Soap Opera Digest: When did you first find out that you’d be working together?
Kassie DePaiva: I think that I found out that I was going to be working with him prior to even starting back. I didn’t know I was going to be working with him romantically. I assumed I was going back into the Justin/Eve situation because that’s where I left off.
Eric Martsolf: You kept this from me the whole time?
DePaiva: Yeah! But I didn’t know it was going to be romantic. I never know. They don’t tell you anything here. You just open a page and you go, “Oh! Now that’s what’s happening.”
Digest: Were you happy?
Martsolf: I was very happy.
DePaiva: I was thrilled! Are you kidding me?! I’m a huge fan of Eric Martsolf, I think he’s fantastic. He reminds me very much of my husband and his work when Jimmy [DePaiva, David, GH] was younger.
Martsolf: We’re both German. We both have blue eyes.
DePaiva: For whatever reason, there’s something a little bit familiar to me. I couldn’t be more grateful. He is the bomb here at the show and he’s awesome.
Martsolf: Keep going.
DePaiva: They’re lucky to have him because he can do absolutely anything, from comedy to drama to sexy to fun. Just not too hard to look at!
Martsolf: Thank you, punkin’. Can you write that down?
DePaiva: And he’s also got a couple of Emmys under his belt, too.
Martsolf: I have one. A blind dog finds a bone once in a while. Well, my turn. I was so happy. Ask anybody to go around our little daytime community and try to find one person that can speak an unkind word about Miss DePaiva. You’re not going to find anybody who’s not a fan of hers. She’s not only proven herself through all the shows she’s been on, but she has a way of making the people she works with better.
DePaiva: Well, that’s nice!
Martsolf: She does. You up your game around her because not only is she professional, she has a damn good time at work. I think she’s probably the most enthusiastic person on set and happier to be in that makeup chair at 6 in the morning than anybody! That’s the truth.
DePaiva: You know what’s great? We actually have a delightful time on set. We both come in prepared, we both want to go home to our families and we both really care about our work. It’s like bing, bang, boom, we get it done. He doesn’t have an agenda. We also know that there’s going to be some good days and bad days with the scripts within our characters’ journey and we try to make it work. If there’s something he’s allergic to that my character’s doing, I will try to work out everything because it’s a team effort.
Martsolf: Kassie will fight other people’s battles even though she doesn’t have anything to gain, but she just wants to do what’s right. She’s got moral fiber, this chick.
DePaiva: On a good day.
Digest: How would you describe your dynamic on set?
DePaiva: Fun! It’s refreshing. I think when we walk out on set people kind of —
Martsolf: They breathe.
DePaiva: Yeah, they do. We get our job done. Listen, we’re easy-breezy. We’re not complicated actors, we’re not whiners.
Martsolf: I think we also know our jobs. I don’t think we try to be directors. I don’t think we try to be lighting directors. I don’t think we try to do anything other than do our little gig that we’re supposed to do. We know we’re supposed to bring these characters to life and that’s your job and that’s your gig. She’s always prepared. I love to be prepared and when you’re prepared you can have a good time at work. The folks that don’t have a good time at work are stressed out and it’s usually a result of being unprepared.
DePaiva: There’s not time anymore to be unprepared. This show works like a well-oiled machine and we’re just part of it. It’s a team effort here. We do more shows in less time and you just can’t be off your game. Everybody’s on this game. Martsolf is always on his game. He raises the bar!
Martsolf: I am not always on my game!
DePaiva: Yeah, you are.
Martsolf: If you want to see somebody upset, if Kassie so much as flubs one line, wow! She has a demonic look on her face.
DePaiva: I go into hot flashes! I’m like, “Oh, my God, I can’t breathe!”
Martsolf: I’m like, “It’s okay you missed a preposition. You’ll get it the next time. The lines still made sense. We’re golden.” “[Mimicking Kassie] No, Eric, you don’t understand. I have to do it again!” She’s kind of a perfectionist.
DePaiva: I am.
Digest: Do you rehearse a lot?
DePaiva: We run it but we don’t overrun it.
Martsolf: And honestly, I will run lines with her simply because I just want to spend time with her in her room and talk to her about life.
DePaiva: Isn’t he nice?
Martsolf: Honestly and selfishly I say, “Well, Kassie’s been through so much. She has lived so much life and I know she has wisdom that I can always use to my advantage.” I like to go to her. I like to talk to her about life. I think you’re a smarty-pants, okay? Going to take advantage of that while I’m here.
Digest: What do you like about the dynamic between your characters?
DePaiva: I love that it is smart and I love that it’s mature but I also love that it’s definitely dangerous because these two characters do wrong things for the right reason and it gets them in trouble every time. We’re both kind of on the same train, so I’m just waiting to see the train wreck.
Martsolf: It’s interesting that you view your character in the same way I view Brady because I think these two are very much alike. There is an element of danger to it, which is fun. They have a lot at stake and I think they act before they think, which is something to watch. They’re emotional creatures. The guy can’t catch a break in love. I think he might be the unluckiest guy in daytime. I think that’s an understatement.
DePaiva: Yeah and I think Eve is just lucky to be in the presence of any man who would actually breathe her same air. They’re both entering it with caution and both have a little bit of an agenda.
Digest: This is a very physical relationship in many aspects of the word.
DePaiva: You think?!
Martsolf: He’s a horny toad. I can’t keep up with this girl. I’m in my mid-40s, man. It’s tougher for me now to keep up.
DePaiva: I’m going to bring in my own special lighting team so I can continue to play opposite him for a couple more years.
Martsolf: Here’s the beauty of this woman. She is just open. There is no pretense, there’s no questioning, there’s no guessing, and in every way she’s just open and that’s makes the sexual undertones of Brady and Eve’s relationship that much more fun, as well. This is not a timid girl that doesn’t know what she’s doing. She knows who she is; it’s the confidence, it’s beautiful.
DePaiva: I’m a professional. I’ve been playing an aging slut for many years!
Martsolf: You do it so well.
DePaiva: It’s working for me here in Salem!
Digest: Do you think that there is more to these two than their obvious passionate connection?
DePaiva: I think that’s open for discovery. I think obviously there can be different levels to the relationship and I think they’re going to take some time to find them.
Martsolf: I get excited when crew members and cameramen and folks working around the studio randomly will come up to you and just let you know that they love the couple and what’s going on with Eve and Brady. It’s the folks that see this day in and day out and have a real opinion about what’s working and what’s not. According to the flies on the wall in this studio, they really like what’s going on between us.
DePaiva: It’s not forced and Eric is such a great actor he can make anything work so I feel confident! He makes me feel like I’m in my mid-40s.
Martsolf: I didn’t know I was going to have to make you cupcakes after this interview.
DePaiva: He makes me feel like I look like I’m in my mid-40s.
Martsolf: I don’t even know how old you are!
DePaiva: I’m 85.
Martsolf: I don’t know how old you are and you know what? I couldn’t care less. I don’t give a crap.
DePaiva: Let’s keep it that way.
Digest: Do you think these two can fall in love for real?
DePaiva: Yes.
Martsolf: Yes, of course. All the elements are there. You have two broken people that have been unlucky in love who have found companionship.
DePaiva: A common ground.
Martsolf: Yeah, a common ground, exactly. It’s very, very possible. You’ll just have to wait and see.
Digest: Without giving away future stories, how do you think Theresa will react to hearing that the two of them are together?
Martsolf: Oh, she’ll be so excited.
DePaiva: She’s just going to be thrilled! I just hope she’s not carrying around a loaded gun, because I can tell you who will be the first person to drop on the floor. That would be Eve!
Martsolf: The fact that Brady’s with Eve is going to go over like a pregnant pole-vaulter. I love using that one. I always have that one in my holster.
Digest: What do you think of Brady and Eve’s combo name, “Brave”?
Martsolf: I’ve seen “Breve”, as well, but I think we need to go with “Brave”.
DePaiva: Yeah. We’re the warriors.
Martsolf: I mean, who’s braver than Miss DePaiva? She defines it.
DePaiva: Martsolf.
Martsolf: She never lets me get the last word.
DePaiva: Never.
Martsolf: It’s frustrating. But, if her last words are complimentary, I’ll let her talk.
