Abigail Klein (Stephanie, DAYS) knew precious little about Blake Berris, formerly Nick, when she found out that he would be returning to the soap as her character’s ex-boyfriend, Everett. Well, except for the fact that “everybody knows him and everybody loves him,” the actress shares. “Everybody I talked to said he was super talented. Marnie [Saitta, DAYS casting director] said that. Billy [Flynn, Chad] said that. Mary Beth [Evans, Kayla] knew him as well, and she was also a big fan of his. So I was excited.”
Berris didn’t have to audition for the role, which meant no chemistry read between him and Klein. “He just came aboard. The first time I met him was when I worked with him in those scenes where Everett came back [into Stephanie’s life],” recounts Klein. “I remember leaving the set after our very first day of filming together. I was driving home and I didn’t even put music on, because I was very affected. He very much came in and affected me. I couldn’t stop thinking about those scenes. I thought, ‘Whoa. This is really fun.’ It was just one of those reminders of why I really love acting. He sort of re-sparked that for me in those scenes specifically. So that was really cool.”
In the process, Klein’s become the latest DAYS star to become a Berris fan. “He’s obviously so talented, but he’s also a sweetheart, a real sweet angel of a human,” she praises. “This guy is so dreamy. He’s so charming. He can just jump into your soul. I think he elevates everybody that he works with, that’s probably the best way to say it. He’s so interesting to watch as an actor. I feel I learn from just observing how he works. I find him really inspiring in that way. I just adore working with him. I feel so lucky to be working with him and Billy.”
