INTERVIEW: Guy Wilson on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, Having Patience as a Young Actor, and the San Francisco 49ers

Guy Wilson

Guy Wilson appeared in primetime hits like NCIS, BREAKING BAD and CASTLE before making his debut in the role of Will Horton on NBC daytime drama DAYS OF OUR LIVES six weeks ago.  On Thursday, We Love Soaps spoke with the actor, who shared his thoughts on landing the role of Will, working opposite Freddie Smith, and the recently completed NFL season. Read our interview below.

WE LOVE SOAPS: In your own words, tell us about your acting career pre-DAYS and take us up to when you got the audition for Will?
GUY WILSON: Sure. I think the terms that comes to mind whenever I talk to younger actors, who might be thinking about moving out to LA, are patience, and faith. It really doesn't happen instantly, or, it didn't, not in my experience.

You know, I had already been in LA for a number of years, flogging away, and eventually one brick falls, and another brick falls, and then all of a sudden you find yourself getting a lot of auditions. My experience with DAYS was that I had first auditioned with the show a number of years ago, and didn't book, and kept coming back for different parts, and didn't book. And so, when this opportunity finally arose, I definitely knew that I was ready for it.

INDIE HOUSE: HUSTLING, THE STAFFORD PROJECT, Flip Fantasia, WHATEVER THIS IS, TRYING

THE STAFFORD PROJECT premieres August 5th

Gossip, secrets, leaks; kudos, picks, congrats - in the Indie Soap Web Series (Indies) world, this is where they live. Listen up: Kevin's Indie House.

Indie Soap Award-winning HUSTLING has started production on Season 4. Yes! Has Sebastian La Cause, winner in the Lead Actor category at The ISAs the past two years, gone blonde? Stay tuned for updates as production progresses.

Departing THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Emmy-winning actress Michelle Stafford has posted a teaser for her upcoming Indie satire THE STAFFORD PROJECT. On July 28, she took to Twitter to answer fan questions about the series. She described the show as a "comedy web series about an actress named Michelle Stafford who tries 2 juggle everything as it continuously blows up in her face."

When asked how many episodes are planned, she replied, "8 so far!! Hopefully in the long run 88!!"

Check out the teaser video below.

INDIE HOUSE: Cindy Pickett & Nicolas Coster Debut In MY SYNTHESIZED LIFE; CYNTHIA WATROS GETS LOST; BETWEEN JUPITER AND MARS; STILL; VENICE

Nicolas Coster & Cindy Pickett debut in MY SYNTHESIZED LIFE on
Tuesday, July 30

Gossip, secrets, leaks; kudos, picks, congrats - in the Indie Soap Web Series (Indies) world, this is where they live. Listen up: Kevin's Indie House.

MY SYNTHESIZED LIFE creator Nate Golon gave us the scoop on his show's next episode. Fan favorite actors Nicolas Coster and Cindy Pickett  debut on Tuesday in Episode #3.  Thanks, Nate, for this preview photo!

Coster has starred in just about every daytime soap opera including SANTA BARBARA, AS THE WORLD TURNS and ANOTHER WORLD. He was nominated for an Indie Soap Award in 2012 for his work on THE BAY. Pickett has starred in GUIDING LIGHT, ST. ELSEWHERE and, of course, as Ferris Bueller's mom. We Love Soaps spoke with Pickett last year just before she was about the shoot her first scenes in her first web series. She told us about meeting with Golon and being sold right away.

INDIE HOUSE: MY SYNTHESIZED LIFE, WHATEVER THIS IS, THE STAFFORD PROJECT, HEADSHOTS, BROKEN AT LOVE, Get Your Hot as Hell Tickets

Gossip, secrets, leaks; kudos, picks, congrats - in the Indie Soap Web Series (Indies) world, this is where they live. Listen up: Kevin's Indie House.

Nate Golon's notable new comedy MY SYNTHESIZED LIFE premiered this week with two episodes. Brent Bailey is pitch perfect as Jimmy Bales, a 25 year old man whose voice naturally synthesizes after getting electrocuted by his car radio. With sharp guest appearances from actors like Sean Hemeon (HUSBANDS), Marissa Jaret Winokur ("Hairspray"), Marie Wilson (AS THE WORLD TURNS) and Barrett Foa (NCIS), this show has the star power. But does it make you laugh? The answer is a resounding, "Yes," especially the beach phone call scene in the Episode #2.  In fact, not a flat note from the Nate Golon series so far.  Check out the second episode below:

INDIE HOUSE: THE WALKING TEDD, BROKEN AT LOVE, HUSTLING, DEVANITY, HUSBANDS, GAYS, TAINTED DREAMS

Gossip, secrets, leaks; kudos, picks, congrats - in the Indie Soap Web Series (Indies) world, this is where they live. Listen up: Kevin's Indie House.

Sean Willis' upcoming web seriesTHE WALKING TEDD just passed the $4,000 mark in their Kickstarter campaign. The show is a heart-warming comedy about a zombie teddy bear that may make you rethink your favorite childhood stuffed animal. Derek Stusynski, Sofia Regan, Ashton Swinford, Cherami Leigh, Kylie Sparks, Brett Johnson, DeVille Vannik, Trey Munden, Beau Wirick, Steven French, John French and Brooke Coleman star. Check out their fundraising video below.

Hot off the presses is casting news from the Karolina Sivas web series BROKEN AT LOVE. Former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and RITUALS actress Sharon Farrell has joined the cast for Season 2. Who will she be playing? Stay tuned!

Mark DeMayo Previews 'You Are Not Special'

Mark DeMayo previews the upcoming Lauren B. Martin film You Are Not Special on the latest episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV (4.19) hosted by Kevin Mulcahy Jr.



Check out the You Are Not Special IndieGoGo campaign at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/you-are-not-special.

Chris Quiogue Previews 'You Are Not Special'

Chris Quiogue previews the upcoming Lauren B. Martin film You Are Not Special on the latest episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV (4.18) hosted by Kevin Mulcahy Jr.



Check out the You Are Not Special IndieGoGo campaign at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/you-are-not-special.

Errickson Wilcox Previews 'You Are Not Special'

Actor Errickson Wilcox previews the upcoming Lauren B. Martin film You Are Not Special on the latest episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV (4.17) hosted by Kevin Mulcahy Jr.



Check out the You Are Not Special IndieGoGo campaign at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/you-are-not-special.

INTERVIEW: Katie Leclerc Previews SWITCHED AT BIRTH's All-ASL Episode

Photo: ABC Family

ABC Family's award-winning drama, SWITCHED AT BIRTH, is airing an episode on Monday, March 4 told entirely in American Sign Language (ASL), a first for a scripted series on mainstream television.

The special episode will be told from the perspective of the series' multiple deaf characters - with open captions for hearing viewers - in a storyline that puts the audience in the middle of a student uprising in which the very essence of their deaf identity is at stake. Now in its second season, SWITCHED AT BIRTH is the first mainstream television series to have multiple deaf and hard-of-hearing series regulars and scenes shot entirely in ASL.

We Love Soaps caught up on SWITCHED AT BIRTH star Katie Leclerc this week to get a preview of the groundbreaking episode.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Could you please describe for us the Gallaudet protests in 1988 and their significance?

DALLAS TNT: Exclusive Photos From My Private Tour of the Set of Southfork and Ewing Energies

I just got back from an amazing visit with the folks behind the new DALLAS.  As you can see, I made some new friends.  Also took plenty of photos!  Tell me what you think in the Comments section, below.

INTERVIEW: Showrunner Marlene King Previews PRETTY LITTLE LIARS

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS showrunner Marlene King

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS showrunner Marlene King met with We Love Soaps and other media outlets recently to discuss the Winter Premiere of the ABC Family smash hit which returns on Tuesday, January 8 at 8 p.m. ET. Read a transcript of the discussion below.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: How have you been so successful leveraging social media to support PLL? How much of that do you attribute to your online presence, which is very strong; and how much to the structure or the content or in other words, just the nature of the show that you created?
Marlene King: I think it’s probably equal to both. I think the fact that the PRETTY LITTLE LIARS started tweeting and social mediaing about the show when we were even at pilot phase sort of started this real grass roots, I would say, almost family, this social media family where from pilot stage our fans felt like they were a part of this PRETTY LITTLE LIARS family.

SOAP INDUSTRY: Telenovelas and The Economist

Looks like The Economist has cottoned onto a trend We Love Soaps has been reporting for years. In this week's issue, there's a Business section article that surveys the landscape of programming targeted for Spanish-speaking Americans.

In other words, there's an article about telenovelas in The Economist this week. Four fun facts:

- Not just for "hispanohablantes". "As they grow up, second- and third-generation Hispanics may want to watch ABC, instead of ABISMO DE PASIÓN. More than a fifth of Hispanic Americans now speak only English at home. Networks are responding by providing English subtitles for programs in Spanish."

- Scripted and non-scripted soaps are everything.

INTERVIEW: Lucas Grabeel of SWITCHED AT BIRTH, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, etc.

Photo: ABC Family

The Winter Premiere of ABC Family's SWITCHED AT BIRTH airs on Monday, January 7 which means actor Lucas Grabeel will be back as Toby Kennish. We Love Soaps recently caught up with Grabeel to talk about his career and the new episodes of SWITCHED.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Toby had to make a lot of adult relationship decisions there towards the end, and I’m curious as a real guy who’s older and a little more experienced than Toby, what did you think about how your character handled the Nikki situation?

ELECTION DAY: Office Cat Predicts Winner, Staff Cheers Results as Lifetime Television Sponsors Official We Love Soaps Election Night Party

Lifetime Television has generously sent Election Night Party Kits to hundreds of voters across the nation, and We Love Soaps was chosen as a lucky recipient.

Watch this space all evening for fun photos as we celebrate Democracy, and America, and revel in the conclusion of that two billion dollar, real-life soap opera that has been the 2012 election.

INTERVIEW: Steve Silverman Previews What Makes THE INN So INNteresting; Casts Crystal Chappell In Lead Role

Steve Silverman, dubbed "the junior Ryan Murphy" in our interview with Joan Van Ark, just announced Crystal Chappell as the lead in his new project, THE INN. Silverman is best known as creator and showrunner of PRETTY, the five-time Indie Soap Award winning web series that was named Best Web Series (Comedy) at this year's ceremony. We Love Soaps caught up with Silverman today to find out more about what's ahead on THE INN.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: You're probably most famous for creating PRETTY, which has won a ton of awards and amassed an enormous cult following. What inn-spired you to start over?
STEVE SILVERMAN: Well, I don't know that I'm "starting over" - haha - I prefer "moving forward." I love PRETTY, it's been a wild, fun, awesome ride, beyond anything I could have imagined. After three seasons, it's time to try something new, branch out a bit, and most importantly for me, show an audience what other tricks I have up my sleeve.

INTERVIEW: Katie Leclerc on Kissing Justin Bruening, Her Most Challenging Scene and Eating Crickets!

Photo by Angelo Kritikos

Actress Katie Leclerc has continued to amaze in SWITCHED AT BIRTH this fall. Her characer, Daphne Vasquez, has become involved with the sexy (and much older) Chef Jeff, played by ALL MY CHILDREN alum Justin Bruening. We Love Soaps caught up with the talented young star and found out what it's like kissing Mr. Bruening, her most challenging scene to date and what it's like to eat crickets for a dozen takes.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Katie, it's so cool to talk to you again, I've missed you! My first question is a doozy: How did you react when you found out Daphne was going to get romantic with Chef Jeff? And what is your off-screen relationship like with Justin Bruening?
Katie Leclerc: Well, first of all, I think ABC Family does a wonderful job casting eye candy, and I couldn't have been more happy in going forward with Justin Bruening. He's an excellent actor, and he's such a doll, and he's so much fun off-screen. It's a little bit odd to go from talking about our families - and just good old, normal, everyday life - to making out with him. But I was excited for the opportunity to share some off-screen time with him.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Peggy McCay on Alzheimer's, New Writers, Michael Landon, Andy Griffith, Dynamic Duos & More

Peggy McCay

Emmy and Obie Award-winning actress Peggy McCay began her storied career more than sixty years ago.  Her first continuing television role was in the CBS daytime soap opera Love of Life where she played Vanessa Dale.  After starring in The Young Marrieds, General Hospital and numerous primetime series and films, she joined the cast of Days of our Lives in 1983.  Nearly thirty years later she is still playing the fiery Caroline Brady.

We caught up with Ms. McCay today to find out more about her connection to Andy Griffith, Caroline's Alzheimer's storyline, and to celebrate pieces of soap history from early in her career.

WE LOVE SOAPS: Ms. McCay, how are you?
PEGGY McCAY: I'm fine, Kevin. How are you?

WE LOVE SOAPS: Great! Actually, really great. This is exciting - an honor really.
PEGGY McCAY: Thank you!

WE LOVE SOAPS: Let's start this off with a bang. What are you able to preview for us about Caroline's storyline coming up?

INTERVIEW: Lea Thompson Previews SWITCHED AT BIRTH Season 2

Moving easily between dramatic and comedic roles, actress Lea Thompson has established a career that encompasses film, television and theatre. She is perhaps best known for her role in Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future, I, II, and III (Kid’s Choice Award winner) and as the title character in the syndicated series, CAROLINE IN THE CITY, for which she won TV Guide and People’s Choice awards.

Thompson currently stars in ABC Family's SWITCHED AT BIRTH as Kathryn Kennish, the matriarch of an upper-class family who got the shock of her life - the baby girl she brought home from the hospital isn't the one she gave birth to. SWITCHED returns on Monday, September 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. We Love Soaps recently spoke with Thompson about her career and what's ahead this fall.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: I love that Kathryn had that romantic moment with the younger lawyer, because I’m 36 so I grew up with you in sexy roles, I think that’s how most people think of you, and I’m curious what do you like better, what’s more fun, playing a mom or playing the sexy roles?
Lea Thompson: Well, moms are sexy, that’s how they got into that predicament in the first place. (laughs)

INDIE HOUSE: FUMBLING THRU, CHOOSING FATE, BIG CITY, IN BETWEEN MEN, BROKEN AT LOVE, TAMI, EMPIRE, FAILING UPWARDS, NICE GUY

STAR POWER:  Hillary, Bobbie and Michele are FUMBLING

Gossip, secrets, leaks; kudos, picks, congrats - in the Indie Soap Web Series (Indies) world, this is where they live. Listen up: Kevin's Indie House.

This is the best part of my job.

Some series I cover because they're the Big Thing Right Now. Some, because they provide solid "teaching moments" for others in the industry. Some, I would even admit, I mention because I'm in love with the showrunner.

But the best is that rare occasion when I get to boost an Indie I would watch obsessively on my own, even if I were an accountant, or a cat groomer, and not a web series guru. (You didn't know I was a web series guru, did you?) When I'm 100% honest with myself, there aren't all that many - the ones I would look forward to even if (and it's almost impossible to imagine) I didn't really like web series.

INTERVIEW: Vanessa Marano Previews SWITCHED AT BIRTH Fall Season

Actress Vanessa Marano is known for playing characters in GILMORE GIRLS, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and PARENTHOOD, among many others. Her star continues to rise with her role as Bay Kennish in ABC Family's hit primetime soap opera, SWITCHED AT BIRTH, which return on Monday, September 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT for its Fall Premiere.

We Love Soaps spoke to Vanessa earlier this week about her career and what's ahead for Bay on SWITCHED AT BIRTH.

Could you catch us up with what you’ve been up to since last time we spoke, which I think was in December?