so my girlfriend was jealous!

Smith: Holla!

Sean: No, I just really liked what we had, but it was coming to that point where it was like, “Now what?”

Digest: Freddie, how did you feel about seeing “Paulson” come to an end?

Smith: It’s the drama! If it was real life, it’s like, “Oh, crap,” because you have to actually deal with those heartbreaks, but it’s great entertainment. Having this triangle is incredible and it’s also fun as an actor to play all of those different levels. With “Wilson” being so strong, it was just really cool that people fell in love with “Paulson”. It was just a testament to the writing, to the characters and to Christopher and I building that relationship on-screen and off-screen. It was sad to see the breakup coming, but I knew it was going to be great entertainment at the same time for the viewers.

Digest: Chandler, what was it like for you to come in and pick up Will’s story?

Massey: I was excited about it because if you’re on the show and you’re happy, you’re happy off camera. You need some drama to remain interesting. I was very familiar with working with Freddie, of course. I never worked with Christopher before, so I was excited and a little bit nervous about that, but it turned out better than I could’ve hoped for. When we were first talking about me coming back, I remember thinking, “How am I going to make this character redeemable?” because he did some effed-up s, you know what I mean? He took a dark turn and was not a good person. [With the amnesia] now it makes it a little easier to play sort of an empathetic character.

Digest: What do you remember about the early days of the three of you working together?

Massey: Well, Freddie doesn’t return any of our calls or texts.

Smith: I don’t even show up for interviews in person! I only see them when they yell, “Action!”

Massey: He’s like, “If I’m not getting paid to hang out with you then….”

Smith: Yeah, then I’m not doing it! No, we spend a lot of time together. We all kind of just hit it off right away. On my end, I feel very blessed to have both of these guys that are so easy to get along with; it makes the work that much easier and that much more transparent to the audience when they watch it and they go, “Wow, these guys actually like each other and care for each other.”

Sean: I liked it when Chandler showed up because we all got along great, but the Will and Paul storyline started to take a turn to where I got to know him more. We have so many similar interests and we share similar senses of humor, actually all of us do, which is great and that’s why we fit so well together. Our friendship really does permeate on-screen. We even play board games at home on Sundays; we play Dungeons and Dragons!

Massey: I’ve been over his place and played video games….

Sean: We really get along! It’s really cool.

Digest: All three characters have been involved with each other, which you don’t normally find in a love triangle. 

Sean: Next story is we’re going to adopt a baby and the three of us are going to fight over it [laughs]!

Digest: People were disappointed that Sonny and Will weren’t immediately put together. What do you two feel about that?

Massey: Well, it would’ve been too easy. The payoff at the end is going to be so much greater if the journey is a winding one with potholes and detours and things like that.

Smith: Yeah, if we would’ve gotten back together right away, like, “He remembers!” and we hug each other and it’s just like this amazing thing, it would’ve been explosive, but then what? The payoff is going to be through the roof like times 10 if and when “Wilson” reunites, rather than right away.

Digest: Christopher, did you have any feelings like, “They are the destiny duo?”

Sean: Bottom line is that John and Marlena, and Bo and Hope, are iconic couples like Will and Sonny; that’s just the way it is. They are the supercouples, and if it ever happens, then that’s the way it should be. True love never dies. Will may not have his memory, but something deep in his heart knows. Either way, I’m just happy to be a part of the story. If it’s #PoorPaul, then so be it because it’s worth it! “Wilson” would be such a great couple.

Massey: It would be even better, though, if we were just polyamorous, the three of us. Try to tackle again a new type of relationship.

Digest: How would you describe your on set dynamic?

Massey: It’s definitely fun. We like to joke around. We’re stoking our creative fires, and every now and then when we’re waiting for scenes, we like to have fun.

Sean: We really do have a good time. We’re all on the same level when it comes to the sense of humor and we all come prepared, so we have plenty of time to goof around. We work our butts off at home to be able to play at work.

Smith: We’ve got our working relationship and everything down to a science, where you know the amount of material you have, you know when you’re up in the day. It’s nice to be able to have people you get along with, have fun. We have a blast. We really found a way to balance the fun and the professionalism in a way that just works out great. It’s fun and we get stuff done, so it’s a win-win.

Sean: That rhymed.

Smith: I always try to throw in one rhyme per interview.

Digest: Freddie and Chandler, what was it like to work together again? Was it different than the first time around?

Massey: I feel like we sort of just picked up where we left off.

Smith: Yeah, I feel the same way. It felt identical; there’s that trust there. I feel like we run lines to get down what we’re doing, but the way we present it onstage for tape, we both kind of know we’re going to throw some stuff at each other on the spot and create something new and exciting there. I just love having that trust with Chandler when I’m out there and with Christopher, as well. You know the other person’s got you, and it’s a really, really great feeling.

Digest: What does it mean to you all that this triangle has struck such a chord with the audience?

Smith: I think it’s just another step in that direction of how is the audience going to perceive two men falling in love and telling this true love story? It just shows how far we’ve come since 2011. We’re like every other couple on the show. Soap operas are love triangles, and we’re all men and we’re in this triangle and we’re all power-couples with each other — I know there are fans of Will and Paul, Will and Sonny, and Paul and Sonny. The fact that no matter who is with who, there’s a group of people rooting for them, which just shows that the writing and what we do with the characters is really relating to the audience. I think that’s the greatest reward we can get as actors. I think we’ve made a really big step forward in the past seven years.

Sean: I love that.

Massey: Well said.

Digest: Anything to add?

Sean: I’m still happy with what Freddie just said. It’s no longer about gay relationships, now it’s supercouples. I definitely just want to say I’m proud of the work that’s being aired and I’m excited for everyone to see what’s going to air.

Massey: I have to agree and sort of echo what Freddie said. Back in 2011, what we were doing felt a little bit groundbreaking in its own way. I would get responses from people who watch the show that made me cry tears of gratitude, and also responses where people just didn’t understand or didn’t like it or didn’t want to understand. This is a testament to the producers, the writers, and everybody that we’re a triangle, and you don’t even have to put the “gay” in front of it; that’s just how they write us, like we’re no different, and that’s a sign of some serious progress.

Sean: I was just going to chime in and say that Chandler said it was groundbreaking when he was on the show at the time. For me, being Asian-American, telling a gay story, coming out on television, all of this is very groundbreaking in my eyes. I’ve never seen an Asian-American play a gay character on television, especially in daytime. I really love what they did and I’m just very happy and proud to be a representative as an Asian-American actor.

Massey: Another thing Christopher and I bonded over is a love for Japanese culture, strangely enough.

Sean: We both love anime. We both cosplay, we both run down the street giggling like schoolgirls. It’s very strange, but we relate.

Massey: It works! All right, Freddie, we’re going to have to put you on hold for 20
minutes.

Sean: Yeah, we got our other triangle here so….

Smith: Oh, yeah. Okay, I’ll see you in 20!

 

JPI

 

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