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ICYMI Lindsay Arnold (Allie, DAYS) Interview

Sami and Lucas’s little girl is all grown up — and pregnant — and daytime newcomer Lindsay Arnold has jumped right into the fire in a big storyline. “That was actually really helpful,” says the actress. “I feel like if I had eased into the role more, I would have maybe overthought things a little. Giving me so much to work with right away was great for me. Also, after I kept doing it, it took away the nerves. I was like, ‘I can do this. No problem.’ They obviously trusted me, and I started trusting myself to do the work.”

Arnold describes her route to the soap as “kind of crazy. I was living in New York when I got the audition, but I was really sick,” she explains. “So I just sent in a self-tape. They asked if I could fly in for a callback, but I said I couldn’t get on a plane at the time. I ended up going in the next week to read with one of the other actors on the show [Robert Scott Wilson, Ben] and met with some of the producers. I went back to New York after that and sent in a few more tapes. They’d asked for a couple more scenes to make sure I could handle the work. By the end of the week I had booked the job, and by the start of the next week, I had moved out to L.A. It all happened very quickly.”

Although somewhat aware of DAYS — “I watched it when I was growing up, so I knew what it was, some of the storylines, and some of the characters” — Arnold says she wasn’t “super-familiar with the show. And I definitely wasn’t familiar with the world of soaps and the process of making them.”

Yet, she’s adapted to the gig quickly. “It’s honestly been good,” she contends. “In the beginning, I would definitely run my lines a bunch of times the night before to make sure I had them, because I was so nervous about missing one. But all the other actors were there to help me with any questions I might have and were willing to run lines with me, too. I’m so grateful and really lucky that everyone on set has been so helpful.”

Arianne Zucker (Nicole) stands out from the heap. “I worked with her the most in the beginning,” points out Arnold. “She really helped me, and was always there if I was nervous about something. I was happy that I had a lot of my scenes with her, because that really helped me ease into things; just being with somebody who was so comforting and like, ‘Don’t worry about it. Don’t stress.’ ”

Arnold has lots of praise for her TV parents, Bryan R. Dattilo (Lucas) and Alison Sweeney (Sami), too. “They’re awe- some,” she smiles. “Bryan is really fun on set. He’s always making jokes, which was helpful in the beginning, because I was so nervous. And Ali is amazing to work with. I love doing scenes with her. I think we had great chemistry, which is obviously important. She was always super-prepared and ready to run lines, and I really appreciated that. That’s how I work, as well. I just go on set, get in the zone, and am ready to work.”

Now that she’s firmly ensconced in Salem, “My parents and grandparents were very excited for me to meet Deidre Hall [Marlena],” reveals Arnold. “My parents were like, ‘Tell us how she is.’ And I was like, ‘She’s great. Everyone is great.’ ”

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