Welcome back, where we don’t just unveil the drama, we dive deep into the rawest emotions of Days of Our Lives! Today, we have an exclusive and incredibly moving interview with the man behind Brady Black himself – actor Eric Martsolf! He takes us into the depths of Brady’s soul as he confronts the grueling challenges of fatherhood, and how he’s carrying on the legacy of the iconic John Black in a way that will touch every fan’s heart!
A FATHER’S HEART: BRADY’S RAW EMOTIONAL JOURNEY!
As a real-life father of 19-year-old twins, Chase and Mason, Eric Martsolf has a wealth of emotion to draw from for the Days of Our Lives storyline, where his character’s teenage son, Tate, is grappling with his ex-girlfriend Sophia’s surprise pregnancy.
“I’ve been able to extrapolate my own experiences and just stick them right into the puzzle,” Martsolf shares. “It’s actually… I don’t want to say easy, but it is certainly easy to have those feelings accessible. I laugh about it sometimes, because I’ll look at Leo Howard, who plays Tate, and I’m like, ‘I just had this conversation with my son three days ago.’ So it’s really interesting.”
Martsolf reflects on the surprise of kids growing up so fast in real life, something soaps often fast-track. “You blink and all of a sudden you’re a father to a young man, a young adult. It just creeps up on you, and that’s what happened to Brady. I mean, in the soap world, we do it pretty quickly. They’ll go from your kid is 8 to your kid is 18! ‘Ready? Go.’ Luckily, I was in a place in my life where I completely got it.”
A FIERY CLASH: THE BATTLE OF PARENTING PHILOSOPHIES!
The DAYS plot has gotten pretty fiery as the soap explores two different parental points of view. While Sophia’s mother, Amy (Shi Ne Nielson), believes the two teens should wed for the sake of their baby-to-be, Brady firmly supports his son’s opposition to getting married. This has provided a dynamic back-and-forth, and Martsolf has thoroughly enjoyed his scenes opposite Shi Ne Nielson.
“Shi Ne is a terrific actress in her own right,” Martsolf notes. “She came in just that stern stubborn parent: ‘This is the way it’s going to be.’ And you had Brady on the other hand going, ‘Excuse me. No.’ It’s like two Leos going at it with claws out. It’s not a fight. It’s just a very stern, ‘Excuse me. No.’ It’s a great way to set up battle between those two camps, and both positions are justified and completely understandable. So there’s frustration on that front too.”
JOHN BLACK’S ETERNAL LEGACY: A PROFOUND CONNECTION!
The drama surrounding Tate has been intense since DAYS decided to age Brady and Theresa’s son back in 2023. “My gosh, they just have thrown this character into the fire, and there’s so much drama going on as the dad having to deal with it,” Martsolf observes. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a crazy parental roller coaster I’ve been on.”
Brady will remain firmly in Tate’s camp, supporting his son’s position as the plot continues. “They’ve played it really wise in the sense that Brady doesn’t force his opinions and his morals on his son,” Martsolf notes. “He guides him, but he allows Tate to make his own decisions at the end of the day. And that’s something I balance with my sons as well. You can’t be too overbearing. You can’t be a helicopter parent. You can only guide the horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink it. And that’s exactly how he’s playing it, which was always reminiscent of the way Drake [Hogestyn, ex-John Black] played it with me. He’d always have that reassuring hand on the shoulder and say, ‘Hey kid, I trust you to make the right decision.’ He’d always leave you with your own thoughts. So you were able to make your own decision, but your father’s voice was always there.”
Martsolf is visibly proud to have Brady follow in John Black’s footsteps. “It’s beautiful,” reflects the actor. “There have been moments in the script where I can just hear John Black talking to his son Brady, and now Brady’s talking to his son Tate the same way. It’s the way it should be. It honors him.“
This deeply personal interview reveals that even amidst Days of Our Lives’ notorious drama, the profound family bonds, the guiding hand of a parent, and the enduring legacy of those who came before remain at the very heart of the story. Brady Black is more than just a character; he’s a poignant reflection of a father doing his best, and through him, the soul of John Black lives on.
How do you feel about Brady carrying on John’s parenting legacy? What touches you most about this storyline? Share your thoughts in the comments below!