Wally Kurth is currently appearing as Ned on General Hospital, but his first soap opera role (one he still plays on and off to this day), was as Justin Kiriakis on Days of our Lives. In the new book, Super Soap Scenes: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama’s Greatest Moments, Wally recalled his early times on the show… and how he accidentally almost ended up married—for real!
Romantic Leading Man
I used to have a very hard time watching myself. I’d be really critical of myself. But, honestly, I am pleasantly surprised that my acting was actually pretty good. I was conveying something true and real, even though it felt a little gushy at times, it felt a little maudlin. Soaps are so emotional, and everything is heightened. We say more things and we express more things than normal people express, and certainly Justin was that way.
I learned from Justin. Justin was such a demonstrative guy about his feelings and about his thoughts. He was romantic and declarative, not just demonstrative. Justin was a female fantasy. A lot of men were unhappy with me. They felt like I ruined relationships. Their girlfriends would say, “Look at Justin, look at how declarative he is. Why can’t you be more caring and empathetic to my needs and renting out restaurants and singing me songs? Why aren’t you setting my poems to music?” I went: Wow, Justin is really treating that woman really lovely. I guess I should be a little more considerate, myself. Justin taught me to be a better boyfriend.
His Big, Fat Greek Wedding
The wedding at the big church – that was interesting. I was just there for John’s (Aniston, who played Victor and died in 2022) memorial. It had been 30 years to the month where I was last at that church. Here I was in the room where I remember changing and getting ready to go and do these wedding scenes that entailed long monologues, and now I’m here to speak about John.
For the wedding, the church was full of people. They invited all the fans. You could get tickets, and you could come. All the fans of the show, they were part of the audience. The whole cast was also there. The wedding was done by a young priest who had just become a priest. He ended up doing an entire ceremony. He got in trouble with his bishop. His bishop said, “In the eyes of the Greek orthodox church, these two people are married.” He didn’t realize he couldn’t do that!
How did they get out of this sticky predicament, and what happened when the show next went to Greece for one of DOOL’s most memorable remotes? Find out in Super Soap Scenes: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama’s Greatest Moments!
