Sometimes society changes where you least suspect it – with the housewives, stay-at-home parents and anyone else who finds him or herself on the sofa mid-afternoon glued to the TV.
That’s because one of the biggest influencers in popular culture has long been the soap opera (a.k.a. daytime drama, your “stories” or Shirtless Parade of Hunks). Whatever you call it, these hour-long shows tackle difficult subjects one evil twin at a time.
Starting today, Days of Our Lives takes on one of the biggest topics of the last couple of years: Bullying. And more specifically, gay bashing.
Even if you don’t already watch the show, Freddie Smith (“Sonny”) promises that it will be easy to catch up. Starting today, there’s a monumental moment between Sonny and another gay character, a first for the show. Trust us, people will be talking about it tomorrow.
Smith, whose breakout roll was also a gay character on the 90210 reboot, takes his back-to-back queer roles very seriously and enjoys his new role as advocate.
“Both characters were different, but they were both great characters to play. But to play a gay character, it’s a platform for me to be able to talk about my beliefs. It’s exciting to hop back on and continue because I’ve gotten so much support. I have so many people writing in and telling me how I’ve helped them,” Smith says.
His outlook perfectly encapsulates the argument that so many of us wish the haters could understand.
“There is no gay or straight when it comes to love. To me, I’m just portraying love and romance. That’s universal. For me, playing a gay or straight role, there’s really no difference.”
We think we’ve just found our new favorite TV star. Let the worshiping – and creepy candle altar beneath his poster – begin!
Days of Our Lives
www.nbc.com
