What was your reaction to finding out you’d be working again with Y&R’s Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki)? “I was really excited because we’ve always had a terrific working relationship. They had to re-educate me about the storyline because it happened 10 years ago but I knew the broad strokes.”
Did it seem like old times? “It did. You would think we’d see each other often given the proximity of Y&R and B&B [their studios are across the hall], but I haven’t seen Mel in a long time, so we went outside on the balcony of CBS and were running our lines and dishing and just catching up, and I was just struck with how down-to-earth she is and how smart she is and how damn funny she is. We just fell into this rhythm and it was like old times. We really did pick up where we left off and for being someone who is daytime royalty, she is extremely accessible as an actress. She is incredibly collaborative.”
Were you pleased with your scenes together? “Yes! It was a lot of fun to play the subtext. Melody and I talked about it. [Deacon and Nikki are] two people who’ve been intimate before, so there needed to be an undercurrent or subtext there to create some electricity, and I think, at least I hope, that came through.”
Speaking of electricity, what about Deacon and Sheila? Despite his protestations, she’s still there and they are growing closer. “It is not ideal with Sheila living at Deacon’s place hiding out from the police, especially with the fact that Sheila is doing her very best not to lay low. The thing with Sheila is, she is obviously capable of some horrendous things but she says, ‘I’m not leaving.’ Deacon could have just left his place but the reality is, they started to forge this sexual bond and are actually starting to have feelings for each other, which is beyond crazy, but love and crazy go hand in hand a lot of the time.”
How would you describe Deacon’s relationships with the women in his past? “Deacon can be a bit of a magnet for crazy but the fact is, Deacon has had his swing at women who are stable, quality women. He had the opportunity to make a life with Bridget and he completely f-ed that up. He probably could have had something with Macy or Jackie. I don’t believe he’s a born loser but I do think he has done so many things in his past that a lot of doors are slammed in his face.”
What do you think Deacon wants for his future? “I think he is a better person now, and that has a lot of value. He is also probably feeling his own mortality a bit. He’s a middle-aged guy and he wants to make a move and have a life and have some things in life, not material things for himself, but things to be able to help the people he loves.”
