Arianne Zucker Previews Her Crazy ‘Days of Our Lives’ Mama Drama
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It’s never a good sign when you start out your life working in porn. Days of Our Lives’ Nicole Walker—played by Arianne Zucker—has endured years of heartbreak, much of it triggered by her deep need to be loved and to have a child. Now, after two miscarriages and being pronounced barren, Nicole finally has a little girl, thanks to her best friend, Chloe (Nadia Bjorlin), who delivered the baby via surrogacy using one of Nicole’s embryos. But, hey, this is Days! Chloe now wants to keep that kid and the court has sided with her because, well, Nicole has a reputation for being pretty freakin’ nutty. On March 1, Nicole will kidnap her own baby and go on the lam. This can’t end well, right? Zucker weighs in.
What the hell is Nicole thinking?
I don’t know! Is she thinking? All she wants is some precious time with this teeny-tiny baby. It means everything to her. It could last a week. It could last for years. All she knows for sure is that this is the moment, and she’s seizing it. I don’t think there’s any mother who watches our show who wouldn’t understand why Nicole is doing this. [Laughs] Well, except for the ones who hate my character.
To make matters worse, Eric—the ex-priest who killed Nicole’s true love, Daniel, in a drunk-driving accident—is suddenly out of jail.
Yeah, and Nicole wants him dead. I think she really would kill Eric if she got the chance. The grief she feels over losing Daniel—who brought her the only true happiness she’d had in years—is unimaginable. She just can’t let it go. Days can get kinda kooky, but this pain Nicole feels is raw and real. It brings a lot of truth to the show.
C’mon, admit it, you don’t really want Nicole to be happy. Isn’t that the kiss of death on soaps?
Well, I’ve certainly done very well by her being miserable! [Laughs] For quite a while, she was an actual villain. I’m proud of the fact—really thrilled—that my character is still around. I’m always trying to find a way to make sure the audience still cares about her. So, yeah, I’ll take the tragedy! Besides, if you want happiness, no one should move to Salem.
Let’s play shrink. Do you think Nicole is actually, certifiably crazy or just impossibly foolish?
I think she used to be crazy. She’s grown. [Laughs] Well, sort of. I mean, she certainly makes one bad choice after another and it just never stops. So, yeah, maybe she‘s crazy, but you still want to root for her. Nicole has no family members, none that have stuck around anyway. She’s not really connected to anybody in town, and that says a lot about how much loss and disappointment the character has been through. She wants love wherever she can get it, and she is so desperate to have it that she literally gets in her own way. That’s where all the tragedy happens. She consistently puts herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. And there’s a lot of karma hitting her in the face for all her past misdeeds.
Which was the worst, in your opinion?
Hands down, it was the time Nicole snuck into the operating room while Chloe was having her facial scars removed and put flesh-eating bacteria on the scalpel without the surgeon and the nurses knowing it. It’s been 12 years and I still can’t believe she did that. [Laughs] Or that Nicole and Chloe actually were friends after that. They fight like sisters and love like sisters. I love that dynamic. Even though Nicole really hates Chloe right now, because of this baby battle, I think she understands why Chloe is doing this—to protect the baby from Deimos.
Hmmm…it seems a little more twisted than that. Don’t you think there’s more to Chloe’s obsession with Holly? It’s just not sane.
Oh, I definitely think there’s some sort of postpartum something or other going on. She’s not thinking clearly. Some synapses are just not connecting. But, noooo! Nicole’s the villain here! Nicole did porn! [Laughs] Killers are walking the streets of Salem, but blame everything on Nicole!
Was there ever a time you thought the audience simply wouldn’t forgive Nicole?
When I heard that my character was going to fake a pregnancy with E.J. and kidnap baby Sydney, I thought, “No way! There is no way in hell that I can pull this off! If they don’t hate me already, they’re sure gonna hate me now!” And the story ran two years.
One thing Nicole can’t complain about: She’s never at a loss for men. In fact, she’s usually juggling.
Like my mother always told me, “Ari, have a backup plan.”
Which guy do the fans most want to see with Nicole
There’s definitely a Deimos camp. A lot of people like that chemistry. But there’s also a huge group for Nicole and Brady, and also for Nicole and Eric, who was her first great love. But she’s just too upset with him for that to happen again anytime soon. The great thing about Brady and Nicole is that, no matter what dumb, horrible, insanely ridiculous things she does, Brady’s still her friend. [Laughs] He’s, like, “That gal is so damn messed up. But you know what? I like it!”
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Comments are closed on this story.
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R
I'm Team Chloe. She's trying to protect Holly from murderous Deimos. I'm also really fed up by the Daniel worship. I didn't hate him when he was alive but I do now. Nicole & Maggie continue to cry & grieve over Daniel yet we never get to see or hear Kayla, Caroline, Steve, Shawn,etc.. mention/grieve Bo. It's infuriating And to add insult to injury no one holds it against Deimos that he held Bo captive & is complicit in his death. Victor should hate him instead of living with him.The Brady's should be dragging him for filth..
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C
The weeping and crying over Dr. Douche needs to die a QUICK death. It is ridiculous that Bo and Will's death are never mentioned, but Dr. Oranglow is...ugh pathetic.
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C
Nobody wants Nicole with Deimos...lol lets just be real here.
It is all about Eric & Nicole. I will always love Eric for ridding us of Daniel Jonas.
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R
Don't speak for everybody , first it is delusional and pathetic and secondly she is in a better position to know what ALL the general audience know and think about her character, her storylines and her pairings..she knows what people said to her on twitter..not YOU !
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You are just as clueless as her then! LOL
VI has been fired, he is out the door. Nicole/Deimos is an epic failure and clearly TPTB agree since he has now been fired and Deimos will be killed off (hooray for that!)
Enlighten yourself.
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B
Are you for real ?? You really think you know better than the actress who get feedback..a wholesome feedback about how her character and her pairings are viewed ?? Wow actually it is not even you com who is delusional it is yourself !! Pitiful..i almost feel sorry for you.. the audience is not on ONE pathetic biased fanbase board..wake up..2 millions people what this soap..whereas you have at best 100 (and i am very kind and generous here..) on your social media biased fan board..for pete's sake..YOUR opinion is NOT the general opinion wake up..and stop it..it is really really pathetic at this point..wow wow wowwwww.
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G
Absolutely! Eric&Nicole and Chloe&Brady! Let's have some ROMANCE on this show!
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O
alot of people including myself are not happy that vincent is leaving and i think he could do way better than nicole or chloe.
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its not so much that i want nicole with deimos its that i want him to stay on the show. i get sick of deimos being called names. hes the one who makes days worth watching. i hate to see him go.
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O
I'm all for Ericole, but AZ did in fact dictate storyline. She requested that the Ericole storyline end which resulted in Eric killing Daniel. She caused GV his job. He's back, but look for Eric to be with Jennifer or someone else.
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O
You see how AZ downplays Ericole and acts as if Dicole were huge? It's a figment of her imagination just like DOOL's. There was hardly nothing to Dicole. It was always Ericole, but she screwed up. Maybe her "boyfriend" requested her to request the BS we had to endure!
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You both realize this is a soap opera, don't you?
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O
i havent liked eric since he blamed nicole for what kristen did and got in her face, i hope he helps her out in some way and makes it better where he made all these messes
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G
that's right, I forgot AZ and the guy who played Daniel were 'involved' .. I never could stand any of his pairings because they were all his PATIENTS and they were ALL the 'love of his life'. Phony baloney, manufactured romance.
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UGH, Ron Carlivati can't get here a minute too soon.
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There are plenty of people out there who don't like Ericole. Personally the only time I have ever really like Nicole was with EJ LOL and I can't stand EJ!!! So guess you know how little Nicole mean in the scheme of things to me
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O
I understand where you're coming from, but regardless of liking and/or shipping, there wasn't anything big onscreen between Daniel and Nicole. Their story basically began after his death with the constant mourning. Viewers actually saw the Ericole story.
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G
When Nicole and Deimos used to kiss ad his nose hair was all over her face I wanted to vomit. She has slept with every character on the show including Roman. Well, not Abe that I know of. Nobody would sleep with him.
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G
He lusted over their unconscious bodies. It was creepy. And Jennifer was the love of his life.
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G
We lost so much when E.J. and Sammi left. Now it is all boring.
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O
fix chloe up with xander and he can put her in a meat locker
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I love the cast, and I love this show, and i know Nicole will get her child one day, i just hope it's while the child is little. I'm not happy with the head writer Dena, on killing so many people off. I am glad she is out now.
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as much as i love vincent irazarry and if he was my man i would be a nervous wreck from the lifestyle he lives as deimos, i do love the way he is so loving to nicole. the criminal activities and love of nicole are two different things. nicoles chance taking also would keep me on edge
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I'm hoping that Eric and Nicole are the end game. Eric will save Holly's life, some way and Nicole cannot hate him after that happens.
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C
Nichole is right to want her child and Daniel told her she would get holly
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O
agreed
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P
I'm sorry but Nicole is SO overrated at a character, she always has been for me.
and now I have to say that about at least 1/2 of days characters
Those I like, in no particular order,
Brady, Chloe, Carrie,Eric, Andre, Anna, Rojohn, Marlena, Ciara, Eli, Doug, Julie, Rafe (w/o HopeLESS) Lucas, Austin (PM) Steve, Kayla, Maggie, Victor, Abe, Theo, Val, Loni, Jennifer, JJ,Dario,Edwardo and I could see them bring Wayne Northrop back in some capacity. Ok bring back Bo too as in (PR) he has had a long enough vacation. Bring him back with an old love or a new love interest, BC HopeLESS has been worthless since about 1998
Days should just cut their losses and jettison all the rest
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O
Ari Zucher has been my favorite actor on Days for quite some time. I enjoy her portrayal of Nicole and look forward to what happens next. I always liked Eric Martsoff as Brady. I remember him as Ethan on Passions. I miss Shawn Christian as Daniel. I enjoyed just looking at him and I like looking at Vincent Irizarry as Deimos and also Greg Vaughn as Eric. 🙂 Nicole has had a lot of men to play with including James Scott as EJ. I'm looking forward to what happens next!
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P
To each her own, I have never been able to get into the character. Ari is okay in the role ....not a compliment to her or an insult. Just the fact that all this is meaningless to me, unless it ties into events long ago that have to do with Dr Whyland, Neil Curtis, Maggie, and other vets on the show!!!!
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O
Hi Lois, I love all the old characters too. I don't remember Dr Whyland but I do remember Neil Curtis and really liked him. I miss Maxine, Melanie and Teresa. I also miss the Horton and Brady families and EJ and Sammy too. I wish Lucas and Roman would get more air time also. I'm glad to have this forum to communicate with other Days fans. Thanks for your reply!
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P
Nicole has always been my favorite character & always will
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G
Why must Nicole always be unhappy?
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O
Yes I want nicole to be happy yes I want her tonnage her baby she's no worse thmonths Chloe!!
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