Days of our Lives‘s Billy Flynn will have to wait at least a little bit on Friday night to find out whether or not he’s taking home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series: Actor. However, the actor will hit the red carpet a guaranteed winner. He explains why in this interview with Soap Hub.
Billy Flynn: Much to Celebrate
Many DAYS fans know that the show shoots several months ahead and also that this year’s Daytime Emmy Awards were initially scheduled for mid-June. Now, they’ll be on CBS this Friday, December 15, at 9 p.m. ET. So, if there’s any group of folks who know what it’s like to wait to see something hit the airwaves, it’s the folks from DAYS. “That’s for sure,” chuckles Flynn.
Flynn earned his third Daytime Emmy nomination in this category for the storyline in which Chad reacted to the senseless death of his wife Abigail (Marci Miller). Sure, many DAYS characters come back to life courtesy of Dr. Rolf and a strong suspension of belief; however, that made Chad insist that Dr. Rolf do his magic on Abby all the more logical.
“Chad’s got to believe that as a DiMera, he can fix this,” Flynn says as to his character’s state of mind. “The only way you can do it and have folks buy into that is to suspend belief. I tried to craft the reel [to tell the story]. There was a scene where Abigail comes back as a ghost. I had to gamble on including that because I wasn’t sure people would know. But Marci was amazing in that scene. I got emotional even when I read it.”
Also in Flynn’s reel is a scene between Chad and his son Thomas (Cary Christopher, who’s nominated in the Outstanding Young Performer category). Also, Chad visits Clyde (James Read) where he demands to know what he did. All this led to a lengthy reel, but Flynn feels that “if people are interested in what you’re doing, [the length] doesn’t matter.”
As for his fellow contenders, Flynn says, “Maurice [Benard, Sonny, General Hospital] and Peter [Bergman, Jack, The Young and the Restless] have been nominated each time I’ve been nominated. I feel that Peter’s due [for another win]. I know of Jason [Thompson, Billy, Y&R] and Thorsten [Kaye, Ridge, The Bold and the Beautiful]. It’s an amazing group in which to be nominated.”
It’s only natural to think of what one will say if and when they make it up on stage. “It’s pretty simple; I’d want to thank the people who love me,” says Flynn. “Daytime is a machine. My performance is such a small part of what that machine is. You can have the best performance of your career, but you might have to do it again [for technical reasons].”
Flynn’s looking forward to seeing daytime pals and fellow nominees on the big night. “Peter’s one of the sweetest guys I’ve ever met, and I’ve done Maurice’s podcast, [State of Mind],” says Billy Flynn. “I love Laura Wright [Carly, General Hospital].”
Abigail is gone, but Chad’s pain over losing her is still a big part of his life. “That continues not just in story,” Flynn says. “I owe a huge thank you to both of my Abigails — Katie Mansi [Kristina, GH] and Marci. The Chad and Abigail story has given me a 10-year career on the show.”
Daytime Emmy night is going to be special for Flynn and his wife, Gina Comparetto, as they’ll be sharing some big news with people who may not know about it. “My wife is 38 weeks pregnant, so this will be our last little ‘date night,’ more than anything,” he says. “This will be our second son. I’m pretty quiet about my life on social media. It’s not a secret, but people are going to find out on Friday anyway.
“I’ve never been much of a selfie or meme with my shirt off type of guy,” Flynn offers. “But I’m not [dissing] anyone who does. The older I get, the more I realize I want these memories to be mine — not everyone else’s.”