When Steve Johnson breezed into Salem on June 13, 1985, he wasn’t supposed to stick around. The character was intended to have a short story arc and be gone. It was Stephen Nichols’ portrayal of “Patch” and his palpable chemistry with Mary Beth Evans (who plays Kayla) that made the powers-that-be rethink their original plan.
Here we are, 40 years later, and both Steve and Kayla are still going strong on “Days of Our Lives.” Stephen Nichols recently talked with Soap Opera Digest about the role that has secured his real-life family. When asked if he ever could have predicted the longevity of Steve, the actor said, “I could never have conceived of it, though if I had, I probably would have been so very grateful that I had a guarantee of supporting my family for the next 40 years. This is where my heart has always been in relation to my work.”
Stephen Nichols on the ‘Magic’ of Working With Mary Beth Evans
In his interview with Soap Opera Digest, Nichols pondered a variety of topics, one of them being the chemistry that he has always shared with Mary Beth Evans.
“Now you’re talking magic,” says the actor when asked about working with her. “There’s no way the same thing could have been created with another actress. Mary Beth is unique, and our chemistry is a once-in-a-lifetime thing and unique to us, which hopefully invokes a little bit of “magic” every time we are on screen together.”
He reflected on Steve and Kayla’s first “Days” wedding in 1988, saying, “So many memories… starting with watching Mary Beth as we were filming, taking her in moment to moment, from the beginning of the ceremony to the moment when she whispered ‘Steve,’ speaking for the first time in months. I was overwhelmed as Steve and personally by her performance. There was joy in the air. It was one of those big events where filming becomes a celebration. Everyone was invested and happy to be there. A memorable, beautiful day.”
Stephen Nichols on Creating a Legacy Character
The actor admits that his role on “Days of Our Lives” has given him many professional moments to be proud of, but it is the series itself that carries the most weight with him.
“I suppose I am most proud of having been a part of a legacy enterprise like DAYS. As we know, in our business, there are very few programs that have the staying power or the fan base of daytime television. Any actor who has enjoyed a long career in daytime television will tell you, all the time and effort put into that career was worth the effort and can’t be discounted, ” explains Nichols.
Fans of daytime television are known to be fiercely loyal, and it is the one genre of television where their voices and opinions are taken into account. Stephen Nichols knows that he owes his longevity with “Days” to the people who tune in each day.
“Fans of Days of Our Lives, I carry your support with me every day I go to work. Many of you are like family members I have never met, and I know you’re out there, and I appreciate you. Others whom I have met, I want you to know that the things you say, your take on story, the compliments you pay our show and me and others, I take all of it to heart. It means more to me than you know. I appreciate you. And those fans who have become friends, are true friends of mine and even like family in some cases. All of you sustain me, my work, and my livelihood. I am eternally grateful to you. Thank you for 40 years! Let’s keep those sands flowing,” says the grateful actor.
