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It’s been a rough year for Days of our Lives’ Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn) and Abigail Deveraux (Marci Miller). Chad falsely believed the love of his life perished in a plane crash, only to later learn news of her demise was nothing but fake news. When Abigail returned to Salem to reclaim her life she saw that Chad had moved on with her friend. Months of shenanigans, false declarations, a marriage of convenience, an island “adventure” and a murder mystery would all lead to the reunion of the popular Chabby coupling.
But no reunion would be without a new share of drama in store for the beloved couple, and the September 29 and October 2 episodes reveal that drama in the form of Abby’s ex-flame (literally) Ben Weston! Flynn and Miller dish on their feelings about Chabby’s reunion, contributing to the character’s vows, and want you to know for sure that they handle things like gangsters.
Days of our Lives is well known for its super couples. How do you handle the pressure of being one of the shows’ most popular pairings of this decade?
Billy: …like a gangster.
Marci: Like a ga—[Laughs].
Billy: [Laughs] I mean it’s like…I don’t think there’s pressure to it. I think what it amounts to is that you try to protect it. You know? I think it becomes sort of important. I don’t know…it’s like you start looking at it like – I mean I’ve always been, but I’m very aware of their relationship. It’s almost protecting it like a real relationship. Like when stories tend to get crazy, it’s like you go through this “Why are they doing this?’ or “How are they going to find their way back to each other?” kind of thing like that. So, I think it’s just – it sounds stupid and like super cliché – but it is like a child, something you gave birth to. I think it’s you’re very protective of them. Chad and Abigail and Ben and me, when I started with Kate [Mansi, ex-Abby] it started to really take off. Just seeing how much it’s evolved from that, and then when Marci came over and it’s adapted into this thing that’s even more purer. So, it’s been really cool. I’m very protective of that.
Marci: Yeah.
Billy: You got anything to add to that?
Marci: Nope. You got it. Like a gangster.
Billy: I think you should just stick with like a gangster [Laughs].
How has your working relationship changed since the two of you first started working together?
Marci: As you get to know somebody your comfortability is obviously a thing. I like him. He’s cool. And getting to have a buddy that’s kind of in the trenches with you and doing the grind every single day, you develop a real trust and appreciation for the other person. At least I do, I guess we can’t speak for Billy [Laughs]
Billy: Yeah.
Marci: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Billy: Yeah, I mean it evolves like anything else. I spend more time in a fake relationship with her than I do at home with my real wife. I think you go through the same things you go through like any other relationship. It’s like you goof around, you have fun. Sometimes I’m annoying.
Marci: No, you’re not annoying.
Billy: [Laughs] I mean it is what it is. It’s cool. It’s cool to have a homey there. Kate and I weren’t like that, so it’s cool to be able to go into a scene and have fun and like high five and be goofy and still be able to do the work.
Chad and Abby have remained popular with fans despite the many, many, many obstacles thrown their way. What is it about this pairing that the fans have latched onto?
Billy: Everybody loves a love story. Ultimately, you’ve seen, the audience has seen them literally fall in love. They saw the birth. When I came in with Kate that’s kind of when the relationship took off. I mean, I know they were together before, but that’s when it became like a really grounded love story. I think they just relate to two people trying to be in love, trying to be loved and to love somebody else. It’s the oldest story.
Marci: It’s very human.
Billy: It’s very human. It’s like two people willing to do anything for the other. Ultimately, I think that’s what they relate to, or admire even.
Marci: It’s what everybody wants. It’s like everyone wants love and to be loved unconditionally.
How do you feel about Chad and Abby being tested yet again so soon after reuniting? Do you want them to have a peaceful period or are you okay with the obstacles?
Marci: Of course, I’d love for them to have a time where there’s some stillness and some peace – you want that for everybody – but it is television, and it is part of the formula that is soap opera. So, in order to keep things going and keep things excited there’s got to be some sort of mountain they’re trying to climb here, and things they’re trying to figure out. I’m definitely open to it, but don’t want to lose sight of the fact that they have continued to make a commitment to each other and to choose each other on a daily basis for what is literally years now. So, bring on the trials after a little bit of stillness, as long as they still get to work together in the end.
Photo Credit: NBC and © jpistudios.com
Did you have any input into the writing of Chad and Abby’s wedding vows?
Marci: It varied a little bit. I can’t speak to what you said. What’d you say?
Billy: I think the odds that I changed something are probably pretty good [Laughs].
Marci: Yeah [Laughs].
Billy: Usually with vows and stuff like that I think that when it’s written by someone who hasn’t gone through the love story it never really is…exactly right. I’m sorry.
Marci: I changed a few things.
Like what? You know I’ll get in trouble if I don’t ask.
Marci: I’m trying to think? I’m trying to think, gosh, that was six months ago. I can’t remember specifically what it is. I kind of tried to remain somewhat true to the structure and kind of get to the heart of what they’re trying to say, but I’ll try to simplify things and put it in to my own words. There’s something about simplicity that I find to be more meaningful than when there’s a lot of words and a lot of metaphors and things are like a fairy tale. I really appreciate simplicity and just allowing our lives – the fact that we’re just two human beings standing across from one another – tell the story. What I’m simply saying affecting this person across from me. So, I simplified it. Not entirely like I didn’t just simply what I tried to say [Laughs].
How was it shooting your first soap wedding? Billy, I know this is your second, but I still want to know how you felt about this one.
Marci: I loved it! It was super fun. It was a rare opportunity to have everybody in one room at once. So, there’s a lot of things to enjoy about that. I grew up, my other watched the show, so it was really cool to be the person standing on the stage and having all these people witness me and what I’m doing in my storyline. Like that was a full kind of, life coming full circle thing. It’s fun to have a reason to celebrate something that is meaningful and people believe in. There’s a lot of history in that room. It was a really cool, sweet experience.
Billy: And…the same. [Laughs]
Marci: [Laughs] Like a gangster!
Billy: Like a gangster [Laughs]. It was fun. When the writers changed, you know Ron came in and there were a lot of changed that happened really quickly. He was tasked with kind of getting the ship back on course. I would say that I would’ve liked to see the romantic, kind of, let them have their own moment in their own way. But the double wedding was a lot of fun. To be there with Chad’s best friend, it was really cool.
I know you can’t give anything away, but what do you want to say to your fans about what’s to come?
Billy: Buckle up. The next six months are going to be pretty wild.
Marci: Crazy.
Billy: You’re going to have a lot to root for.
Marci: And full of a lot of the things that are the reasons that they want to watch.
Billy: Also, Chad is a gangster and has sick dance moves. And he’s a lover! He keeps getting fresh on everybody.
Check out a peak from the Days of our Lives Double Wedding below.
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on NBC.
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