Who do you think was Brady’s professional mentor? “It would have to be Victor Kiriakis. I say that with respect to his relationship with John Black, which is absolutely watertight. Brady has always had this issue with needing to prove himself to his grandfather and, in turn, has always had the utmost respect for how Victor has handled the Kiriakis empire and conducted business. Victor has a very hard hand when he wants to lay it down. Brady’s always respected Victor’s strength in that area and admires how calculating Victor is in his moves and movements.”
What do you think of your character’s professional wardrobe? “Brady’s outfits could use a little updating, to be completely honest. He’s been stuck in this blue jeans- and-jacket routine for quite a while. As much as I understand the desire to maintain a consistent look with a character, I think the fashion gods need to hit him over the head a little bit and rev up his wardrobe. Throw some modern Armani onto Brady any day of the week. I’d be happy to entertain that. He runs Basic Black. You’d think the guy would be wearing the latest and greatest trends of the day.”
Is it ever difficult delivering corporate lingo as Brady? “No. I actually embrace when Brady is ever in that scenario with corporate lingo, legalese and anything like that. I was almost a lawyer myself. I graduated with a prelaw degree. I was kind of schooled in that vernacular. I’m happy when those intermediate dialogue challenges come about.”
Who is Brady’s most trusted co-worker? “Well, he’s really only got two: Nicole and Chloe. I’d have to veer toward Chloe at this point. Now that their relationship and confidence with one another is deepening, there’s nothing he wouldn’t trust Chloe with.”
Brady doesn’t have an office at the moment. Would you like one? “He doesn’t even have a house [laughs]! I’m grateful to do scenes in any set. Given that, I would love to see the Basic Black franchise expand a little bit as far as set dressing is concerned. All we have is that [conference] table and that one desk. I miss the good old days when Basic Black had much more square footage. I’d love to see a new wardrobe and maybe a new office space for the guy.”
Has Brady had a crowning corporate achievement? “Unfortunately, most of the situations that have been singled out have been his failures or incompetence in that area. It will just pop up in the middle of a script. I remember one day Philip walked into the room and said, ‘So I hear you’re running Titan into the ground.’ Brady’s response was, ‘What are you talking about? Is that true?’ Philip was like, ‘Yeah, look at these spreadsheets.’ Every once in a while the CEO will be doing a horrific job, which will open the door for another character to become the brand-new CEO.”
What do think is a better fit for Brady, his current job at Basic Black or the previous one at Titan? “I enjoyed Brady’s reign as a CEO at Titan. He held that for quite some time. It was lot of fun. Nothing against the fashion world, but I think Brady has a corporate mindset and is well-suited to run that arena.”
How do you think you would fare in the corporate world? “Now that I’ve gotten a taste of being a thespian for a living, I would have a rough time sitting down quietly in a cubicle and doing anything, period. That is still one of the things that I am most grateful for. My father did warn me about that on graduation day from my college, that if you plan to [pursue a legal career] for a living, you’re going to be doing a lot of sitting and a lot of arguing. A lot of inactivity will follow. It just scared the heck out of me. I think those words are what propelled me to drive to New York and pursue the acting world. I had trouble sitting still.”
What are your character’s strengths as a businessman and his weaknesses? “His weakness is definitely his capacity to act before he thinks. He’s a very adrenalized decision-maker and that’s what gets him into trouble. What he has going for him is his capacity to lead and belief in himself. He definitely has an inner strength about him that emanates, and he’s there for people. He has an incredible sense of loyalty to the people that he loves, and if you cross them, he’ll come after you. He’s not going to let it slide. That’s admirable and one of his better traits.”
Do your friends think it’s funny that you play a suit? “Oh, absolutely. When I’m not at DAYS OF OUR LIVES, I’m in a black T-shirt and jeans. Brady rarely wears T-shirts, although once in a while I’ll sneak one in. The serious nature of Brady Black is such a departure from who I am as a person. Don’t get me wrong, I can take situations seriously, but I kind of skip through life and smell the roses a lot. I don’t have that capacity for living my life in such an intense way, and Brady is constantly intense. I always get, ‘I saw you on TV today. Why don’t you ever smile?’ My response is, ‘I rarely have something to smile about.’ ”
