Paul Telfer, who plays Xander Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives, is the latest guest on Soapy, hosted by Greg Rikaart and Rebecca Budig. The conversation covered a lot of ground, but things kicked off with Telfer reflecting on his first Daytime Emmy Award win in 2025.
Telfer took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor, beating out Rikaart in the category. He admitted that as the names were being called, he never thought the award would go to someone from Days. He fully expected it to go to another actor from one of the other shows.
In fact, Telfer shared that he would have loved to see either Greg Rikaart or Eric Martsolf win and said he would have happily applauded and been polite no matter who took the prize.
When he first heard the letter P, he assumed it was going to be Peter Bergman (Jack, The Young and the Restless). By the time it sunk in that he had won, the adrenaline had completely taken over. He recalls how he had not really written a speech.
Weeks before the Emmys, his Days co-star James Reynolds (Abe) approached him and asked if he had a speech prepared. When Telfer admitted he did not, Reynolds encouraged him to at least think about what he might want to say. Telfer joked that what he ended up with was more of a ChatGPT-style bullet list because he kept reminding himself not to talk too much.
Drawing from Real-Life Grief for Emmy-Winning Scenes
Telfer also discussed the emotional depth of the scenes he submitted for Emmy consideration. He explains how he drew from the real-life grief of losing his mother to bring Xander’s storyline to life.
He was especially thrilled when the show decided to introduce Xander’s mother and finally weave his character more deeply into the fabric of the show.
Looking back on those powerful scenes, Telfer said, “It was incredibly cathartic to do. It was incredibly relieving to feel that I’d done a decent enough job with it because I didn’t want to get those scenes and then mess it up, if you know what I mean, or not go far enough. To be nominated for it was plenty, honestly, just to have it recognized and feel like, well, that is the best I can do.”
Winning the Emmy allowed him to say something meaningful about his mother during his acceptance speech, which meant a great deal to him since she never really had the chance to see his work before she passed away.
How Paul Telfer Ended up on Days of Our Lives
Telfer also revealed that he did not necessarily set out to do a soap opera. He credited Days of Our Lives casting director Marnie Saitta for her patience and belief in him.
“It’s a bunch of different things at once, but honestly, it’s Marnie Saitta,” he said. “She’s amazing, very patient, and could not be more lovely. She’s very good at her job. Too good, actually.”
He explained that his agents and managers had repeatedly turned down auditions and offers from the show because they believed he was on track for major film and television roles.
“My managers thought I was up for Superman and Batman and Avatar and all these things,” he said. “None of them happened, but we didn’t know that at the time. So they just kept saying no. I got to the point where I just wanted to act. I wanted to work.”
Telfer shared that he was not interested in playing standard good guy roles and was waiting for the right opportunity. That opportunity came when Marnie sent him a short arc playing Victor’s hitman henchman Damon, a character name he had previously played on NCIS. As soon as he finished reading for the role, he was asked to start work the following week.
He Almost Played EJ DiMera
He also recalls a time when he almost played EJ. His managers called to tell him that Days wanted him on standby to potentially fill in as EJ DiMera due to a possible medical issue with the actor. Telfer immediately said yes, only to receive seven scripts filled with massive amounts of dialogue. He genuinely thought it was a prank.
At the time, he was told he would know by 11 a.m. each day whether or not he was needed, which meant constantly switching scripts. After two days, he realized he could not possibly memorize everything. Spoiler alert: In the end, he was never called in to fill in as EJ. However, it all worked out years later.
Six or seven years later, Telfer was officially cast on Days of Our Lives. He was initially asked to sign a two-year contract. Howeer he only signed on for one year. Sadly, he was let go after three months, but ultimately returned, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Marriage, Chemistry, and Long-Distance love
Telfer also spoke warmly about his wife, Broadway star Carmen Cusack, and how they manage a long-distance marriage while supporting each other’s careers. Coincidentally, the interview took place on their 13th wedding anniversary. (Happy belated anniversary, lovebirds).
He emphasized the importance of trust and on-screen chemistry and gave special shout-outs to his Days of Our Lives co-stars, including Lindsay Godfrey (Sarah), Emily O’Brien (Gwen), Suzanne Rogers (Maggie), Arianne Zucker (Nicole), and Stacy Haiduk (Kristen).
Watch the full interview below.
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting Inc.
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