DOOL's cast answering question's from fans

[zarinamarie0]

Do you and your mother have any Mothers' Day traditions?
We go to lunch at the Bistro Gardens, only on special occasions like Mother's Day, Birthdays and Valentine's Day.

Is there one thing you can never go wrong buying your mom for Mother's Day?
Roses and beautiful cards. I usually buy her a new outfit as well, even though she tells me not to.

Does your mom offer any feedback about your work?
Yes. I always get critiqued on my hair and wardrobe. There are certain actors she likes me to work with.

What important life lessons has your mother taught you?
1. Never go out in public unless you are well groomed.
2. Never go to bed without washing your face, brushing your teeth, and thanking God for a wonderful day.

Now for Edna's (AKA Maggies real mom's)question's and answers.

What has been your most memorable Mother's Day?
My first Mother's Day in California in 1997. Suzanne has made all my Mother's Days special.

Do you watch Suzanne on "Days of our Lives?"
Absolutely – every day she is on and also when she isn't. I have enjoyed Days since Suzanne first came onto the show in 1973!

What would be something fans would be surprised to know about Suzanne?
She and her sister, Loretta, own some horses. She likes to play golf, but her passion is clipping recipes and cooking.

 

[zarinamarie0]

Thanks so much for all of your wonderful feedback from my last blog entry. I looked at your comments and decided who better than Eric Martsolf (AKA Brady) to kick off Father's Day right by answering a few of my questions. Hope you enjoy!

Any big Father's Day plans?
Nothing too specific, but my hope is to simply spend the entire day engaging with my boys in whatever it is they happen to enjoy doing in that particular moment. Their interests change at the drop of a hat lately! One day it's trains, the next it's transformers, then it's soccer! They're three, so I'm sure girls are right around the corner.

What is the best fatherhood advice you have received and who gave it to you?
"Don't give in to short-term solutions for long-term issues." In other words, don't always give in to their immediate wants/desires -- stand your ground as a parent and keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. Anyone with kids will understand what the heck I'm yacking about!

Has it been easier or harder than you imagined, raising twin boys?
Surprisingly easier. I'm sure my overworked wife would say differently since she has them the majority of the time, but the beautiful thing about twins is that they have one another to entertain themselves -- literal built-in playmates! It allows mom and dad that occasional window of happy hour time.

How has being a father changed your perspective on life?
Crazy changes. I pray now before my plane takes off. I tend to get overly sensitive during news stories and movies that involve harm to children. I have a heightened respect for parents in general, and a heightened intolerance for traffic that keeps me from kissing my boys goodnight.

Do you have any advice to other fathers out there who have twins?
Love them as individuals, not as twins. My boys may have come from the same place at the same time, but there is nothing similar about them. They have different needs and wants, and should be tended to accordingly. But mostly, just enjoy the gift you've been given. You're a lucky guy.

Eric was kind enough to share a family photo with his fans. He looks like such a fun family man, doesn't he? And I feel old because I remember when those boys were born! Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree where looks and charm are concerned.

[zarinamarie0]

I don't know about you, but whenever I look at how Jim Reynolds AKA Abe Carver when it comes to being a father, it's easy for me to look at him as a father in real life. He's got such a calm demeanor about him when you watch him in scenes with Terrell Ransom Jr. ("Theo"), you really feel like they could be father and son. So, when I wanted to do this Father's Day feature for my blog, I thought Jim would be the perfect candidate. Jim was kind enough to answer my questions and submit a photo of him with his real-life son, Jed.

Do you have any Father's day traditions in your family?
No, not necessarily. I get to sleep in. Quite often I'm taken to a movie that my wife and son want to see. That's what fathers do.

How are you similar in parenting to your character on the show, and how are you different?
I think I'm patient. I'm not a screamer. I believe in being firm and consistent. We share the fun things: table games, sports, travel, reading and a lot of laughing.

What has been the best fatherhood advice you have received and who gave it to you?
I remember reading somewhere that being a parent is a responsibility and a privilege. I always remember that.

Do acting aspirations run in the family?
Apparently, it does now. I was the first and only actor in my family, but now my son wants to follow.

What has been your most memorable Father's Day?
My family took me to San Francisco for the weekend. That is always memorable.

[zarinamarie0]

Galen AKA Rafe brought one of his sons, Dillon, as well. The father and son were adorable as they watched the game together. Galen would point out different players, and you could tell the game meant something special for Dillon. With that introduction, I hope you enjoy my Father’s Day interview with Galen, and enjoy the very dry sense of humor that can only make you love him even more. Not to mention, how adorable is the photo below of Galen, with Dillon and Jensen? You can just tell how much Galen enjoys fatherhood.

Any Father’s Day traditions that run in your house?
None as of yet, but that's a good idea. Maybe, when they're a little older, I can turn the tables and make them my slaves for the day.

What is the best fatherhood advice you have received, and who gave it to you?
Set them up for success, not failure. In other words, don't give your two year old a full glass of orange juice and expect him not to spill it. My wife, Jenna, told me that one. Also, I like to give them choices whenever I can. That's hers, as well.

How has being a father changed your perspective on life?
I've found that the clichés are true in that the love you have for your kids is like nothing else. Additionally, I don't think I do as many crazy things as I used to. It's cool for kids to have a father.

What traits do your sons get from you?
Hopefully, only the good ones; not exactly sure which ones those are...

Do your sons hang out with any of the other actors' children during your off time?
We try to limit their exposure to actors and their kids, as they are usually an arrogant bunch of pompous ninnies. No, but seriously, we don't see them often, 'cause we live on the rich side of town. Ha- I'm kidding.

[zarinamarie0]

My last interview for my Father's Day feature is with none other than the hilarious Bryan Dattilo AKA Lucas. I have always admired Bryan's relationship with his son, Gabe. As many are aware, Gabe has autism, which requires more attention and patience as a parent. But whenever I see Bryan out with Gabe, the two are always smiling and joking around, as if they are just two kids hanging out on a schoolyard. I thought Bryan's mom did a wonderful job describing their father-and-son relationship in my interview with her for Mothers' Day. Hope you enjoy my Father's Day interview with Bryan as much as I did.

Below is a photo taken from this year's Annual Walk Now For Autism in Pasadena, an event Bryan and Gabe participated in, along with other "Days of our Lives" actors, families, and staff.

Any Father's Day traditions that go on in your house?
Every Father's Day, we have the Father's Day Basketball Challenge which is a one-on-one basketball game between us. It's father vs. son. He has beaten me for the past three years.

What is the best fatherhood advice you have received and who gave it to you?
The best fatherly advice I have ever received came from my brother. The advice is to spend as much time with your kids as possible, be their best friend, tuck them in every night, tell you love them everyday, and always have time to listen.

What advice would you give to other fathers out there on raising an autistic son?
Patience. Understanding. Never compare your son to the norm because there is no norm.

What has been your most memorable Father's Day?
My first one, of course, because I could finally refer to myself in third person as "Daddy."

How has having Gabe changed your perspective on life?
It's made me financially smarter, emotionally deeper, and physically heavier.

[zarinamarie0]

We all know what a lovable goofball Bryan AKA Lucas is off the set of "Days of our Lives," but did you know he is also a doting son to his mother, Peggy? After reading his answers to my Mother's Day questions, I'll guarantee you will fall in love with him all over again.

LUCAS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER! THIS POST IS DEEP HIS MOM IS VERY OPEN! 

Do you have any Mother's Day traditions?
Calling her is definitely one of them. I also have to call my grandma because she’s a mother. My mom likes lilies, so that’s what she gets. I used to make her cards, and sometimes I do that just for kicks. I try to make it look very adolescent.

Does your mom offer any feedback from your work?
Yes, she nitpicks me with a fine-toothed comb.

What important life lessons did your mom teach you?
She always says, "Success is when preparation meets opportunity." Nothing just happens. Everything is earned. So, if you want success, you have to prepare and be ready when the opportunity is presented. She also says not to be a selfish lover; women love generosity.

Don't forget to check out what Peggy has to say about having Bryan as a son, as well.

Do you have a favorite childhood story about Bryan?
I guess one of my favorite, but most exasperating stories about Bryan, is the time he and his older brother, Brent, made us miss a plane because they were having too much fun with some pretty Italian girls they met in Paris.

Bryan was only 15 at the time, and his brother Brent was 18. I had managed to save up enough money to take the boys, and their sister Kristin, who was 16, to Paris for three weeks one summer. We met a group of Italian students who were also on summer vacation, and we ended up spending a lot of time together.

The last day of the trip rolled around, and we were due to fly out of Paris at 4:00 pm. on a plane bound for London, then home to LA. By this time, the boys had both fallen for a couple of the Italian girls, and they begged me to let them have one last morning at the Louvre Museum with the ladies. I agreed, but told them they had to be back at the hotel NO LATER THAN 1:00 pm. Well, needless to say, at 3:00 pm. the boys were still not back. My daughter Kristin and I were waiting outside the hotel with the suitcases -- and there was no site of the two Romeos. They finally showed up at about 3:30 -- way too late to make the flight, saying they lost track of time because no one had a watch. And I was supposed to believe there weren't any clocks at the museum. Anyway, we went to the airport, and it took me forever, and a lot of real tears, to convince the ticket agent not to charge me extra to put us on the next flight. And while I stewed all the way back to London, the boys laughed and carried on about what a great time they'd had with the ladies during their last memorable moments in Paris.

Do you watch Bryan on "Days of our Lives?"
I watch Bry on Days whenever I have the chance. I usually try and plan my lunch around "Days," but since I still work, it's not always possible. Now that I've moved back to the Midwest, it's nice to see him on the show because it's my only way of checking in on him. I love it when his face comes on screen, and I can't help but remember how, when he was young, I used to tell him he was "soap opera handsome." He used to laugh and say that I only thought that because I was his mom; guess I was right!

What is your most memorable Mother's Day with Bryan?
There have been a lot of memorable Mother's Days for me. Being a single mom since my kids were 2, 3 and 5, I had lots of Mother's Days where it was them and me. The thing about Bryan is he has always been the most thoughtful and generous son a mother could ask for... all my kids have. When Bryan was young and didn't have a job, he always made sure he at least made me a card. The first year he worked on "Days," he wanted to make my Mother's Days special and he took me out to brunch and gifted me with a beautiful ESQ watch! That was 15 years ago and I still wear the watch every day... too bad I didn't have it when he was 15 -- I could have loaned it to him and we wouldn't have missed the plane!

What is one thing that fans would love to know about Bryan?
One thing I think fans would like to know about Bryan is he is an excellent father to his nine-year-old son, Gabe. It has been a real challenge having a son who is Autistic, and being a divorced dad, but Bryan has been incredible. He has Gabe 5-6 days a week, and he has turned their home into a terrific boys' playground! They have a basketball court, a pool, a Jacuzzi, and lots of Playstation video games! They cook out together, play with the dogs, and have a ball. Bryan also coaches Gabe's basketball and football teams, and they love going to Laker games together. I remember one Saturday, Bryan phoned to tell me he'd just had one of the best nights of his life. I thought for sure he was going to tell me a story about a night at the Playboy mansion, but instead he told me how he and Gabe had gone to a Lakers game and how they ate hot dogs, shouted at the ref and talked over all the plays together after the game. I was really touched at how much he loves his son and how he counted a night with his child as one of the best nights of his life.