Reformed serial killer Ben Weston made a disappearing act from Days of our Lives earlier this month, but like Soap Central reported at the time, his exit didn't spell the end of Robert Scott Wilson's run on the NBC drama. Rumors swirled that the actor would be stepping into the shoes of former Salemite Alex Kiriakis, and Wilson has now confirmed that to be the case.
In a new interview with TV Insider, Wilson explains that he got the news of the planned character switcheroo about five or six months ago, and not only will he be playing a different guy when he returns to the screen next week, but he also considers his status to have changed, as well.
"Now I'm part of one of the big families here, made it to the big boys club," he jokes, adding that he never thought he'd be interested in playing anyone else in daytime, but he's found a lot of fun in taking on the role of Alex. "It's been just the biggest breath of fresh air I could ever imagine."
For those who might not know, Alex is the long-absent result of a brief affair between Justin Kiriakis (Wally Kurth) and Anjelica (Jane Elliot/Judith Chapman) many years ago. He was last played by Jonathan Thornton from 1989 to 1991. The character returned to Salem in 2007 to attend Salem High School, but that storyline wasn't shown on-screen, nor was his move to Dubai in 2008.
As for what to expect now that Alex is a grown man, Wilson doesn't reveal a lot (of words, anyway -- skin is another matter, as seen in the teaser clip of Alex's debut), but he does tease that Alex is "the polar opposite" of Ben.
"I'm having more fun than I think I've ever had in any projects, whether it be daytime or film or regular TV," the actor enthuses. "I'm having a really good time. He's such a fun character... he wears a lot more suits, he's a little bit more flashy, he's living in the light. He's not that brooding, dark Ben Weston... he wants to have a good time, he's successful, and he's kind of scared of love, which we'll dive into."
Check out Wilson's full interview here, and don't forget to let us know what you think in the Comments section at the end of the article.
How do you feel about Robert Scott Wilson returning to DAYS as Alexander Kiriakis? What do you think the writers have planned for Justin's son? 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.
