Interview with Arianne Zucker (Read 467 times)

[ghoulgirl]

arlier today Daytime Royalty staff had the opportunity to talk to Arianne Zucker. See what she has to say about the reset, rival fanbases, and what's next for Nicole.

What does the reset mean for Nicole?
I think that you’ll find, especially with what’s recently aired, that Nicole needs to make some changes in her life. I think what sparked that was the whole situation with Gus. Her life sort of flashed in front of her, and I think right now she feels like she’s got to let go of a lot of things that are really bad for her. Particularly, the men she keeps choosing in her life. She finally feels she needs to stand on her own two feet, and it’s scary. I think you’ll see a possibly different Nicole. That’s exciting for me. I always love diving into something different all the time. Or I try to find something different to play with the character. It’s definitely great when you get some sort of change. I love change, and I’m looking forward to seeing where they take her.

Is this going to be a positive thing for Nicole?
Positive and rich. I’m the kind of person that likes to add layers, so even though she’s made this choice in her life, what else is under there that’s great and positive? This girl has lived a very troubled, dark, indecisive life and those things don’t just go away. So even though she’s trying to make those changes, how is she going to make it?

After this last year of deaths and recasts and being quickly ushered out of town, where does the Walker family go from here?
Well...dead. Two of them are dead. The one thing I realized about Taylor from Nicole’s point of view is that she has always left. Even though she’s typically with a good girl, she’s always ran. I think that’s why Taylor’s always traveling; she can’t really deal. And that’s sad for Nicole. Regardless of the situation, Taylor will always be her sister. Nicole’s life is always such a mess, and what happened with Taylor is just a reminder that she tried to make this happy family by marrying EJ again, and thinking that her mother and sister wanted to be there, and taking care of her mother this time. That was Nicole’s version of the perfect house, the white picket fence, and the dog. And for a brief moment she had this in her life, and it was just one of the most amazing experiences, and then just everything fell apart. I think from an actor’s point of view it’s karma for her. There’s now such a sadness to her that just weighs really heavy on her heart, and all this girl wants is to be loved by someone, but she’s never going to find it unless she can 100% love herself. I think that’s why she makes the horrible choices in her life.

The show seems to be flirting with the idea of an EJOLE redux. With everything that’s happened between them, even just in the last year, how would justify another romance without compromising the characters?
Well, I don’t think they’re falling for each other. He might be wanting her back in his life, but she is cautious about him and can’t trust him. I mean, please. He’s saying how much he’s changed from when he was with my sister, and he hasn’t changed. He was in lust. And he’s making these rash decisions, and Nicole knows better. She knows this guy. She knows who he is and what he represents. But there’s still this spark or flame that she’ll always be drawn to. I think when you’re in lust with a person who never loves you back 100% there’s this constant drive to just want to try and get them no matter what. And I think that’s what she’ll always feel for him, even though she’s being strong. She knows who he is, and she’ll always know. It’s her choice, but right now she’s like “I don’t think so.”

How do all of the opposing fanbases affect your acting choices?
You know, I think whenever the writing puts one couple together, I try to give my utmost and respect to the fans, but I have to believe in my character’s choices. So if I’m reluctant to go because of the fanbase with one or the other, then you’re going to see that, and that’s not true to my character. So I, as an actor, have to believe in whatever Nicole is choosing. And I don’t question if the writers go back and forth. I follow that person. It’s up to the writers to listen to the fans. I have to be the one that’s believable onscreen. It’s wonderful to have all these rival fans. In a sense it brings them all together, and it brings them to fight for what they want, and that keeps our show on the air. So I love the idea that there are all these different fanbases, and it’s really important to our show. And without them fighting for who they want, it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean anything to us. So I love it. I hope that fans understand that because really it’s not up to us what is written. It’s up to us to project what is written on the page for the show.

Over the years, many fans have voiced frustration that the one thing that gets thrown back into Nicole’s face over and over is the one thing she had no control of: her father forcing her into porn. What is your response to that?
It is frustrating because you look at these characters that are throwing it in her face because they don’t have anything else. That’s how I try to justify it. You don’t have anything else but to call me a porn star. And if you only took the time to know that I was underage and I was drugged and it was not by choice, maybe you wouldn’t be calling me that. Again, I have to go with what the writers write, and I try to play in my own head and my own heart “if you only knew”. I just have to suck it up. It is frustrating. She also can’t take that too personally and allow people like Hope to get to her. Hope uses that a lot. I try to play it like, “you’re not even worth my time to try to justify it.”

What is it like to play the same dynamic with Eric Martsolf’s Brady as you played with your husband Kyle Lowder’s Brady?
You know, I think so much time had gone by, and Eric did such a great job. Actually luckily, there had been such a long time, and Brady had grown and changed and the whole situation with Brady and Chloe getting divorced in Europe, that it sort of allowed for Eric to really have some freedom with his character. So it wasn’t like Kyle literally just decided not to come back to the show, and now the next day Eric has to fill his spot. That is a lot harder, and a lot harder for actors to adjust and play the same role. I think Eric has done such a great job especially with the character now. Brady has changed. He’s a grown man now. He’s experienced life. That’s how I see Eric playing it. So it’s not weird at all. You’d think it would be, but it’s not because of that time. I think he’s done a really great job.

On Wednesday’s episode Nicole mentioned Johnny and Sydney. Should we expect to see that relationship continue to be explored?
I’m not really sure. I know that was one of the places where I chose to really be effected. I could have chosen to play that a couple of ways. Like it was an excuse just to go to the party, but I really chose to use it as getting that sadness out of the character. I tried to play it like she was thinking, “I don’t really know what I want. I wanted to see Sydney and Johnny I guess. I wanted some sort of happiness or something to represent happiness.” I always try to find something out of anything, because if a writer sees something there, they can write a story on that. Which is why the baby switch story worked so well. All of us found something in that story, and the writers were just really able to take it to the next step and the next step and the next step. I always try to find those little moments, and hope that the writer goes “Oh, I didn’t even think of it that way.”

Back in July we saw one of the new headwriters tweet to you about how great a scene featuring you and James was. Do you remember what scene it was?
Was it the tango, I think? Maybe. I think it was, because they actually watched our tango live. And doing that was really hard. James and I are not dancers. It’s one thing when you have a professional dancer as your partner, but James and I are both amateur dancers, and we have to do these moves, and we have to be our characters. And I think she was giving us kudos for that. We had to do most of that in almost one take...we did get to do it in pieces, but yeah it was tough for us. We had a really good time. That established so much between the two characters.

Did you know that scene caused a lot of controversy on line?
I didn’t. Why?

One of the first big EJ/Sami scenes was a tango.
Oh, years ago when they first...I didn’t see it. I don’t know. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

We heard you were filming Christmas today.
We’re so far ahead of schedule. I think we’re going to stay this far ahead...because we already are. And we have to keep shooting.

Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans?
I just think we’re in for a beautiful ride with this reset. I think that all of the old/new characters coming back are going to give us some really good stuff. With my character, I’m really looking forward to her change. And I will always stay true to her tough side. I will make sure I maintain that side of her for her fans that love that side of Nicole. 


Courtesy of Daytime Royalty

[DancingDays]

Thanks for posting! I love Nicole and Ari too. I'm not sure why, but I sense sadness in that Ari says. Like she's resigned to being a 2nd string character, if you know what I mean. I really can't explain why I feel that way, but it's like she's saying all of this with a half-sad smile on her face. I truly hope that's NOT the case and she's excited and happy. I hate to think that the reset leaves her out in the cold.

[ghoulgirl]

I would be very disappointed if she was left second string. A lot of people have learned to love her over the last few years. I would say she's a fan favorite.

I do know what you mean about sensing the sadness in the interview. I see that too

[rockfordfosgate]

I see the same thing. It's a lot of "if the writers see this" or "if I do this, then maybe" kinda things. But I LOVE that the 'porn star' insult was addressed and how she internalizes it for Nicole is spot-on with how I see Nicole thinking about it. 'Porn star' is the fall-back of insults when it comes to Nicole. It does seem like she gets called that when a character doesn't have anything new to insult her with. And I LOVE that she called Hope out on using it! I died laughing when I read that.