All The Days Of My Life (so Far)

by Alison Sweeney

  Up on the Roof

  If you need any more examples of Sami’s manipulating mind, let me take you back in time to one of my favorite Sami schemes, designed to drive Carrie and Austin apart. It unfolded when the couple was already having trouble in their relationship, largely because of Sami’s conniving (there’s a surprise!). At one point, Carrie and Austin arranged to meet on their apartment building roof at exactly midnight on New Year’s Eve. They decided that if one of them didn’t show up, they’d know that their relationship was over.

  Well, in a bit of skillful eavesdropping, Sami overheard them making their plan, and she immediately devised a sinister plot: She snuck into Austin’s apartment, and changed his clocks so he would show up on the roof an hour after midnight—long after Carrie had come and gone. And that’s exactly what happened. Carrie arrived on the roof at midnight, found herself alone, and returned to her room brokenhearted over the apparent end of her relationship with Austin. Sami came by to “console” her sister, although in no time, Lucas burst into the apartment, obviously drunk. Within minutes, he passed out and the girls put him in Carrie’s bed.

  That’s when Sami’s wild conniving took over. She slipped a sleeping pill into her sister’s glass of New Year’s champagne, and when Carrie collapsed, she dragged her into bed next to Lucas. Before long, Austin arrived at Carrie’s apartment, and Sami made sure that he saw Lucas and Carrie in bed together. Austin was stunned. In his mind, not only did Carrie not show up on the roof at midnight, but she had decided to sleep with Lucas instead! That caused plenty of agony between Carrie and Austin until they figured out what Sami had done.

  It is so much fun doing scenes like that—putting drugs in people’s drinks and dragging Christie Clark across the floor to the bed. These just aren’t things that happen in real life (thank goodness!).

  Other Men, Other Mayhem

  Even though Austin was the man who Sami obsessed over for years, there have been other men in her life, which has given me the chance to do plenty of romantic scenes with other cast members of Days. How about Brandon Walker (played by Matt Cedeno) for example? In one story line back in 2000, Brandon and Sami schemed to infiltrate the mob that hung out at a local strip club, all as part of a greater (and elaborate) plan that would ruin Lucas’s credibility and give Sami sole custody of Will. Brandon came up with the idea that he’d play a pimp, and Sami would dress up as a hooker in order to penetrate the circle of gangsters. To her credit, Sami wasn’t too keen on the idea, but after finally agreeing to go along with it, she tried out some pretty outrageous outfits in Brandon’s apartment—with him as an audience of one—to get just the right woman-of-the-night look (after all, what does the well-dressed Salem streetwalker wear these days?). Before long, Brandon and Sami were dancing together, and the heat in the apartment got well past the boiling point. Before long, he planted a passionate kiss on Sami’s lips (wow!), and she was completely swept away. There was an intense attraction between these two. For weeks, fans wondered whether Sami would abandon her feelings for Austin and give in to her desires for Brandon.

  But I don’t have to tell you that relationships are never simple in Salem (thank goodness, or people might stop watching!). Sami and Brandon continued to draw closer together, and as their attraction became more passionate, Lucas and Kate developed a scheme of their own against Sami, with Kate determined to drive Sami haywire. While they were all in Italy, Kate convinced Lucas to lace Sami’s salad with a mind-altering herb while Sami was having dinner with Brandon at Moroni’s restaurant. Lucas succeeded in tainting the salad, but there was much more of the hallucinogen than anyone realized. Before long, Sami had slipped into a frightening drug-induced state. She began convulsing. She was having difficulty breathing. She had some terrifying hallucinations and flashbacks, not to mention a seizure or two.

  Well, as you’ve guessed by now, Sami pulled through. The incident was just one more time when she extricated herself from the jaws of death. But who would want it any other way? After all, without Sami around, there would be one fewer person to create chaos in Salem, and no one wants that, right?

  The good news is that the perils of Sami keep Days’ fans glued to their TV screens to find out what’s going to happen next. If you’ve been one of those loyal viewers, year after year, the high ratings sure have made the producers and network happy! So thanks!

  My brothers are so important to me. Through all our childhood pranks and endless teasing, we’ve always been there for each other. Every year my dad gathers us up, and we take family photos for Christmas cards and stuff. Here are two of those photos.

  Chapter 9

  As I’ve written, Days of Our Lives often deals with topical issues in very realistic ways. That was certainly the case when the story line concentrated on the subject of rape, which is one of the worst of all possible nightmares for girls and women. Just the thought of it is terrifying. But early in my career on Days of Our Lives, when I was barely 16 years old, I had to live through a rape through my character, Sami. It is as close as I ever want to come to the real thing.

  In the scene, I was assaulted by the character Alan (played by Paul Kersey, a really nice guy in real life!). He had originally targeted Carrie, but Austin (who was then Carrie’s boyfriend) intervened before Alan could do any damage. So he turned his attention to Sami, whom he had actually dated as a way to get closer to Carrie. (I know I told you part of this story in the previous chapter, so bear with me as I give you more details.)

  The plot thickens. Sami was cooking dinner for Alan at his apartment. But the evening unraveled for Sami very quickly. Before long, Alan had duped her into posing for some suggestive photographs. Then before she knew what was happening, he suddenly and unexpectedly became physical with her. She clearly said “no,” but he held her down on his sofa and raped her. The story line was that Alan was so outraged over being rejected by Carrie that he turned his fury on Sami, and he showed no mercy. Yes, it was only acting, but for me it was a very scary experience.

  As you can imagine, the rape scene was very physical and very violent, and I really had no frame of reference on what to expect. As the cameras rolled, Paul held me down on the sofa, gripping my wrists with one of his hands and holding my arms over my head. The director had instructed me to fight back while Paul was sitting on my stomach, kissing me, and ripping my blouse with his free hand. Believe me, I fought that guy with everything I had. I could feel Sami’s terror with every fiber of my being. I resisted. I kicked. I bucked. I screamed. I tried to get free of his grip in any way I could, using literally every ounce of strength that I had. But I couldn’t get him off. I couldn’t budge him at all.

  The sad truth is that if Paul had wanted to, he could have held me there all day, and there was nothing I could have done. I was completely at his mercy. Yes, all along I knew that we were acting, but as I became swept up in the panic that Sami was feeling, it was shocking to realize just how helpless I was. In an actual rape, the terror must be multiplied a million times!

  When the director finally yelled “Cut,” Paul climbed off of me and I was so relieved to be free of his control. There was a short break in the shooting at that point, and everyone must have sensed just how difficult it had been for me. One of the cameramen tried to lighten the mood by saying “We’ll get him for you, Ali! Just let me at ’em!” It made me feel instantly better to be reminded that it was only a scene, and that I was surrounded by friends. But I still sat there stunned for quite a while. During the five-minute break, I remained by myself on the set, just trying to collect my thoughts. I had so closely identified with what Sami was going through that I felt completely traumatized by the experience. I felt violated. I felt assaulted. It was so scary, especially since I was sixteen years old. Those feelings of terror lingered, long after the scene had been shot.

  Here’s something else that I found quite remarkable: That experience really affected how I thought of men for a while. I became very careful (and I still am) about being alone with me
n whom I don’t completely trust. The whole thing was pretty creepy!

  In that Days story line, Sami didn’t tell anyone what had happened in the immediate aftermath of the rape. But Lucas eventually discovered the provocative photos of Sami in Alan’s wallet, and she finally divulged that he had raped her. What an upheaval in Salem! Before long, Carrie had convinced Sami to bring charges against Alan, and a very traumatized Sami testified against him. But there just wasn’t enough evidence to convict him. To make matters worse for Sami, a tabloid published the alluring photos of her! She was publicly humiliated, and in her despair, she tried to retreat from the public eye.

  What happened next? Well, Alan remained furious at Sami. He pursued her with more sinister motives in mind. At one point, face to face, he threatened her with a gun and there was a violent scuffle. Sami somehow gained control of the weapon—and in the chaos of the moment, she shot him. The bullet struck Alan in a rather sensitive area—well, let’s just say that after the shooting, it would have been very difficult for Alan to enjoy an active sex life. The Salem tabloid that had attacked Sami during the trial came up with a memorable headline after the shooting: “Sami Brady Bobbittizes Alan Harris.”

  Ah, sweet revenge!

  All You Need Is Love

  As difficult as the rape scene was for me, I’m fortunate in that I’ve had many more on-screen scenes that have been completely romantic! (Nice transition, huh?!) I’ve been in plenty of love scenes on Days, but they do take some getting used to. Some have definitely been embarrassing, particularly when I was younger. But you do what you have to do (or as the cliché goes, “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!”). Love scenes are always easier when they’re with an actor who makes it easy for you. But no matter what the circumstances, it’s part of the job, and you do eventually get the hang of it. I’m an actress, and whether the script calls for a love scene or one that involves a rape, you do what the writers and director ask for.

  For the love scenes—well, imagine what those rehearsals are like! Actually, I’ve always made an effort to keep the rehearsals as relaxed and lighthearted as possible, having a little fun with the other actors and crew members and making sure no one is feeling tense or uptight (particularly me!). It’s such a balancing act: You try to stay relaxed, and stay emotionally in character, but at the same time there are so many things to be aware of. Once the cameras are rolling, there’s definitely no playing around. Love scenes are similar to dance scenes—both are carefully choreographed! And the cast and crew are all involved. Since the woman is often wearing something skimpy, both the cameramen and the actress have to be aware of not showing too much! The actors have to follow very specific direction about where to kiss and what angle to position their bodies, and the cameras have to be in the right spot at the right moment to get the perfect angle on each movement. There’s a job to do, and it couldn’t get done without the complete professionalism of the crewmembers and the cast. (Now in revealing all this inside information, I hope I haven’t ruined for you the romance of the next love scene you watch. We want you to forget about all the hard work that went into it, and enjoy the story!!!)

  As you might guess, the same is true with highly dramatic, highly emotional scenes. During rehearsals, the cast and the crew remain pretty serious, giving the actors room to reach the emotional peak called for in the scene. It can get pretty tense. At times, you really can hear a pin drop!

  Then, once the actual taping begins, the mood is absolutely dead serious. Sure, there are occasional funny moments where an actor flubs a line or a slap actually hits the intended target when it was supposed to miss by a few inches (I’ll never let Christie forget that one!…Just kidding!). As you might imagine, we sometimes crack one another up because of something that happens unexpectedly. But in general, everyone’s pretty thoughtful, making sure the scene turns out perfectly.

  Here’s one lighter incident that comes to mind: Miriam Parrish was playing Jamie Caldwell, and we had a scene together where we were outside a women’s rest room and overheard a bulimic woman vomiting behind the door. Our task was to pretend that we were actually hearing and reacting to the unsettling sounds of a woman throwing up, although the actual noises associated with the vomiting were going to be dubbed in later. But suddenly, coming over the loudspeaker, there was a very loud, graphic, and realistic soundtrack of someone vomiting, followed by a toilet flushing. Miriam and I looked at one another. The sound effects had caught both of us by surprise. It was only seconds until we could no longer keep a straight face. We really tried! But sure enough, our composure didn’t last, and we laughed uncontrollably. We had absolutely lost it!

  Take two!

  Some actors on Days are more prone than others to break up laughing when something strikes them funny, but in general, we try to keep the interruptions and distractions to a minimum. With our tight schedule, we just don’t have the time. Not long after I joined the show, there was a little “Brady family dance” that we’d do whenever we completed a scene in just one take. I think Deidre and Wayne came up with it, and it caught on. One time, it even appeared on the show in an ice skating scene, with all of us dancing around the pond as if the Bradys had taken leave of our senses. It became our way of saying, “Yes! We did it the first time!”

  Of course, everyone blows a line from time to time, and while it might be amusing enough to make it onto Dick Clark’s “bloopers” show now and then, stumbling over your dialogue time after time is not the way to win friends and influence people (particularly if those people are your fellow actors or directors!). With the time crunch we’re usually under, those retakes can test everyone’s patience. After you mess up four or five times, you might be laughing nervously, but the people around you may be ready to punch you out! The crew is probably dying to take a break, and you’re working on take six! Get the picture?

  All in the Family

  Whether we’re taping difficult scenes like the rape episode, or doing scenes that are much more routine, one of the great things about working on Days of Our Lives is having the support of so many wonderful fellow actors. You hear so much about jealousies and back-stabbing in Hollywood, and I’m sure some of that goes on. It must be such a drag. Fortunately, I’ve never seen it on the set of Days. In fact, some of my closest friends are the actors who, like me, call Days their home.

  I’ve always felt that our cast and crew are part of a big family (sure, it sounds corny, but it’s really true!). You can’t help but feel close to people you work with for so many long hours and share such enjoyable—and at times stressful and challenging—experiences. During scenes that are particularly demanding, it’s amazing how supportive everyone is, helping you work through it and reach your potential as an actor. All of us want Days to continue as the excellent show that it is, and so we want everyone on the soap to succeed. It’s not unusual to complete a difficult scene, and have fellow actors come up to you and say, “I saw that scene you did; you were so good in it!” Imagine how great that makes you feel! Yes, all of us (by necessity) are preoccupied with our own story lines, and we don’t have a lot of time just to “hang out” with cast members that we don’t work with a lot. But when we do get a chance to watch each other, we’re the first to give each other a high five! It really is a wonderful environment to work in!

  I think this closeness is very important, and we’re so lucky to have such tight relationships that have allowed the show to grow with so little envy and resentment. We’ve all heard rumors about actors on other shows who sometimes think or say, “Why does she get more camera time than I do?” But Days is different. It’s a true ensemble show where everyone gets his or her time to shine. And we work too hard, and have too strong a commitment to Days, to let pettiness get in the way of producing the best possible show.

  A bunch of us girls at the Days of Our Lives anniversary party

  Who are my closest friends on Days? They’re really the actors who I work with repeatedly on one story line after another. Tak
e Arianne Zuker, for example. On the show, Ari plays Nicole, who is Sami’s bitter rival. It seems that Nicole and Sami are always screaming at one another and raking each other over the coals. It’s simply their modus operandi. But off camera, it’s really a different story. Ari is absolutely great and one of my closest friends! The on-camera battles and bitchiness are purely acting. In fact, Ari and I have plenty of fun playing enemies on the show, really getting a kick out of the bad blood between our characters, and finding ways to make our on-screen relationship as wicked as possible! But I wish you could see us rehearsing in one another’s dressing rooms. We often crack each other up, finding ourselves in stitches over the venomous dialogue coming from our lips; once we’re on the set, however, we put on our game faces, and get through the scenes with as much animosity and hatred as we can muster.

  Ari is just one of my close friends on the show, and I don’t have the space to write about each of them. But let me tell you, because Days is a soap, cast members often leave the show and then return—and it’s so great when a true friend comes back. Bryan Dattilo played Lucas for many years—he and I started on the show at about the same time, but his character disappeared from Days (it happens all the time on soaps!) for a short time, only to return in 2002. Over the years, Bryan and I have had so many fun scenes together, whether we’re being affectionate or we’re at each other’s throats. He and I have had our share of very physical scenes—we’re either fighting (Sami has choked Lucas on several occasions), or I’m passed out and he’s saving my life (My hero!). We’ve been together on camera so many times over the years that sometimes a word or a line will remind us of something funny that’s happened in the past, and we’ll both break up laughing. It’s been so much fun to work with him again.