Shawn Christian and Arianne Zucker Talk Reexploring Daniel and Nicole
The 'Days of Our Lives' Duo Agree: They could take that story anywhere
Shawn Christian and Arianne Zucker
Courtesy: NBC/Gerardo Mora
Arianne Zucker
Shawn Christian (Dr. Daniel Jonas)
Justin Lubin / Copyright 2010 NBC Universal
After being wrongly accused of rape by the last man she loved, Eric, Days of Our Lives' Nicole is ready to move on. And who better to help her than ex-lover, Daniel, who's reeling from his latest breakup with Jennifer? Should the soap opt to go that route, actors Shawn Christian and Arianne Zucker are up for the assignment. Read on to find out why.
There was a poll on this site, asking if Daniel and Nicole should reunite. Believe it or not, you two ran neck and neck with Daniel and Jennifer. Pretty surprising, don't you think?
Shawn Christian: You would think, because things are written a very specific way to foster a Daniel and Jennifer [pairing]. I think [Daniel and Nicole] are very dynamic characters. They're very unpredictable, impulsive and passionate; no matter what's written. You don't even have to foster it on the page. It's inherent with the choices that they make with their lives. So there's something there.
Arianne Zucker: That's kind of cool. Missy (Reeves, Jennifer) and I love working together. We get along well off camera, too, which is just a delight. And, obviously, we both love working with Shawn... It would be a fun triangle or a foursome (with Greg Vaughan, Eric).... We do spend a lot of time together off camera. So it's like, Wouldn't it be fun if we all got to work together?
Do you think there's enough there to revisit a Daniel/Nicole pairing?
Arianne Zucker: Yeah. Years ago, when Daniel and Nicole first had a thing, he started calling me “Legs.” It was a fun relationship. Now, the two of them are kind of a mess. There's a lot about Daniel that people don't know about. Shawn carries a lot of that as an actor. He has a lot going on. I think they could take that story anywhere.
In some ways, they're two of a kind. Aren't they?
Shawn Christian: They're both social outcasts. So there's a kindred spirit there. Ultimately, they know the worst about each other. They've been through it together. And they've seen some of the best in eachother. So they've been battle tested. The audience has seen it. It isn't written in back story that they talk about. People have witnessed it. It isn't just, “Let's whip the papers off the desk and let's go.” There's something deeper; a deeper layer between them.
Daniel and Nicole recently shared a surprise kiss. Will things be moving forward between them? Or was that just a red herring that isn't going anywhere?
Shawn Christian: I really don't know where they end up going with that. What you do have is two characters who go on this pretty wild adventure trying to exonerate Eric. As I described, their inherent nature -- they're impulsive and impetuous -- and this adrenaline induced adventure throws them into these little tailspins. They have a history. All of that seems to have bubbled up. So we'll see...
