It’s a pretty rare thing these days to come across such a genuine, professional, lovely couple as Bill and Susan Hayes (Doug and Julie from Days of our Lives). This couple has been married for thirty-five years and has worked in daytime for about as long. Recently at the Day of Days fan event I had the pleasure of speaking with this dynamic duo to discuss the future of soaps in an ever shrinking market and the love and devotion of their fans.
Don’t forget that by commenting on any of my Days of our Lives interviews will automatically enter you to win either the Brady’s Pub apron or the Kurth & Taylor (Wally Kurth’s band) autographed CD.
EM: You are veteran actors and of the soap world, how do you feel about the state of soaps?
Susan Seaforth Hayes: I’m hopeful because the ratings have held and actually grown with the new regime. I’m hopeful the young audience is as excited about our young cast as the producers are. A well-told story, I don’t think that’s going to disappear just because of the Internet and because television is the old medium now. I think we will continue to find our audience. What I’m missing and keenly aware of because I started so long ago is that continuity and the family of the viewer. “Well I remember watching it with my grandmother and my mother and when I was just a little kid.” We’re not getting as much of that now because whole families are not joining together for their entertainment moment. That’s harder because when you inherited the show you loved it because it reminded you of your grandmother. I don’t know how we are going to bridge that gap but we of course have the benefit of that kind of love and affection for so long that people look at me and begin to cry because, I never met grandma but they’re reminded of the time they all spent together with our characters.
EM: What’s it like after so many years to meet your fans and having them love the characters still?
SSH: It’s the most wonderful thing in the world!
Bill Hayes: It’s a family! We are a huge family. All these folks standing out here are family. It’s wonderful to meet them.
SSH: It has always opened the door. You know you’re not really a celebrity; you’re closer than a celebrity. For example, we talk about it in our book “Like Sands Through the Hour Glass” sometimes a door opens to you because the people think they know you and in fact they do. We visited a Native American reservation years ago places where in order to get television, they only got NBC at that time, they had to plug in the television set to the truck turn on the truck to get the power to get the electricity to watch the show. Well my God those were devoted fans!
EM: Do you want to give us a little info about the book?
SSH: It’s still available online. We showed the book before it went to print to Ken Corday to make sure he was satisfied with it. We showed it to Deidra Hall to make sure she was satisfied with it. Deidra was the most supportive, loving, enthusiastic reader I have ever experienced.
BH: I wish you could have seen the copy of the manuscript. Deidra went through, had some post-its she had like 100 post-its all through the book. She said “Oh you shouldn’t have said that” or “Oh I cried here” or “Oh this made me laugh out loud” I wish we had kept those it was so wonderful.
For more information about Bill and Susan Hayes you can visit their website http://www.billandsusanhayes.com.
Interview by Tiffany N. D’Emidio
Twitter: TiffanyDEmidio
I love Bill and Susan Hayes. I thought it was really sweet the way they mentioned Deidre. It was such a great family among the older castmembers. I'm so sad Dee isn't there anymore. She really helped make the show. I really wish they would show Doug and Julie more! They are missed!
This is absolutely true. I watched Days because my grandmother watched Days, back when Julie was still with David Martin…definitely Back In The Days! I watched all through my teen and college years, and even when I had my own kids, who started watching too. Sadly in the last twenty years, work has taken me away but I still try to keep up online.
I too started watching Days with my grandmother back in the day and I love Bill and Susan Hayes as Doug and Julie. I think that it is great how they come and go like they do although it would be better if they stayed around for a while. I've read their book–it is a hoot!! Don't even get me started on how much I miss Deidre Hall. I love her. She is the greatest and she needs to come back now!!
I have always liked Doug and Julie on Days of our Lives and thought Bill and Susan Hayes played them beautifully. It was so great to see these to lovely actors at the Day of Days event last weekend. You could see how happy they still are together after so many years, such a sweet couple