Leo Howard on Sophia Switch and Her Feelings for Tate on Days of Our Lives (Exclusive)
The pregnancy drama involving former teen lovers Tate and Sophia took a major turn partway through the storyline when Rachel Boyd stepped into the role of the expectant mother, replacing Madelyn Kientz, who departed Days of Our Lives. For actor Leo Howard, who plays Tate, it meant adjusting not only to a new actress but also to her take on the character. Now as that story has reached another milestone — the baby has finally arrived — the actor looks back on what it was like to navigate that change during an already challenging story.
The Sophia Switch
“Anytime there’s any change [it’s going to be different],” begins Howard. “I mean, I walked in and took Jamie Martin Mann’s place [as Tate], and he did a great job. No matter who it is, there’s always a different take, and there’s no better or worse. It’s just a different take, because we’re all unique people. It was an amazing experience working with [Kientz]. She’s a really great actress. But [Boyd] has brought a lot to [the role]. Rachel has brought a different type of vulnerability that works really well in the storyline. So it was a very easy adjustment for me. We miss [Madelyn’s] Sophia, but we are so grateful to have Rachel. She is crushing it. She’s a joy to work with, and she brings an immense amount of depth and uniqueness to Sophia.”
Howard notes that there’s “a totally different vibe between the two versions” of Sophia. “And also the new writers have changed the way we view her,” he points out, adding that the character’s vulnerability is what really stands out to him — a quality that has made it easier for Tate to support Sophia so earnestly throughout her pregnancy.
“It [evolved into a] more confusing situation,” explains Howard. “Rachel really plays into the fear, vulnerability and just terror of what it would be like to be that age and pregnant and not knowing what’s going to happen with the rest of your life. Working with her evokes a certain amount of empathy as an actor. It changes the way I work. It’s very easy to be empathetic, and it just makes the whole situation much more confusing for the audience and for me participating in it.”
Howard believes that Tate’s goal from the get-go has been “to keep everyone happy, but also he’s not ready to be a father. He knows that. And Sophia’s not really ready to be a mother. So what that does is create a lot more conflict in him. He’s walking on eggshells around her, trying to give his own opinion about what he wants, but also be empathetic to what she wants. Ultimately, the choice is going to be up to her. She’s the mother. It’s her body. But having Tate tiptoeing around it is very interesting, because he picks up on how she feels about this.”
One thing Tate was slow to pick up on was Sophia’s growing feelings toward him. However, his grandmother, Marlena, pointed that out back when he hosted a surprise birthday dinner for Sophia and suggested he might unintentionally be giving her false hope. According to Howard, it was a big wake-up call for Tate.
“Tate’s gift and also his downfall is that he wants everyone around him to be happy and to be taken care of at his own expense sometimes,” says Howard. “So he doesn’t always think through his decisions and their impact. It’s a great example of how you can have every good intention in the world, but in execution, it’s not helpful. It [was] news to him that Sophia might be catching feelings for him and reading more into [his actions].”
After receiving that clue, Tate did his best to keep Sophia from growing more attached to him. “As adult as Tate tries to seem and as much as he’s trying to take responsibility, he has no idea what he’s doing,” notes Howard. “In this situation he [had] every intention of backing off, but he [didn’t] know how to do it. So he’s kind of fumbling his way through things and doing the best he can. Unfortunately, sometimes people’s feelings get twisted up in the matter.”
Adding to that twist has been his romantic reunion with Holly. Now that Sophia has given birth, if she decides to act on her feelings for Tate, things could get a bit more complicated. Will Tate become more attuned to Sophia’s emotions this time around? “Tate’s kind of passed it off like, ‘Well, it’s okay. I mean, I’m not starting a relationship with her… so I think it’s all right.’ Sophia’s going to feel how she feels, and that may bite Tate or it may not.”
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