Bryan Dattilo and James Scott - Michael Fairman On-Air On

D
ays Of Our Lives
is renowned for its
far-fetched storylines
- and actors Bryan
Dattilo and James Scott
love it. The on-screen rivalry
for Sami's affections has
spawned scenarios that
seriously stretch the imagina­
tion, however their animos­
ity is strictly reserved for
the screen. "If you have an
adversarial relationship it can
be difficult," says Scott. "With
Bryan, it's fine. It's clever, it's
a game. I can ruffle Bryan's
head. He will let me do it in
a scene, and it will up the
game for me." It says a lot
for the on-screen chemistry
that's keeping viewers glued
to this bizarre love triangle!
What did the two of you
feel when you found out
in the scripts, fhat each of
your character's fathered
one of Sami's (Alison
Sweeney) twins?
BRYAN "I didn't know it was
medically possible. I thought
it was outrageous, but that
is what Days is all about.
However, I thought it was very
cool, because it would cause
a lot of conflict and tie the
characters together for a long
time, and the lives of their chil­
dren. I was excited about it."
JAMES "EJ thinks it's
a good thing, because
it's something he could not
have done on his own."
How has it been
working with real-life
babies on-screen?
BRYAN "As long as I don't
have to work with mechanical
babies, they are the scariest
things in the world. I am fine
with the real babies. I have
an eight-year-old son, so I'm
used to that. The mechanical
babies trip me out, they're
too life-like. They're squishy
and have flesh squish on
them! Then they had the
newborn machine babies,
with the entire gunk on
them. It's weird!"
JAMES "I have worked
with them more of late. I like
babies a lot, but sometimes
it's difficult, because they're
not your kids. When you take
them away from their mother,
they can find that difficult.
When they're not behaving,
there's nothing more stressful
than a baby screaming."
James, do you think fJ was
really in love with Sami?
JAMES "I think EJ was sur­
prised to find out what love
18
Actors Bryan Dattilo and James Scott
talk robot babies, medical miracles
and dysfunctional relationships
was with Sami, however
dysfunctional it may be."
Bryan, do you think
shooting EJ made sense
for your character?
BRYAN "Absolutely! He has
shot people before. It was in
character, in that he has done
that before. It was out of char­
acter in a sense that you don't
go around killing people every
day. Did I really shoot EJ? Did
we ever establish that?"
by MICHAEL FAIRMAN
Bryan, you have worked
with Alison Sweeney for
a long time now...
BRYAN "Working with
Ali at times is fun, and at
times it's extremely challeng­
ing. I respect her tremen­
dously as an actress, but
I have known her since she
was 15. I knew Ali before
she was a mum and before
she got her driver's licence.
Working with her is
surreal, because we have
been through so much
together, so there isn't
a serious overtone. We
give each other space, and I
think we respect each other."
What's it like playing
'he rivalry between EJ
and Lucas?
BRYAN "With James,
as an actor, you don't
prepare for moments,
TV SOA
James, what do you think EJ
feels towards Lucas?
JAMES "If we go back before
the shooting, there was two
things standing between Sami
and EJ. One was Lucas,
and the other was that EJ
had done some really stupid
things. I think EJ recognised
that Lucas is Sami's one true
love. Even when Lucas goes
to jail for shooting EJ, he
understands he only has
a reprieve, not an open
Should we expect a new
love interest for fJ?
JAMES "The boy has
not had any action! Nobody
likes to get into bed with
the town rapist. I think it's
unnerving for a lot of women.
I think he would be open
to somebody else. I think
he realises if anything is
going to happen with Sami,
it's not going to happen
tomorrow. He's in a differ­
ent position now. He shares
door to Sami. EJ thinks
he will win because he is
smarter, and he's willing
to do things that Lucas
wouldn't. At least he thought
that before Lucas shot him."
a child with Sami, so now
there's no great rush."
Do you think EJ has
moved on from Sam;?
JAMES "I think currently, EJ
is trying to move on. He has
forgiven Lucas for shooting
him. His declarations for Sami
have stopped. If anything, he
has realised that the only way
he is ever going to have an
opportunity with this relation­
ship, is to work on himself."
Will we see Sami and
Lucas ultimately get
together?
BRYAN "Obviously, I think
they have to get back to that.
Lucas and Sami are soul
mates. Ultimately, it would
be great if it could work.
But in the past, they have
made the mistake of letting
Lucas just buy anything
that Sami gets into. I think
there has to be a point where
he puts his foot down and
says enough is enough!"
you let them happen.
I never went at EJ with
an agenda. You have to
remain open to what is
going on. I don't throw
darts at an EJ board.
James gives me so much.
I know the moments are
going to be there when
Lucas has to hate him."
But what do you think
Lucas really feels about
fJ at this point?
BRYAN "Obviously, he
despises everything he stands
for. Everything he does is
self-motivated, and he tries
to spite Lucas and Sami.
The chips were stacked
against Lucas, because of
EJ's relationship with all the
people in Salem that Lucas
had an affiliation with."
MAY 14 - MAY 28, 2008
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