Actors Chandler Massey and Zach Tinker chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about being a part of the new Peacock original holiday special “Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas.” This special is available for streaming on Peacock on December 16.
Synopsis
This special follows Will Horton (Chandler Massey) as he writes a screenplay before his Christmas Eve deadline. Using everyone’s favorite feel-good holiday movie tropes, he creates a festive story based on his family and friends in Salem, but with several twists and turns (and pairings) that nobody will ever see coming.
On being a part of “A Very Salem Christmas,” Tinker said, “It was great. It was very festive, nice, and calm.”
Tinker was drawn to playing Sonny Kiriakis for several reasons. “Getting to kiss Chandler. That was my favorite part,” he said with a sweet laugh. “Sonny is a good guy, he’s a fun character, and the way I play him, he feels very deeply. I think his emotions are very heightened. Sonny is a very sensitive guy and he’s empathetic. Those are the most fun elements about him,” Tinker said.
“I love being emotional because I’m insane so that’s my favorite part about Sonny,” Tinker added.
“Working with Zach [Tinker] was great,” exclaimed Massey. “It was really surprising to me how the characters were how they were supposed to be, especially after working with Freddie Smith for so many years. Zach came in and immediately stepped in the role and became Sonny. That was a very pleasant surprise, and I don’t think that would have happened with anybody other than Zach.”
Most recently, Massey did the “Next Stop, Christmas” original holiday film for Hallmark, which earned a favorable review from Digital Journal. “That was fun. I got to do back-to-back Christmas movies, which was pretty sweet,” Massey said.
Tinker also shared that he was happy to be a part of the short comedy film “Across The Room,” which was directed by Mellinda Hensley, and written by Matt Clifford. “Oh my God. We filmed that three years ago, that was fun. It is insane how time flies,” Tinker said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Tinker said, “27 and Unsure.” “It’s #Cutting Season, baby,” Massey said. “The last three months I have been eating everything in sight and now, as of a week ago, I have been cutting, since I need to get camera-ready for whatever the future holds for me,” Massey added.
Tinker is looking forward to being a part of the upcoming in-person Spectrum Celebrity fan event in Burbank, California, which will take place on March 5 and 6. It will be hosted by Tony Moore from “Dishin’ Days.” “This will be my first one. I never did any fan event when I was on ‘The Young and The Restless.’ I did a virtual one with Spectrum and this will be my first in-person one so I am excited,” Tinker said.
For his fans, Massey remarked about “A Very Salem Christmas,” “I hope they do like it, and I apologize if they don’t like it. I think it has charm. I really liked the idea of mixing up the characters and their relationships and putting them in ‘what if’ scenarios.”
“Watch ‘A Very Salem Christmas’,” Massey told his fans. “If the fans liked ‘Beyond Salem,’ I think they will enjoy ‘A Very Salem Christmas.’
Tinker defined the word success as follows: “Success means living up to your own expectations, hopefully.”
