Flynn is nominated for the coveted 2019 Emmy for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series” for his portrayal of Chad DiMera on Days of Our Lives. This marks his second career Emmy nomination. “It was amazing,” he admitted. “It was different than the second time around. This time I was just grateful to be nominated.”
He praised his luminous screen partner, Marci Miller, for being “amazing” as Abigail Deveraux, who also scored an Emmy nomination for her acting work on the show. “We were like dance partners in a sense. Marci is very special. She’s my homie,” he said.
Flynn is drawn to his character, Chad, due to the “unwavering and devoted love that he has for Abigail and his family.” “Chad will do anything for them,” he said. “The only thing negative about Chad is sometimes he is driven too much by how he is feeling.”
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy (as most actors are in the soap opera world, where they have to churn out many pages of script), he responded, “You just do it. It somehow manages to get done. It just blows my mind. It’s your job, so you do what you need to do. It is easier now than it was at certain points for me. Your brain just stretches.”
His advice for young and aspiring actors is as follows: “Make sure you love it and there is nothing else that you want to do. If there is something else that you want to do, then that’s probably the best choice, because acting is hard and it’s a struggle. It’s going to be a long road. If you love it, then throw yourself into it completely.”
Each day, Flynn finds motivation as an actor simply by being able to “move people and by telling stories.” “That’s the appreciation that I have now than when I first started acting. Days of Our Lives is a show that has been around for over 50 years and it still loves people,” he said.
“I have the ability with some of those storylines to really touch people and make them feel better about loss, falling in love again or other feelings,” he added.
Digital transformation of the entertainment business
On the impact of technology and streaming on the entertainment industry, Flynn said, “Ultimately, it is great for TV. There are more shows being made and there are more opportunities for storytellers to tell their stories. I think streaming is great.”
As an actor in the daytime world, Flynn shared that he uses hard copies of scripts as opposed to digital versions since it allows him to jot down his notes.
Flynn defined the word success as “opportunity, preparation, and luck.” “I believe that success the byproduct of these three things,” he said.
For his dedicated Days of Our Lives fans and followers, Flynn concluded, “Thank you. It wouldn’t have been possible without the fans.”
To learn more about Emmy-nominated actor Billy Flynn, follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
