Henry Joseph Samiri has been doing double duty this TV season. In addition to his run on The Bold and the Beautiful as Douglas, he’s been appearing as Jasper Ward on The Watchful Eye. The suspense series Season 1 finale, titled Hale Fellow Well Met, is set to air tonight on Freeform.
While soaps traditionally shoot a few weeks to a month-plus in advance, primetime series like The Watchful Eye film on a different timetable. “I actually got the audition in June of 2021,” Samiri tells Soap Hub about how he came to be cast as Jasper. “I remember feeling very connected to the character…and feeling good about my audition.” Alas, as often is the case in showbiz, the young actor didn’t hear whether or not he’d gotten the role for a bit of time.
“We just figured someone else must have gotten the part,” Samiri says. However, he was later invited to do another casting session with the show’s director Jeffrey Reiner (executive producer/director). A few weeks later, Samiri learned that he’d won the part!
Both Jasper and Douglas, alas, lost their birth mothers at tender ages. On B&B, Caroline (Linsey Godfrey) died after suffering an aneurysm. Viewers learned that Jasper’s mom died in the first episode after she fell to her death. How does Jasper differ from Douglas? “I guess they’re mostly different because Jasper is much shyer than Douglas,” offers Samiri, who adds with a chuckle, “also, Jasper doesn’t have a dad [Matthew, Warren Christie] who causes a lot of problems!”
Viewers of the show are hoping that some of the show’s mysteries will be brought to a climax in the Season 1 finale. Does Samiri get to watch the series? (It airs at 10 p.m., which might be past his bedtime!) “My parents watch the episodes first to see if it’s okay for me to watch,” the actor explains. “If it is, then I get to watch with them. I hope I get to watch the finale!” The Watchful Eye is available on Hulu the day after it airs on Freeform at 10 p.m. ET.
As the series began, Soap Hub chatted with executive producer Emily Fox about Samiri’s role on the show. “There’s child actors, and then, there’s Henry,” Fox said. “He is extraordinary and has an incredible depth and maturity, but also is able to play…a real kid. He’s so real.”
Viewers recently saw that Jasper plays the piano. Does Samiri play in real life? “Yes! I do play the piano!” he says. “I like playing a lot, and I’m about to move up to a new level which I’m a little nervous about because the songs are a lot harder and longer.”
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