It’s a landmark year for the residents of Salem as Days of our Lives marks its 60th anniversary on November 8th. Sixty years on the air is a testament to the soap opera’s enduring legacy, a milestone made even sweeter by the show’s recent induction into the prestigious Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame.
The TV Watercooler sat down with two of the show’s most beloved stars, Deidre Hall (Dr. Marlena Evans) and Eric Martsolf (Brady Black), to discuss this incredible achievement, the show’s unwavering fan base, and what keeps the drama alive. From the incredible honor of their Hall of Fame nod to the fierce loyalty of the multi-generational audience, it’s clear the stars recognize the magnitude of the moment.
Hall and Martsolf reflected on the incredible journey of a show that has, against industry predictions, stood the test of time and recently found a new home on Peacock. Martsolf credits the show’s success to “a ridiculous amount of hard work, a wonderful crew, and a leader like Ken Corday,” emphasizing that they are “not lucky,” but have “worked for it.” The conversation touches on the unique, familial bond the cast and crew share, and how that sense of community extends to the viewers, who tune in every day to see their “second family.” As the show celebrates its past, the actors hint at exciting things to come, including the potential return of beloved characters to the canvas as the anniversary celebrations ramp up.
DAYS is celebrating its 60th anniversary! Congratulations. How does it feel not only to be celebrating that huge milestone but for the show being inducted into the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame.
Deidre: Huge. Huge. They flew us to New York for it!
Eric: It’s big. It must important. [Laughs] They don’t just do that.
Deidre: [Laughs] It’s grand. It’s an amazing honour. The awards themselves are iconic. When you look at the people who have been honoured, you just go “Wow.”
Eric: But, I got to say, we undoubtedly deserve to be [celebrated]. Shows don’t reach that kind of a milestone without a ridiculous amount of hard work, a wonderful crew, and a leader like Ken Corday. He has fought for our program, year and after year. He has upheld his parents’ legacy by keeping the show on the air for 60 years. I remember when the show turned 40 and there was talk that 40 [may be it]. But now we’re at 60 and we have no plans of slowing down whatsoever!
You bring up 20 years ago and the head of NBC was saying that the show wasn’t going to be on TV much longer and here you are 20 years later!
Deidre: Was that Brian Frons? Who doesn’t have a job…
Not, that was the ABC exec. I think this was Jeff Zucker.
Eric: You remember that “wonderful” day that he decided to cancel One Life to Live and All My Children? It didn’t really work out that well. Now, networks are picking up soap operas and they’ve realized that there’s power in the medium and that fanbase can’t be replicated. You can be as creative as you want and stream whatever you want but the fact is, we have the built-in family that shows would die for. We have the kind of loyalty from fans that doesn’t grow on trees.
Deidre: And it’s generational. It continues right through generations.
Eric: We’re not lucky. We’ve worked for it.
You deserve it. I think everyone has kind of been able to relax since Peacock picked up the additional seasons, especially the fans. I’m sure as the actors, you guys are also relieved!
Deidre: Yeah!
Eric: I’ve got twin boys and they eat a lot.
Deidre: [Laughs]
Eric: I love my job. I think both of us love our gig. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to that show. We’re going to do everything we can, and that includes flying to New York, to make sure that it stays where it should be.
What can you tease about what’s coming up for Marlena?
Deidre: You know, my favourite part of the show is having my family around me. Eric [Martsolf; Brady] and Martha [Madison; Belle]. It’s having my family and having the people that I’ve worked with for so many years. Brady! You know, I raised him from a pup. And it just speaks to the longevity to these relationships. And then Brady has his children and that goes on. That’s my favourite part of it. We got to be together for so many years.
Eric: And I think the fans love that too. The fans love to see the family dynamic. Just hanging out on the couch, talking about things! I almost think that they’d prefer that over a stolen baby storyline. They want to see their second family together, just hanging out.
Deidre: It’s a comfort. You can talk about the holidays when nobody comes by but you can put on Days of our Lives and we’re carving the turkey or we’re hanging the Christmas ornaments. Oh my gosh!
Eric: That’s a beautiful story. Some people are alone or maybe their family members aren’t geographically there or maybe they’ve passed on. But they can watch Days of our Lives and they can have their second family for the holiday. That’s beautiful.
Deidre: Our writers are fierce about that. We provide all of that for the audience because we know that it isn’t so easy to come by.
I know that for me, the Horton Ornament Hanging is something that I look forward to every year. I can’t miss it!
Deidre: Wow!
Eric: It’s like a tradition.
Yes. My grandma watched the show, so I grew up with it. I know this past year has been very hard for you both and the whole DAYS family after losing Drake [Hogestyn].
Deidre: And Wayne [Northrop; ex-Roman].
After losing my dad. Those family scenes that you spoke of the ones with family. The ones with Marlena mourning John. It was really important to see that. I think anyone who is grieving needs to see that represented in their healing journey. I’m sure it was so hard to do those scenes when you’re grieving yourselves. As someone who has been through it, thank you so much for doing showing us how it really is for everyone. You kind of want to see that on screen to know that the things that you’ve felt during that time is perfectly normal. I think it stays with you. I think DAYS does a great job at honouring the legends that have passed on.
Deidre: I think that our writers did some beautiful jobs of all of the tributes. I don’t know if we could have written it. It’s a family. It’s a terrible loss.
Eric: As hard as it was to do those scenes, I’m so glad that we did them. I’m so glad that we paid tribute. And you’re right, the writers that write our program are just as saturated into these characters as we are, as the actors. They love them too. So, it’s like they suffer a loss as well. This is not a spoiler, but we actually came together to celebrate him in the show. We taped some scenes a couple of weeks ago which we get together in the Brady Pub where we have some laughs and have some tears. It’s wonderful. It’s terrific.
Deidre: We know you miss him too. I’m impossible.
What else can you tease about what’s coming up? Little Rachel (Alice Halsey) pulled the trigger and shot EJ!
Eric: Bad little girl! There’s going to be some very interesting fallout from that. We have an incredibly talented actress who plays my daughter Rachel. She’s very present. She’s wise beyond her years. The performances that she gives are pretty spectacular.
Deidre: She’s stunning!
Eric: Without giving anything away, Brady’s fatherly abilities are going to be tested! His romantic issues are well documented but as a dad, this is new territory for him. It’s actually quite beautiful that he talks about John Black a lot and wanting to live up to the way he was such a good father and a good man. Brady is constantly trying to follow his path, and he goes to Marlena a lot for the advice that he can no longer get from his dad.
It’s an interesting chessboard of people just trying to find their way. There’s some material coming up in the upcoming months that fans are going to dive right in and like it a lot!
Can you talk about what could be happening on-screen around the anniversary?
Eric: I think that there are a lot of characters that are returning, that have been off the canvas for a while and the fans are going to go “gaga” over, because it’s always beautiful when you haven’t seen a face in a couple of years. That’s what’s always fun – when celebratory times come along, it brings back characters. As what happens with families, right? During the holidays you get together. There will be some new faces and some old faces!
Deidre: Did you see the latest Downton Abbey film by any chance?
Yes! I saw the movie.
Deidre: That ending was just wonderful. I was just sat in the theatre gob struck It’s so well done.
It’s about moving on and passing on the baton or the torch to the next generation. And Downton Abbey is a soap opera.
Eric: Most shows are! Game of Thrones is a soap opera. It’s just a big story with four or five sub-stories sprinkled in it! So, everyone needs to stop stealing what we created! [Laughs] I’m kidding!
What was the last show that you guys binge watched? I always like to know what everyone else is watching.
Eric: I binge watched The Righteous Gemstones with my wife. Hilarious. I don’t even know where to start. It’s not the most appropriate show but it’s a far cry from Days of our Lives, that’s for sure! It’s hilarious.
Have you watched Hacks?
Eric: No!
You might see a familiar face!
Eric: I know she was on but I have not seen it yet.
Deidre, how did that come about for you? Because I know for the fans, we squealed when we saw you.
Deidre: Oh my gosh, I did too! I had no idea. My agent got a call asking if I’d do the show. It was an offer, it wasn’t “will you come in and talk.” It turns out that the showrunners (Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky) are very big DAYS fans.
Eric: I love that!
Deidre: I love that, too! It worked out that we were dark that week. I said, “Yes, I can!” It was a one-day shoot.
It was so different working at that pace. For the audience that does’t know what that means, [on DAYS] we shoot so fast. At least an hour of show every single day. Nighttime shows shoot…
Eric: A couple of pages a day!
Deidre: It takes seven or eight days to shoot [an episode]. I kept saying, “What’s slowing everybody down? We do this like that! [Snaps fingers]
Having said that, I will say that they have lobster for lunch every day! There is that!
Did you bring the Brady Pub apron for the scene?
Deidre: I did!
Eric: You wore that on the show?
Deidre: Yeah!
Eric: I’ve got to see this!
Deidre: I went to a wardrobe fitting [for Hacks] and they said, “You’ll be in the kitchen and they’ll come in while you’re cooking dinner. Here’s an apron!” I went, “Apron!? Shall I bring a Days of our Lives apron?” She replied with “What?” And I said, “It’s actually a thing. It’s a Brady Pub apron!” She went crazy and said, “Bring it! Yes, wear it!”
Eric: Did you have to steal that? They don’t just give those out?
Deidre: I’ve stolen several! [Laughs]
They were thrilled with it and of course the audience was thrilled with it. It was great fun!
Deidre, you mentioned that you love it when you get to work with Marlena’s family. Is there someone on the canvas that you both haven’t worked with as much or in a while that you’d love to work with?
Deidre: I love working with the kids! That’s a scream. Nice surprises from the kids. Always.
Eric: Brady and EJ used to have this real contentious kind of relationship at one point, I think I got the better out of him. I’d say I beat him up in the Horton Square at one point! We really had this antagonistic relationship, and we still do at some certain extent but not to the way it once was, so I’d love to bring back that rivalry. I don’t get to swap lines with Dan Feuerriegel. He’s a terrific EJ in his own right. I would like to work more with him.
Deidre: I would like to work with Susan Hayes (Julie) more! We’re close personal friends and have been for many years and that’s great fun. I don’t know how far we are [taping] ahead, but she’s got the bookstore and that storyline there.
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on W Network in Canada and streams on Peacock in the U.S. Canadian viewers can catch up on demand, on the Global app, STACKTV and on GlobalTV.com the next day.
