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It’s (double) wedding day in Salem! Days of our Lives is airing a packed two-day double wedding on September 29 and October 2 featuring Chad (Billy Flynn) and Abigail (Marci Miller) and Paul (Christopher Sean) and Sonny (Freddie Smith).
It’s first loves united for Paul and Sonny, affectionately known as PaulSon, who’s pre-Salem romance has taken center stage over the last year. Freddie Smith and Christopher Sean spoke with TV Source Magazine earlier today about their alter ego’s nuptials, fan appeal and a reveal that will shake PaulSon to their core!
Fans are super excited about Paul and Sonny’s wedding. How do you feel about Paul and Sonny’s journey from the beginning of their relationship to now?
Freddie Smith: I think we’re right on course. I think that they have grown and that they’re in love and this is the next step. I think there’s a lot of great moments, and one of them is when Paul gave Sonny his ring, which was like one of the most important things to him and it was kind of really sweet for him to give that to Sonny. Paul wasn’t a fan of marriage at first, so the fact that he’s come around because of love and he’s come out to the world, it’s been really beautiful. I’m excited for them to tie the knot.
How do you feel about Paul’s journey from when he first came to Salem to now?
Christopher Sean: I think Paul’s journey from being closeted to coming out and then finally being able to accept himself and then being lucky enough to be with the person that he’s loved from the beginning – his first and true love – I think that’s just…how can you ask for a better journey? I’m really excited for tomorrow’s episode because Freddie knocks it out of the park, and [Billy] and [Marci] look so beautiful. And I really loved the work that I put out there. I think everyone will really enjoy what we did.
I think they will too. One of our readers commented how pleased they were with Paul interacting more with his family since Ron Carlivati took over as head writer, and one of our columnists praised the scenes where Paul approached John and Marlena for help with his vows. How did you feel being able to work with Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall for something that was so important to your character, and given their importance to the show?
Sean: I spent hours in the dressing room with Drake. We just sit and talk and we have so much fun. He tells so many stories and I love them. He really has become like a father figure to me on and off set. I’ll text him at baseball games ‘Hey man, I wish you were here,’ and he’ll respond, ‘Go get em, Narita’ joking with me [laughs]. And Deidre, I mean, she’s the queen. So to be working with legends it’s just…amazing. To see them and watch them have flash backs and recollect their career, it was pretty amazing. To be able to be lucky enough to be able to take from their vows and to apply to my own, to be inspired from their vows – John and Marlena – it was very cool. Another iconic moment in my career.
What’s one of your favorite things about working with Freddie?
Sean: Freddie, himself, is inspirational. Working with Freddie, I’m so comfortable in our professionalism. I’m so comfortable with him as a person that I can just be me and it’s great. Like, I show up to set and I can be silly, I can be in a bad mood – whatever mood I’m in – he works with and he molds and he always guides me to be the best me that day because he’s just so good at acting. So there’s nothing wrong with working with Freddie.
Smith: Oh wow [laughs]. Keep going!
Sean: [Laughs]
Freddie, what’s your favorite things about working with Christopher?
Smith: I mean it’s the same. It’s a two-way road there. The moment he screen-tested and just how kind and genuine he was, all the way through our journey together. And like Christopher mentioned, in the three and a half years maybe that we’ve been working together, our friendship has grown. And it wasn’t like we like made a mission to put in work on the characters, or the work on Christopher and Freddie. Like it just kind of happened organically. I think before we knew it we looked back one day and go “Damn, like Paul and Sonny are just an amazing couple.” And Christopher and I, the things that we share in our dressing rooms together, you know we trust each other and we get each other’s advice and we just have a really great relationship. Like, Christopher is going to be an absolute lifetime friend and he’s just one of the most genuine, big-hearted people that I just respect and he’s the greatest guy. So, I’m very blessed to get to work with him. He challenges me and makes me a better actor.
Photo Credit: NBC and jpistudios.com
Why do you think Paul and Sonny have resonated with fans the way they have?
Smith: I think it’s just right. I don’t even know how to describe it. Because it came out of nowhere. I feel like there was so much off the cusp of [Will and Sonny], you know? We made such a big splash, we made history with this amazing true love story. And then with Will being murdered and Sonny going back to his first love, it was that transition that was ‘what’s going to happen’ and it was just a smash hit. Like PaulSon is awesome. It’s great to watch you know. I think the chemistry is there and they just work well together.
Last week there were scenes that aired with you and Billy Flynn where Sonny recounted his guilt over Will’s death. “If only” he had just been there, “if only” he had returned the call. How was that for you? I mean, it was a really emotional scene and I thought you did great work in it. Does that come naturally for you now or do you still have to get yourself in the zone to hit those emotional moments?
Smith: I think it’s 50-50. I think a lot of it has to do with you know these characters so well that I think that naturally helps. If it was just a random audition scene I think more homework would have had to go into it because I don’t know the relationship and history. So, I think being able to live in this character for so many years helps. I think the mood that you just happened to organically be in that day plays a role into it, and then the other percentage is really understanding and putting yourself in the position of just how much guilt he had. So, I think it’s 33 percent. All three categories kinda go into making an emotional performance. If it happens to be a huge bawling scene where you’re full of tears, then it’s more, for me, like 75 percent of having to dig in and pull from something that makes me sad to get there. But everything else since to be 33-33-33.
What can you tease, if any, about the bombshell dropped at the wedding and how it will impact Paul and Sonny going forward?
Smith: It’s definitely going to turn them upside down. It’s hard to touch on emotionally what Sonny feels because I feel like it’s a giveaway of the emotion, but it’s definitely going to turn things around and it’s going to challenge the relationship. That’s where we’re really going to see the strength of PaulSon. Is this going to bond them for life or is it going to break them apart?
Sean: To tease, I can say Paul will never…aw, man how do I tease this? It’s shocking news that shakes the foundation of Paulson [laughs]. I don’t know what to say!
Check out a sneak peak of Paul and Sonny’s wedding vows below:
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on NBC.
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