AnnaLynne McCord Talks ‘Days of Our Lives’ Abigail Twist: ‘I Was Really Crying’
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Days of Our Lives episodes airing Friday, October 18, and Monday, October 21.]
A year into filming at Days of our Lives, AnnaLynne McCord admits she wasn’t expecting to feel such a deep connection to the job.
“I was introduced to the world of television through Nip/Tuck [as Eden Lord] and then 90210 [as Naomi Clark], so it was a very different experience,” she explains. “I did not know that you could have the family energy that we have at Days. And I say ‘we’ now because I’m no longer an outsider guest; I’m officially a part of the group. It’s like my old theater days and everybody is just running around, in our dressing rooms, in the hallways finding our costars for the day and running lines, and there’s just a kind of old Hollywood magic to it. It’s been so much fun. It’s what my nine-year-old, little girl self dreamed of doing when I grew up.”
Ever since her debut in June, McCord has been playing a woman pretending to be the presumed dead Abigail Deveraux DiMera, which has presented its own set of challenges. “It was very confusing in the beginning, but I thankfully had Billy [Flynn, Chad DiMera] to kind of lead the dynamic,” she recalls. “There was a conversation of, ‘Would I really be Abigail Devereaux?’ So I had to walk the line a little bit and keep a very neutral energy with her in the beginning because we didn’t know. Then it became clear that I was definitely not going to stay Abigail, and that’s when I let her organically play off of Billy’s energy. He has helped me understand the intricacies of the history of not just the storyline of him and Abigail, but the future potential of storylines. He’s Mr. Sleuth. He likes to have all of his little Sherlock Holmes hypotheses on what’s coming next. He was dead on about a few things about my character that actually helped me with my work.”
“Abigail’s” connection to Clyde Weston (James Read) has been established, and Steve (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla Johnson (Mary Beth Evans) have figured out she’s a fraud. Now, she’s poised to get busted, and on Monday, October 21, the truth about her true identity is revealed: She is Cat Green, daughter of a very much alive Catherina (who wasn’t killed by John Black years ago), and granddaughter of the late Konstantin Meleounis (John Kapelos).
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The scenes between Chad and Cat, McCord previews, are heartbreaking. “Something magical happens when you work with actors who just show up, like the way Billy does,” she explains. “He does it with a really raw emotion because it’s instinctual in process versus beat for beat. I was really crying, like, AnnaLynne was crying. I was like, ‘God, this is so heavy,’ and the body doesn’t know the difference. It’s very real. I’m looking in this man’s eyes and he’s lost the love of his life again, and he’s not angry at first, he’s devastated. And then at the end [of the scenes], I was like, ‘We have to hug and make up because I feel like it just ruined your actual life.’ And he said, ‘It’s not real. We’re acting.’ But it was very emotional and it was genuine emotion. The crew was clapping because they felt it, too.”
Now, McCord is excited about showing the audience who Cat is. “I got to create Cat out of my own feelings and experience of the process of [her identity] unveiled,” she explains. “So that allowed me a lot more freedom once we figured out who she was and where we were going more with the storyline. Once that big reveal happens and the details start to play out, you do get to really experience Cat and her dynamic with her family and what her siblings mean to her. I felt like there was a lot of seriousness to everything and maybe this character can bring a little lightness and joy. She’s been through a lot and her mother has been through a lot, so she gets to use humor as her outlet and it’s been fun infusing the storyline with that.”
Though this may be the end of the “Abigail” ruse, there is more complication to come with Cat, McCord teases. “I just found out something recently, which I definitely know that I can’t share,” she says with a laugh. “She has even more of a twist to her background and her story in the months to come. So, she continues to unfold and more comes to light about Cat Green, which is really cool.”
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G
it's too bad John isn't around to find out that he didn't kill Caterina.
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R
Ain't it the truth...they stated in the very first interview about Annalynn McCord coming on that her real name would be Marin Greene and now it's to be Cat, the granddaughter of Konstantin and his daughter (her mother) isn't dead either 🙄 and we don't even have John around to know it all...stupid!!
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R
I just want Abigail back and Clyde permanently gone. That’s all I care about. Idc about this bs storyline that had fans excited in the beginning but now the writers have pulled a ruse on all of us. The writing has been really subpar lately. Do better Days.
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The writers didn't pull anything on us, they showed us right from the being she was not Abigail and nobody ever said Marci Miller or any other actress was bringing back the character of Abigail, y'all did that wishful thinking all on your own 😏
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G
Buy John is. He is not dead, his portrayer is. His character will learn the infor before they kill or replace the actor
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A
Maybe so but it won't be the same because it will happen off scene and we will only hear about it.
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P
I love the actress, as a fan im happy Chad's character is getting developed with or without Abby & AnnaLynne has sooo much chemistry with everyone & especially Chad, so I'm happy she is staying on the show. I just hope that they don't use her to bring back abby & if Abby is back it's played by AnnaLynne 😩
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R
Abby is not back and no, I don't like Chad with this gal...Cat Greene granddaughter of Konstantin 🥴
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B
I'm really happy to learn we won't lose the Greene family. I really like the character of Mark, and it gives us another doctor besides Kayla at University Hospital. Now they have 2 doctors to run the 10-story medical center complete with its trauma center and emergency department!
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G
Don’t forget Sarah and Marlena. They are doctors/ Medical Professionals as well
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R
I doubt he will be around forever
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O
Agree...I really don't care for the actress portraying Cat. Her expressions are goofy and she acts goofy. I do like the Green family and hope they stay. They need to bring Abby back. Another character is Stephanie. Alex needs another partner. No chemistry with Steph....
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B
I am relieved to be past the fraud. The deception was hard to watch, in part because AM was struggling to thread the needle of credibility. However, her best scenes had these moments of authentic response that set the stage for Cat Green being a breath of fresh air. Generally, I am not a fan of ^heroes falling for impostors" storylines. However, Cat might actually be more likable than Abigail.
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O
Please, do not get rid of the Greene family. I like them. The minute Abby is back do not get rid of them!! Finally, rid us of Clyde, but NOT this family!! I REALLY like them. It's also very enlightening to have a character/actress on the show with special needs. PLEASE KEEP THEM ALL!! 💙
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O
Marci Miller is not coming back as Abigail.
That was all fake news and lies.
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P
I like Fake Abby with Chad.
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R
Nope, not after the way she has deceived him...they need to bring some new woman to town...maybe he can get with Joy after she has her little fling with Johnny 🤔..or Joy and Alex and Chad and Stephanie!
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G
I couldn’t care less about this woman. They have to bring Abby back. Sorry she is a bad actress and has no chemistry with Chat. Hope she leaves when her contact is up.
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G
She's not a a bad actress at all. And they don't have to bring Abby back. We know she died, we watched the show. What we HOPED was the blood on her abdomen was what? ketchup? The took her to the hospital and thence to the morgue.
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O
What!? She has crazy chemistry with Chad! If you can't see that, you are not watching the emotion in their faces and body language.
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They have no chemistry. Hopefully now that the lie is out they will move her on to other characters her contract is up in December so maybe she won't stick around at all 🤞 Chad can find love with someone who has not spend months playing a horrible hoax on him and his wife's family or even recast Abby for real this time .
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O
I could not agree more. Awful story. I really hope they don't try to put Chad in a pairing with her after this he looks dumb enough believing she was Abby to begin with but to be in a relationship with her after this🤮
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