Michael Fairman Soaps | Greg Vaughan

This week on NBC’s Days of our Lives Eric Brady (Greg Vaughan) meets up with an old flame when Serena Mason descends upon Salem.  One Life to Live favorite Melissa Archer (Serena) has been brought in to play the world traveled journalist to spark up Eric’s messed up love life after his relationship with long time love, Nicole (Arianne Zucker) went south.

On-Air On-Soaps caught up with one of our favorite gents, Greg Vaughan to ask  him what it has been like crafting and playing this new love story in front of the camera with a relationship that has never been heard of before by the viewing audience. Plus, Greg weigh-in on if he thinks there is still hope for a reconciliation for Eric and Nicole and he shares his thoughts on the embattled and always controversial  Daytime Emmy process, and if he might be even be a contender when the Pre-Nominations are announced in 2015, and much more.

Melissa Archer just debuted as your new love-interest Serena Mason.  Was it hard for you to create this never before spoken of relationship?

GREG:  It was not hard.  It was just to establish a quick relationship and back-story with someone who was Eric’s former love interest from years off the canvas, and that they kind of coexisted in a place that was third world and had a lot of turmoil in it, was a bit challenging.  So Eric and Serena bonded back then and they created something. Was it quick and easy?  Was it long and lasting?  Is it kind of like oil and vinegar?  These were questions to be answered.

Did Eric’s relationship with Serena ultimately lead him to turn to become a  man of the cloth?

GREG:  No.  They, being in the same field of expertise with journalism and news, they were always fighting one another for the feature story …

… That means sex on the soaps!

GREG:  Well, that came later.  (Laughs)   It was like passionate, and so when they had it, they had it.  But once that Eric made the choice to go towards the missionary and the priesthood, I think that was a fine line he was walking.

Were you sad that the writers decided to pull apart Eric and Nicole’s (Arianne Zucker) love story?

GREG:  Of course, I was sad.  I don’t think the story is quite finished yet.  I think it’s an unfinished story that will cross paths once again.  You know, when you go through a hurdle, or have a big hill to climb to overcome, or what these characters went through which was a big mess … it’s going to take a lot to bring them back together.  After some time, some separation, and some piece of mind, maybe we’ll come back together and maybe rekindle a flame.   I don’t think the flame is going to die.

What do you think of Serena and Eric’s story since you are five months ahead and have delved into it a bit more deeply?

GREG:  To be honest, it’s a bit of a forced story, and by that I mean where you’re forced to do things the character never did before.  The writers ask you to take it and run with it, and even though there are some new things about my character, it’s up to me and it’s my job to make it real.  Hopefully, it will be judged by good performances and the acting.

Did you submit yourself for Daytime Emmy contention this year?

GREG:  Not by choice.  Here is my thing; there is a lot of political red tape behind it.  I can honestly say I don’t feel it’s really structured, and not represented by the core of the cast.  It’s judged by who wants to be in the category. Who is the blue-ribbon judging panel?  I don’t know.  I know that certain networks or producers, they have control of who they want to have put in to each category, and unfortunately, I have gone through that dilemma, whether the work is there, or not. Some have better work than others, and some get favored over others, and it’s a political system that I hate.  I believe that with resources in our own offices at NBC and DAYS, they were very behind the Emmys this year.  Our casting director and our publicist, they were the ones that were in charge of getting everyone involved and having you submit yourself.  They have been at the forefront of this year’s Emmy submissions.  I won’t be taking credit for anything.  I do think they kind of unearthed a stone, and showed me some scenes that I had forgotten about.  I am grateful for the show, and the opportunity to be able to create, and what we are able to produce. I think there is an extremely amount of amazing talent within this pool.  I do hope, of course, my work could get recognized every year.  Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) said to me, and I love this guy so much, he said, “You don’t need a statue to mark all the work you have ever done.  You’re work has already been marked.  You know what you do, and you know what you’ve done, and everyone else does.  You don’t need everyone else to acknowledge your success.”

And on a closing holiday note, what will you and your boys be doing come Christmas time?

GREG: We are talking some snow, and snow angels, and maybe a beach somewhere.  We are kind of putting everything in the hat, and the boys are going to select … best out of three.  (Laughs)

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