James Reynolds and Vanessa Williams (Abe and Valerie, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) — Day of DAYS 2017

Enjoy highlights from the OutTakes interview with James Reynolds and Vanessa Williams (Abe and Valerie, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) at the Day of DAYS Universal CityWalk fan event, November 11th, 2017.

Photo Nov 11, 10 54 52 PM

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR FAVORITE SCENES TOGETHER SO FAR?

Vanessa: The love scenes.

James: And we haven’t had enough of those.

Vanessa: I loved our courtship. I thought it was very sweet. Because the characters share a history. We were just trying to feel out as Abe and Valerie what the history was and where they were in it as she returns. So I thought that was really lovely letting that play out.

James: We’ve had some wonderful moments. It strikes me that these are two people who have known each other and they knew each other at a different point so their lives have moved on and to see that reconnection, to see it happen

Vanessa: What’s old is new again.

James: And that growth of that relationship. That’s a much more realistic look at relationship, how they catch fire and grow.

Vanessa: I love how much Abe supported Valerie, especially through that whole secret reveal and knowing just how hard that was with that isolation and her son being angry with her. Having a shoulder to lean on and support. I really loved that in their relationship and how that played out on the show.

VANESSA, HOW WAS IT RESEARCHING THE ROLE OF “VALERIE” WHEN THE CHARACTER HASN’T BEEN ON “DAYS” SINCE THE 1970S?

Vanessa: It wasn’t so easy because people’s memories had faded. I did one-on-one interviews with veteran members of the cast; the stories were so long ago. People were trying to remember, “Now was she here for that?” Some of the fans were really helpful in terms of sorting that out. I was able to get enough of it and then move forward. I really enjoyed too that Valerie Grant was part of one of the first interracial couples on Daytime TV. That was big shoes to fill. I felt really honored to be holding up that place of diversity and inclusion on our show and bringing that back.

JAMES, COULD YOU SHARE WITH US YOUR MEMORIES OF WORKING WITH THE LATE JOSEPH MASCOLO (STEFANO)?

James: I have wonderful memories of Joe. He was a force of nature. I think everybody knows that. Joe walks in a room — everybody’s going to turn around and they’re going to see Joe. We shared a tremendous joy in working together; and we talked about it a lot. We would see a script and knew we were having scenes together because we saw that as good versus evil battle every time. You’d have these two men who would face off with each other; and neither one was going to give an inch. It was the titanic example of those two typical kind of characters. Joe and I loved doing that so much whenever we could. And I miss that. Walking in the Dimera mansion and having my battles with Joe, with my father-in-law, my son’s grandfather. The most evil man on the face of the earth.
We’ve battled together forever; and Abe actually began the show before Roman and the Dimeras came on. Not very long, but just a few weeks before. So Abe kind of set the table for all of them. That’s been the historic fight has been between Abe and Stefano.

Vanessa: That even leads to Theo being shot in the current storyline.

James: All of that’s intertwined with that. He was always fighting for Lexie’s soul. Theo’s soul. Always and Abe was even accused of shooting Stefano a couple of times. One of the many times that he was shot!

See the entire YouTube interview with James and Vanessa here: