Forget ingenues. Paul Telfer has done some of his finest and most interesting work opposite Days of our Lives veterans. First, there was John Aniston (Victor Kiriakis), then Suzanne Rogers (Maggie Horton Kiriakis), and now, Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams), who plays Xander’s current sparring partner.
Paul Telfer Talks DAYS
It’s been an unforgettable experience for Telfer, who dubs Seaforth Hayes “an absolute dynamo.” That’s why he was so thrilled when the show’s writers decided to move Xander into the Horton house and, suddenly, have him cross paths with Julie.
DOOL: On the Move
“I was so grateful when they pulled Xander a little bit out of the orbit of the Kiriakis hierarchy,” says Telfer. “There’s only so many times you can play him getting so close to Victor’s favor, and then getting thrown back to the bottom again and having to climb his way all the way up again. It’s nice for Xander to get different glances at how other people operate, their families, and love lives.”
Namely, the Horton and Deveraux clans, when Xander’s best and only buddy, Jack Deveraux, invited his down-and-out friend to move into the Horton house. “Then to bring Julie into it,” continues Paul Telfer. “She gets to be the voice of sanity. It’s so funny. One of things I love is the spunky attitude that she’s got.”
Days of our Lives Sucker Punch
One moment, in particular, stands out to Telfer. “There was the scene where Julie was giving Xander guff about putting on weight. When she hit me, she made good contact. Boom! I don’t think I’ve ever been hit by a sexagenarian lady. She had a bit more oomph than I was expecting. She’s an absolute dynamo.”
Bonding Moment
While Xander and Julie have constantly been at odds, the same can’t be said about Paul Telfer and Susan Seaforth Hayes. In fact, they’ve developed a friendship of sorts. “I think I won over Susan quite early, when she realized I was an old movie nerd and could discourse quite easily about Marlene Dietrich and classic Hollywood film making. We were having a conversation about Marlene Dietrich and the film Angel. I could just see her thinking, Ahhh. He looks stupid, but he’s not,” recounts Telfer with a laugh.
Paul Telfer — Lovely Leading Ladies
Telfer sees the Xander/Julie dynamic as a turnaround of a relationship he’s played in the past. “The way the Sarah/Xander thing has been inverted with the Xander/Gwen thing, the Xander/Maggie thing has been inverted with the Xander/ Julie thing,” says the actor.
“Maggie was so lovely and tried to see the best in people and knew there was good in Xander. Julie is completely the opposite. She’s this antagonistic and just out of her head about him. Luckily, with both these women, they’re both so lovely to me in real life that we can just enjoy the scenes regardless.”
Days of our Lives (DOOL) airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Salem, check out all the latest that’s been posted on DAYS spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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