Ben Weston, the crazy man who tormented Abigail and Chad and killed off some Salem citizens during his reign of terror as the Necktie Killer is heading back to Days of our Lives, and it looks like he’ll have a new lady in his corner: Ciara.
“Well, he needs somebody to support him,” teases Robert Scott Wilson. “Hopefully, he has at least one fan. We’ll just leave it at that.”
A New Hookup
Rumors of a potential Ben and Ciara hookup surfaced when an episodic photo of the pair sitting on a bed – a bed that looks eerily similar to the one Ben tied Abigail and Chad to and set on fire — appeared online.
While Wilson can’t go into storyline details, he has nothing but rave reviews about actress Victoria Konafel (Ciara).
“I knew she was new here, but it’s been nothing less than awesome working with her,” declares Wilson.
“I’m grateful that they brought somebody on who can handle the work load and treat it with the care that it needs, especially having to work with a menace like Ben. It’s a lot and think she’s doing a great job.”
A Different Ben
Wilson uses the word “grateful” a lot in describing his return to DAYS. “I’m honored and I’m ready to kick some more ass,” delivers the actor with a smile.
Wilson, whose character has bounced between prison and a mental hospital since leaving the soap, is thrilled to be back as Ben — not a twin or lookalike.
But what, exactly, does that mean? Well, his formerly maniacal alter ego has undergone a recovery of sorts.
“My first scenes are with Deidre Hall (Marlena),” explains Wilson “She’s been Ben’s doctor from the very beginning. So, to have this clearance from her is everything. Marlena is the gatekeeper ...continue reading on the next page —>
“My first scenes are with Deidre Hall (Marlena),” explains Wilson “She’s been Ben’s doctor from the very beginning. So, to have this clearance from her is everything. Marlena is the gatekeeper to get Ben back into the world of Salem, the world period, because he was locked away.”
Yes, Ben is mentally healed. “So to speak,” notes Wilson. “He had a chance to find himself, do some heavy reading and find God, maybe. He is medicated. He has been cleared and deemed sane. And he’s okay.”
Back to Bland Good Guy?
But don’t worry, Ben isn’t reverting back to the bland guy he originally was. “No, no, no,” assures Weston. “Without a doubt you’re going to see an edge forever. That’s the through line for everything.
“The way they wrote it, it’s just a beautiful balance of could he, at any moment, slip back into [that dangerous mental] space,” he continues. “You’re going to see a lot of edge, trust me. That’s not going anywhere.”
Not So Welcomed Home
In the interim, look for Ben to reacclimate to the free world, which doesn’t welcome him with open arms.
Remember he murdered Eve’s (Kassie DePaiva) daughter and JJ’s (Casey Moss) girlfriend, Paige (True O’Brien), and Eric’s (Greg Vaughan) ex, Serena (Melissa Archer), as well as offed Will (Chandler Massey) before Dr. Rolf (Will Utay) brought him back to life.
Back with a Purpose
“Salem is a tough place to be in,” admits Wilson. “Ben’s got [enemies] everywhere. But he’s still coming back there, even though he could have gone anywhere, because he wants to make amends for what he’s done. And not everybody wants that, obviously. So it’s a struggle for him.
“I’ve been [back taping] for a while now, and Ben has been chipping away at it,” adds Wilson.
“He’s been developing a sense of worth. He knows what he’s done. He carries it with him. Yet he has to try to control it, especially in public, if he has no one else on his side.”
Then There’s “Chabby”
Well, aside from Ciara. Among those not on Ben’s side, however, will be Chad (Billy Flynn) and Abigail (Marci Miller), the couple Ben wreaked havoc on during his initial Salem run. Viewers can expect him to figure into their complicated storyline, too.
“It’s a pleasure working with them,” admits Wilson. “Marci is an absolute pro, and Billy is one of my best friends here in Los Angeles. Any time I get a chance to work with him again is awesome.
“We’ve been at each other’s throats for so long on the show. Our enemy bromance or whatever you call it is always fun. I’m really excited for what’s to come.”
Days of our Lives (DOOL) airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for air times.
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