DePaiva has played the villainous character Eve Donovan on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives for the last five years. “Eve is very different from the 20-year run I’ve had as Blair Cramer on ABC’s One Life to Live. Eve is fun but very complex and a little wackadoodle.”
This past year, DePaiva was nominated for a 2020 Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series” for playing Eve Donovan. “I felt really good about the work that I do on Days of Our Lives,” she said. “Eve is so complicated, and I get to play all of these crazy colors. I am happy to be in the game still so it’s all good. I feel lucky.”
When asked how she handles being dialogue-heavy all these years doing soap operas, she said, “It’s your job. I think the older I get, the harder it is. I love what I do, and I love the continual story. The work is not what happens on set, the work is when you get home and you have to sit down and study. It’s like cramming for an oral pop quiz every day.”
“The brain is a muscle. When you are playing a character day in and day out it is much easier than just being thrown into the fire,” she said.
On being an actress in the digital age, she said, “It feels good. When One Life to Live was canceled and we went over to Hulu and did 40 episodes, and that was an Internet experience. I have yet to do any online soaps yet. I haven’t had the opportunity to be a part of one yet.”
Speaking of One Life to Live, DePaiva had nothing but the kindest remarks about her former co-star Erika Slezak, who played Victoria Lord on the defunct daytime show. “Erika is so talented and so solid. She is such a giving professional. Working opposite Robin Strasser was the same thing. Both of those women were amazing,” she exclaimed.
Each day, DePaiva is motivated by gratitude. “I wake up and thank the Good Lord for another day on this Earth, and another day with my husband and family. Each day is another opportunity to give back and be a part of it,” she said.
“My career has been a slow process. I’ve been fortunate to have had such longevity on daytime television. My work in soap operas has been a part of my identity,” she said.
Regarding the title of the current chapter of her life, she responded, “Over the hump.” “It’s all sweet sailing from here,” she said. “Every chapter brings a different dynamic to everything and I just try to enjoy the moment that I am in.”
When asked to reflect on the past two decades in a rear-view mirror, she acknowledged that she sees “a lot of joys, a lot of hard work and a lot of fun.”
For young and aspiring actors, DePaiva said, “Keep being persistent, and do something that you can make some money doing, and then you can put that money into your craft. Keep moving forward and you need to keep on doing it.”
The best advice that she was ever given in this industry was the following: “What I am is enough, so I don’t need to work so hard. Be authentic and present yourself, and that has worked for me up until this point,” she said.
On February 22 and 23, 2020, DePaiva will be participating in the Star Struck Fan event in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where she will be appearing along with such daytime actors as Eric Martsolf, Jacob Young, and Wally Kurth. To learn more about this upcoming fan event, check out the Star Struck Fan Events homepage. “I think the fans can expect some great fun,” she said. “I am going to be surrounded by some uber-talented and uber handsome people. Once you throw some Days of Our Lives fans on top, they make it even more fun.”
“We will do some karaoke singing in Myrtle Beach, and Wally Kurth will bring in his guitar so we will do some solo songs. We are hoping to get the people festive and we hope to sing some karaoke with the fans, which will be fun. Keith and Paul of Star Struck always throw a great party,” she added.
DePaiva expressed her sincere appreciation for her fans. “I couldn’t and wouldn’t be here without the fans. They are the ones that tune in every day and they make a difference. I try to entertain and I hope I’ve done that and I hope I’ve succeeded. The fans are the ones that are along for the ride and I hope that it has been an enjoyable one and that it continues to be for years to come,” she said.
She defined the word success as “feeling the love from family and friends.”
To learn more about Emmy-nominated actress Kassie DePaiva, check out her official website and follow her on Twitter.