The trajectory of a Hollywood career is rarely a straight line. Anyone who has ventured into the industry knows that. For Days of Our Lives star Eric Martsolf, it has been a journey filled with unexpected opportunities, near misses, and one life-changing phone call.
During a recent appearance on the CBS interview series Soapy, Martsolf sat down with hosts Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart to reflect on his 23 years in daytime television. While fans today can’t imagine anyone other than Martsolf playing Brady Black, his path to Salem almost looked very different.
Key Takeaways
- Eric Martsolf almost played Rafe on Days.
- He recalls the spooky days on Passions.
- Martsolf talks fondly of Drake Hogestyn.
- He reveals what he plans to do now that his twin sons are 20 years old.
The Audition That Wasn’t Brady
Following the cancellation of Passions, where Martsolf spent years playing Ethan Crane, the actor found himself facing the uncertainty that comes with being unemployed.
With a newly purchased home and one-year-old twin boys to support, the pressure was mounting.
When an audition opportunity came up for Days of Our Lives, it wasn’t for Brady.
At the time, the show was searching for a new leading man to serve as a love interest for Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney).
“It was myself and like seven other guys,” Martsolf recalled. “Most of which we all know. It was just a lineup of guys that had experience.”
The role, of course, was Rafe Hernandez.
Martsolf didn’t get the part. Instead, the role went to someone very familiar to him: his former Passions co-star Galen Gering (Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald).
Looking back, Martsolf joked about the casting process.
“Now, if I knew the character was going to be Rafe Hernandez, I might have typed myself out of that.”
A Twist of Fate
At the time, losing the role felt devastating.
Martsolf admitted he was worried about how he was going to keep his home and provide for his family.
But just two weeks later, everything changed.
The actor recalled receiving a call from Days casting director Marnie Saitta, who instructed him to get to the studio immediately.
When Martsolf reminded her that he hadn’t gotten the role, she surprised him with unexpected news.
The show wanted him to take over the role of Brady Black, a legacy character who had been off-screen for three years.
With his wife out of town and no childcare available, Martsolf brought his twin sons with him to the studio.
“I dropped them off at her office, went and met with Gary Tomlin, and he said, ‘You’re Brady now. Here’s your backstory, welcome to the show.’”
When he returned to the casting office, he found his sons creating a little chaos.
“One has the Apple remote in his hand, hitting it against the desk, the other one’s playing with the keyboard,” Martsolf recalls. “She’s like, ‘Congratulations, get your kids out of my office now.’”
The actor said he went home, hugged his wife, and cried.
He’s been playing Brady ever since.
Embracing the Lunacy of Passions
Before arriving in Salem, Martsolf spent years in Harmony, the fictional home of Passions.
Known for its talking dolls, witches, and supernatural storylines, the series often stood apart from traditional daytime dramas.
“We knew what we were doing, we knew what it was,” Martsolf said. “We knew that material was lunacy. It was nuts. But it didn’t work at all unless you dove all the way into that swimming pool, and most of us did”
Martsolf also credited his pre-law background with helping him land the role of Ethan Crane.
During his audition, casting director Jackie Briskey stopped him to compliment his pronunciation of the word “precedent.”
According to Martsolf, Briskey joked that too many actors before him had struggled with the word.
Remembering Drake Hogestyn
The conversation later turned emotional as Martsolf reflected on the loss of his longtime on-screen father, Drake Hogestyn.
Hogestyn passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer, a disease that also claimed Martsolf’s biological mother.
“He never complained,” Martsolf said. “My memory of him is just a man of fortitude, and a man that was a storyteller till the end that just wanted to keep doing his job.”
Looking Ahead
Today, Martsolf is preparing for another major life transition.
His twin sons are now 20 years old and preparing to attend UC San Diego, leaving him and his wife, Lisa, on the verge of becoming empty nesters.
Rather than dread the change, Martsolf is embracing it.
“This is going to be great,” he said. “We’re going to get to date again. We’re going to get to remember all the wonderful reasons why we got together in the first place.”
When he isn’t filming Days of Our Lives, Martsolf continues to perform with The Day Players Band alongside fellow soap stars Wally Kurth, Brandon Barash, and Carson Boatman.
Looking back on his career, Martsolf says he’s grateful to have achieved the one thing his father hoped for when he graduated from college.
“I did what my dad asked me to do,” Martsolf said. He adds, “I found something that I look forward to Monday mornings. I genuinely do. I love it.”
Watch the full interview with Eric Martsolf below!
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting Inc.
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