Days of our Lives' Brady and Kristen are one of the show's most controversial couples -- and that's saying something when you consider the NBC soap has over five decades of material under its belt. But there's just something divisive about a pair who have such undeniable fiery chemistry in conjunction with a whole lotta crazy (Kristen did drug and rape Brady's brother, after all). So, should fans be rooting for this unconventional pair? Or is their romance just way too weird? The couple's portrayers, Eric Martsolf and Stacy Haiduk, have some pretty strong opinions on the matter.
In a new interview with Soap Opera Digest, Martsolf explains that while the couple has quite a lot of odd things that could -- and probably should -- come between them (the aforementioned rape, Kristen's obsession with Brady's dad, and their presumed-dead baby, to name a few), their bond is strong enough to get through almost anything.
"That's what I've learned about love. It's how you get through the hardships. Sure, you sit back and enjoy a sunset together and hold hands once in a while, but it's more about having that support system," he explains. "And Kristen and Brady, at the end of the day, would jump in front of a train for one another. They really do have this crazy, stupid love for one another. It's not typical, but that's the fun of them."
Haiduk agrees with her costar, and she adds that she has noticed some recent changes in Kristen that have not only helped the couple's resiliency but have also persuaded hesitant fans to get behind the pairing.
"I think people are softening. I mean, you still get some fans who go, 'Oh, my God! She's such a bitch, but we're liking her a little bit better.' She's softening and, hopefully, she won't go back to being mean," Haiduk shares. "But that's Kristen. Her heart isn't pure as can be. I'm seeing fans becoming more open to the possibility of Brady and Kristen coming together, the more they get to see her tender side. All I can hope for is that they see she's not all this angst and evil."
At the end of the day, there are going to be fans who love Bristen and others who can't stand the characters together. But Martsolf says that's what makes soap operas such an entertaining genre.
"I find the fanbase to be delightfully mixed," he says. "When you're a creator of daytime stories, what you shoot for is somewhere in the middle. You want two sides, because soap opera is rooted in conflict. Brady and Kristen give us that. You have folks who don't want them together, and you have folks that are rooting for them. That's the fun of daytime drama."
What do you think about Brady and Kristen as a couple? Do you think they sizzle... or fizzle? Why? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
