August 10, 2025 • 50 mins
Join us as we chat with Thaao Penghlis from Peacock's Days of Our Lives about his newest podcast "The Great Escape"
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Hello, everyone, Welcome to a small dish here at Dition Days.
I am Adisalli Abby Les, joined by my co host Yes, yes, sorry,
and today we will be having a small dish before
our big dish of a show that we have every
(00:46):
Sunday here on at three o'clock at Dition Days. If
you are a regular part of our audience, welcome and
please make sure to follow us on all our social media.
Please make sure to like us and follow us here
on YouTube. And if you don't happen to catch this
interview live, you can always catch us on our podcast
(01:08):
channels when we post after the show. Today, we will
be having a small dish with one of our favorites.
He is a just I think a forty year now
veteran of the show on Days. I saw something this
week that he and his is on screen Paramore had
(01:29):
an anniversary, an on screen anniversary this past week I think,
And so it was a joy for us to welcome
the legend himself, mister Tail Pengliss to the show. Hey,
oh yes, yes, hello.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Noon.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
So yeah, it's great.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Believe it's been forty three years since I started show. Yes,
you know it's who'd ever think you know. I was
told by a psychic in Sydney when I was twenty
one that I would be playing a diabolical character for many,
many years. It would be popular character. I didn't realize,
(02:18):
you know, when they tell you this all these years later,
that it's actually true. I mean, it's you know, now
people are thinking that possibly Tony could be Andre Andre.
You know, it's kind of interesting to have two characters
and depending on the mood, but both characters were diabolical.
(02:41):
Tony became much more romantic, I think then, and I
kind of missed that side where he would disturb happy people,
do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yes, well, well, you know, whether it's Tony or Andre,
a demera is still a demera. It is very much.
There's always something lingering in the background.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Always, yes, well, you know, it depends, you know, the
way we played it, Joe and I as we began
and established this family. Joe had wonderful qualities in his personality.
I think that's why he was so loved. He wasn't
just a villain. He was someone you love seeing because
(03:24):
of the way he played the part. And I think,
and I always thought always had a secret that people
don't know about you, and so that's what I always
had as the character, and so when I enter, I
always think there's something about you or me that you
don't know, and so that's how I always played him.
(03:46):
So that's why it's so easy to go from one
end of the character to the other depending on the circumstances.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Interesting, well, we are definitely going to get into some
day's stuff, but before that, we do want to talk
about your brand new project, which is your podcast in Ursula.
You want to take the first question.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Yes, So just explain to our audience that this new
venture called is The Great Escape, and it's available on
iHeartMedia right now. Give our audience a little intro into
what it is about and what led you to start
this journey.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It's also on Spotify and oh yes, yeah, it's on
Amazon as well. Well. In the year two thousand, i'd
heard about the Holy Family's escape into Egypt and how
the Coptic religion, which is the Egyptian Christianity, began, and
that took place between four and eight a d. And
(04:47):
so I decided to hire someone to take me up
and down the Nile for two weeks because the purpet
established eight different places, but the Holy Family had hid
from Herod any secret police. So I decided to take
that adventure. And what was interesting about it was how
(05:07):
they how at that time there was no Christianity. You know,
they're just a couple with a child. And by that time,
you know, everybody thinks the Christ Child was, you know,
still a baby because of the paintings and the photographs
that you've had to establish that journey that they took.
(05:29):
But really the Christ Child, by the time the Three
Wise Men went to visit him, he was already two
years old. That's why Herod had the massacre of the
Innocence and for all those two boys who were two
years and younger. But so I took this journey. Some
places were just ruins. Other places were caves. Others were
(05:52):
sacred wells, caves beneath schools where I saw children coming
in and praying. And also so there were places where
like Ashmonain was the first place. It was the ancient Helopolis,
and when I arrived, this is where the Holy Family
(06:13):
had first arrived. And supposedly the statues of the Egyptians
collapsed in their presence, and palm trees bowed to them,
and all these miracles were taking place, and so when
I arrived, I thought, this is just such an ordinary
primitive place. There was nothing there. But wouldn't you know
that last night I'm watching National Geographic and they have
(06:37):
a special on Egypt and it is the area called Ashmonain.
And what they have found is underneath all that soil
are these incredible statues of rameses. The second they're finding
a whole metropolis underneath all that soil. So when I
was walking along their soil, also I just saw these
(06:58):
colonnades built by the Greeks. I thought, well, where is
the history that you see mostly part of it? And
here it is, by coincidence, it's on National Geographic. And
what they are uncovering is extraordinary. I mean a statue
sixty feet tall. I mean, it's just it's just absolutely amazing.
(07:20):
So it was a constant discovery as I went along.
And so the story really I thought about it and
I thought, you know, one of these days I'm going
to write the story. And what was the story was
who are the wise men? You know we always see postcarines.
Who was there? And from which area Persia did they
come from? Which were the kings that were established at
(07:44):
that time, which was in Persia which was Fratasis, and
in Israel it was Herod. They both raned at the
same time, which was thirty seven BC. So these two
incredibly villainous kind of people. So I thought, well, I
(08:06):
have my villains. And so what goes through the pure
part of the story is the Holy Family's escape and
how they survived for four and a half years, how
it created the Coptic religion which survives today. So it
was really an extraordinary journey. And I know sometimes like
a previous head writer said to me that he had
(08:28):
had a hard time writing for me because I was
too deep, And I thought to myself, do you didn't
know what it took to get this deep? It was like,
you know, just eliminating my history and my life and
what I what kind of a foundation I stood on.
So it was, you know, these are the things we
(08:49):
all have depth. It is the willingness to explore that
depth that without being afraid that we might find something
about ourselves that we may not particularly appreciate, or discover
an innocence that we're afraid to expose. So, you know,
so I did it in three parts. The introduction, which
(09:10):
was the journey that I took to discover these stories
Part one in my mind, and how the three wise
men were established that they were the astronomers, the astrologers
of the King's court, the escape, and then part two
of that story how they survived and how Herod died,
(09:32):
how Fratasis died, and how that story all came together
so that it's almost like the innocence prevailed and came
through that storm, yes see.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
And the way that you structured that with the introduction
and part one, which are already available for our years
if you would like to listen to them, and then
the upcoming part two, it seemed like that was very intentional.
And you're starting from your journey first and then moving
backwards to give it almost a distinct sense of time
(10:08):
and space where you know, you're placing yourself in this
environment and then as you said, you're walking on this
what would now be known as holy ground, but again
saying that time has ravaged this area.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
As that was that purposeful, you know when I said it,
you know, it's like planning a sea. It is your
way to see what grows out of it and then
you nurture it. When I look back on it, I
don't remember how some of this story came out. Certainly
I did research. Certainly I wanted to discover the three
(10:50):
Wise Men rather than being a postcard, and who they were,
and what the gifts were about that they eventually brought
to the christ Child, how the escape took place, what
kind of miracles took place. And you know, it's like anything,
a lot of the subconscious comes to the consciousness of self,
and then when that comes through, you don't remember that
(11:13):
this is what came through. It's just I don't know
if you've had that experience. I think we all have,
but maybe we don't notice it. But sometimes intuition information
comes through that we think, oh, because you listen, you
picked up the message. Well, that's what writing is about.
For me, It's about allowing what I have studied. It's
(11:37):
like a recipe. You put all these things together and
through that comes the story and the structure. You know,
being an actor, you know you know that there is
a villain and the antagonist, and there's the hero, and
so how do you work these things through? And so
when I created the first miracle to the child, I
(12:00):
said to the lady who did all the sound effects,
which I think she did a lovely job. Jill Santabanez
I said, I wanted the christ Child because of his innocence.
There's the lamb, there's the shepherd, and the blindness, and
that became the first miracle. And then you know, when
(12:23):
I went to different places, they had in the churches
examples of how boys and girls who couldn't walk suddenly
because of their faith could get out of their wheelchairs
and start walking. So all this gives you inspiration and
it makes you feel like there's something beyond ourselves because
(12:45):
we can be so cynical because if we can't see
what's going on around the corner, we don't believe it.
We have to see it. So that's why I said,
it's really about faith, and when you trust that, you
start to explore. And it's amazing how life will open
doors for you because you have opened up yourself to experience.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
So I want to ask you, did you always plan
to tackle these topics in this type of series or
was it the success of The Lost Treasures that that
kind of made you want to continue.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Well, you know, one of the things that kept my
character alive and well on days was that every time
we had a break. I took a journey so that
when I came back I was full with some kind
of substance, so that I could offer that through to
the character. I mean, I remember Drake Hoaston would say, oh,
I built a bomb, or I played, you know, hit
(13:41):
a ball, or I did this with the grand children,
whatever it was. And so everybody has a way of
filling their time. Mine was my education wasn't good enough
I had. My education was chosen for me, not by me,
and so these journeys are my way of educating, understanding
(14:01):
other cultures so that I have a better understanding of
my own. And it's amazing, you know, I've lived long
enough now to understand that I've sharpened my certain tools,
and that's my intuition. And I think because I explored
so many cultures. I mean I did go to Egypt
fourteen times, you know, I've been to Europe so many times,
(14:25):
and so there's all these stories in my head. And
so now I'm beginning to take the next podcast, which
is going to be about the Parthenon and the stealing
of those marbles from Greece and taken to London by
Lord Elghan, And that's what we're going to do. I'm
(14:45):
now developing with some people. Maybe it's going to be
a theatrical piece, but that's going to be my next podcast,
so I've got something ahead. I haven't quite studied everything,
but I found the subject fascinating. So you know, I've
always been a history buff, you know, yeah, you know,
and I'm also a political you know. I mean, I
(15:06):
think what's going on in the world is I can't
say it's fascinating it because it's.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Yes, it is, but it is interesting to reach back
into the world. And you know, in part one in particular,
where you just you know, you you describe you know,
King Herod in such detail. That's like again, we know,
you know, people who have grown in the church, you know,
(15:35):
very famous figure, but it's always you know, almost just
one note archetypal bad guy antagonist. We know, you know
this is you know, this is the story that we
tell in Sunday School. But in order to give great
d you have to dig deeper into Okay, what could
(15:55):
this person this have actually been afflicted with? What is
what does history tell us throughout time of leaders such
as this?
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah, yes, well, you know they didn't have much of
a conscience in those days. They we hopefully believe in
the God that gives us some kind of conscious feeling
about how we treat people, although I'm not quite sure
our leaders that much connected to the compassion of poor
(16:33):
people and what they struggle with. But yeah, I didn't
want to make them a cartoon. It was interesting. I
went into a sound booth for an hour to do
each podcast as I finished, and it was interesting because
I didn't know at that particular moment how I would,
(16:56):
excuse me vocalize Herod. What I did go into was
to go into a guttural sound. And because I can
manipulate my voice, because I've even from the days of
Mission Impossible and Days and all the characters I've had
to play, my voice is my instrument in which I
(17:17):
can manipulate, and so instantly when I spoke about Herod,
I gave him a deeper voice, a certain attitude. When
I had the angels, I did certain things with my
hands over my mouth to create a more angelic feeling
to the scene. So it was a real test because
it was all very spontaneous, and I think because daytime
(17:40):
is so fast and you have to have that facility
to be able to say and do something in one
take without apologizing and then going on to the next.
I think that's what helped me make this podcast as
versatile as it is. But let me ask you, you've
heard it, do you feel about the story?
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I feel I always feel that there's more to explore.
You know that that you know, you can travel the
world and see you see see artifacts or replicas of
certain artifacts from you know, history, and there's always there
(18:25):
was always It's easy to forget that there usually were
people behind all of those things, all of those artifacts,
all of those places.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Yeah, I love it. Funny thing that you mentioned you're
a sound person because we actually were talking about sound
and I don't know, tell if you've seen the movie Sinners. Yeah,
there's a scene where del Roy Lindo is explaining a
story and in the background, they play out the sounds
of the story as he's describing it. So it actually
reminded me of that when he listening that you're hearing
(18:57):
sort of the background noise is matching sort of what
you're saying, and it's enhancing the story. So kudos to
you and the sound person for that. And we actually
were talking talking about the rape rape actually before you
came on the sound and the noises and how it
enhances the story. So yeah, kudos to you guys for that.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Because did you like the story? Hm, did you like
the story?
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Yeah? I did?
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Oh yes, yeah yeah. But we Yeah, with with those things,
I'm always thinking, Okay, what's what's next, What's what's more
to explore because it's it's the history is just so
rich and so dense that there's not sometimes there's not
enough time, there's not enough, uh, to be able to
put into podcast worm. But I do think, I do
(19:40):
think switching from from the written word. I know, you know,
we all, we all value the written word, but I
think switching from the written word to this podcast form
is important, especially for the next generation, in order to
be able to catch to capture their attention, and to
be able to, as we've discussed, place you know, these
(20:02):
quote unquote things that we've only learned in or in
history books or in the Bible or what have you,
in the written word and place them in context.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
I think there's also something too about listening to it.
It's it, you know, sort of reminds me of these
you know, quote unquote old timey radio shows that you'd
gather around and listen to the radio, and that was
you know, before TV, that was how you help expand
your imagination and how you sort of received information. So
I for me, I'm not I never gotten into like
(20:32):
audio books, but I love podcasts, so like having it,
having the stories sort of digest it through that and
that sort of way. I think was interesting for me,
just because I'm more likely to as much as I
love podcasts, to like pick up a book and try
and read it and try and visualize it. But I
realized when I hear it sort of visualized by someone
else and spoken and doing the different characters, it's it
(20:53):
paints a different picture for me than if I was
sort of left to myself to kind of imagine it.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Well, you know, when I did the first podcast of
Shlimann Discovering Troy and all those wonderful treasures, I went
through sixty thousand documents, which took me two weeks. I
went to Troy three times. I spent countless time sitting
among ruins in Myceni where the Trojan war had started.
(21:21):
So my experiences are pretty When I look back on them,
I'm thinking, who would have thought that all this stuff
was going to come together and there would be a
tale to tell. And how do you tell the tale? Well,
you know some people are storytellers and some people you
know you wanted them to say and what happened? Because
(21:41):
you know some people, when they're telling you an experience,
it just goes on and on and on and on,
and you can just say, okay, so what happened and
you cut to the chase. Because this story, the hooks
are not interesting. They don't have a clear picture of
the intensity of the story they're telling. And so that's
(22:01):
why you must drive a story in at the same time,
understand who you're talking to, and if you're doing it live,
you must you must bring your audience up to you.
You don't go down to your audience, who bring them
up to you. And it's the same way. How do
you keep an audience interested in what it is you've
you've experienced, what it is that came out of that experience,
(22:23):
which is the tale? How do you then write that tale?
How do you then recite that tale? And how you
explore that tale in the writing and the recording and
then the effects. You know, when you look at it
is it's a lot of work and you know, I
don't even have to be honest with you. I don't
even have except maybe for Susan and Leanne and and Lauren.
(22:47):
I don't have any responses from all the actors that
I work with for so many years. I mean, it's like, okay,
so then you realize, you know, I've supported certain things facts.
But when it comes back to you, it's like, why
can't people just be supportive and understand that what you've
contributed is also part of the show. You know, it
(23:10):
gives you, It broadens the aspect of what that show
is about and who the characters are. And so for me,
it's a terrific pleasure. And when people enjoy it and
people say to me, oh, because the last thing of
part one is the chase was on, so what kind
(23:30):
of a chase isn't what takes place? And so I
thought the second half also, it came out very well.
And I wanted to acquire the sound of a choir
when something special, spiritual miracle happens in the story, And
so when I spoke with Jill, I would orchestrate what
(23:53):
kind of sound I would like, And so you know,
in the end what happens is supposedly the Angels comes
to just to say that Herod has died and it's
time to go back. You can go back home basically,
And what happens to the Jesus character, which I think
is fascinating from the ages of thirteen to twenty nine.
(24:14):
Why aren't there any stories on him and people just saying, oh, well,
he's just doing his work. No, you know, there's other
things that I'm discovering now about what took place when
he went to India. So it's been a real joy
to tell this story. I was going to release it
for Christmas, but I didn't have the chance to finish it.
(24:37):
But it's one of those stories that keep going and
keep going because it is it's like Christmas, you know,
it's like Easter. Those stories have gravitas to them and
we've all been brought up on them, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Definitely. I know you write in direct each episode. What
can you give us a little bit of what's your
process for both of those things?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
What is the process for my writing.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Writing and directing? Because I believe you directed each episode
as well.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Yes, yeah, I mean, you know I always thought that,
as I said, when the Christ has his first miracle,
I wanted to sound like it was something profound. And
so what's profound to me is the music. I love corral.
I love the sound of a choir, even in the district.
(25:26):
It just allows the miracle to be something very special.
And also the fact that miracles do happen. That's why
people have faith. You know, we intellectualize everything. We go
to those ancient lands and you see how people live,
and the way they live is because something miraculous happened,
(25:47):
and if it hasn't, they keep going until something does,
you know. And that's why in the air, I mean,
it's interesting parts of the story of what Christ does
and how suddenly the whole sky explodes and what takes
place for the people of those villagers. So, you know,
(26:08):
we've just become too cynical and we don't have time
to really listen. We don't take the time because we're
so busy. You know, if I see one more person
with the phone walking in the street and bumping into people,
do you know what I mean? It's just like, are
you people crazy? You're not conscious? I mean, you can't.
They can't deal with themselves. It's all about going outside
(26:30):
of yourself rather than going within. And so you know,
that's why I like the ancient lands. It's got there's things.
The reason why these stories have have gravitas is because
we need these tales because otherwise we'll have an empty
canvas and we'll have things like what's going on in
(26:52):
our politics now where so many people are dying and
it's like that we're not realize there's all this stuff going.
I mean, we went through the slave situation. We're seeing
what's going on in Palestine, We're seeing what happened to
the Jewish people. I mean it's like we have to
wake up. You know, there are things that we're not
(27:12):
paying attention, and that's why we're having so many catastrophes
because they're dealing with egos, and you know, egos the hollow.
They're done, there's there's nothing that sustains them. Ye.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
I could agree with you more.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Yes, Yeah, you're you are you are quite literally preaching
to the choir. Yes, and you know the I did
think that you know, part of you doing this work,
and you know why it's important to brought in it
to even just like our soap audience is because you
(27:45):
know we we we I think a soap audience is
prime real estate because for these stories, because we love
long form stories, we have a history of loving our
long form stories. We will stick with you in any
form you choose to give them to them. And it's
important to spread that education, I think as far as
(28:06):
it can go.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Yeah, to remind people, you know that we our stories
are America and the way they're trying to wipe out
our history. America has an enormous history. I mean, even
though it's a young country, but go to Europe and
you see their history. It's just unfathomable what has taken
place in the two thousand years. You know, I just
(28:29):
find it fat you know, even when I went to
Syria just before the war started and I climbed to
the castle where they established the Christians established in a
Muslim world that they were here to stay and have
the Crusades and all that. I mean, they're just wonderful
things to explore.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
People go to oceans and sit in sun bay and
do whatever. That's good too, But in the meantime, try
and explore something that you don't know. Try to teach
your children what happened before us. There's so many things
to embrace, and to me, it makes you a better person,
It makes you a better writer, better active, It makes
you understand and love goes close to you because understanding
(29:13):
the loss that has happened to so many people, to
all of us, you know, those are the qualities that
make us human beings. But they seem to want to
us to just stay on the surface because then that
can control us. So I'm saying to people, don't buy
into all those things that are easy. Does this enhance
my life or does it keep me in the same place?
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Before we move on to some fun, fun stuff with
data here from from Cold People that marian has. It's
very intriguing in graduate interest from the beginning with the
opening music and tails Smooth Boys, so yeah, Marianne is
a fan. And then of course Annette Thompson, who's one
of our favorites, said, we seem to want need an
explanation for everything instead of just accepting we may never
(30:01):
know how, know why how something happened. So yeah, preaching
to the choir there.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, yeah, we still we're still constantly searching. But I
think the it's the it's the it's the journey, as
you as you say so eloquently in the in the podcast,
it's the you know, but we can explore and track
this journey. It's not necessarily for us to say this
is why this happened, and this is exactly how this happened,
(30:32):
you know, in in almost minute detail. But it's for
us to explore.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Yeah. And also when you think of what missus Obama
wrote of a book called Becoming and what does that mean?
You know, you your life is about becoming, and then Monday,
you've become and what does that mean? What are you
standing on? So that a lot of people who reach
their sixties suddenly realize they don't know what they've become.
(30:57):
They didn't invest in that it self in the right way.
It was all about escapism or having fun all the time,
or let's not get too serious. Well, the reason why
you get serious is because at the end of that
is is you is joy. Yeah, you know, once you
go through something and you overcome obstacles, at the other
(31:19):
side of it is joy, celebration. But you can't always
hide and pretend that what's there is like you know,
I don't want to hear it's too serious. Whatever serious
is wonderful, Yeah, as much as it is joy. And
we must have a continuity of all of those things.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Yeah, I find it telling, like I think that you
have that in common so much with with with your
alter tony demera, that it's an a'll transition here, that
that you both you both have that that that set,
that deeply rooted sense of of your history, of your
individual history, and yet still still always always traveling, always
(32:02):
searching for that joy, always looking for that joy wherever
it may be.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
You know, Let's face it, I arrived in Daytime and
was with Gloria Loring, and I didn't know where it's
going to go. But those wonderful writers, Pat Falk and
Smith the way they established the demos and brought Joe in,
and then we had those wonderful big, you know, dramatic
(32:29):
scenes and that voice that Joe had. I remember one
morning I came on to say and Joe said, I
don't like this scene. And I said, well, what's the problem.
He says, I don't like the way you're talking to me.
I said, gentleman and adult, I can talk to you
that way. You know, I'm grown up. I'm separate to you.
I don't care. You're talking to me very rudely, and
(32:50):
I'm going to cut it. No, you're not going to
cut it because I'm going to say it, and so
he got really upset. I said, Joe, we make enough
money to say these words off the page. Let's try it. Yeah,
and that's where we started to feed each other. He
apologized later, but it's that for the first time he
(33:10):
wasn't in total control. Yeah, and that was what brought
the rivalry between Tony and Joe Stefan. But then, you know,
all the rest of the demas that have come have
been more angler than you know, so it's a different
(33:34):
kind of thing that we started with.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Speaking of extra damirors, I have to say we we
welcome you back. We love seeing you, so glad you've returned.
But we got to ask you about working with two
of our favorites, Sherry Alexander as Gabby and Emily O'Brien
as Gwen, who are well Gabby, Gaby's character not so
much to do, but especially Gwen sort of coming into
(33:58):
the Tamia fold. What's the lect to with those two
ladies who we just we just adore it well.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
But I really enjoyed because they're so different. Sherry, because
the Gabby character she was different to the previous actress,
you know, but they're both very Latina's and the wonderful bodies.
I mean, I find it interesting Nece to study their bodies,
the way they move, you know, it's like it's a dance,
(34:25):
you know. And so I've got some really interesting scenes
coming up with her. It was, and she's a joy,
you know, when she comes on the set, she's she's
she's so happy to work with you, you know, she comes,
she's so genuine and she's she's probably one of my favorites.
(34:48):
And but Gwen character, I've only really I had one
show with her where I had a lot of dialogue
and she has that kind of aloofness that you want
to penetrate, you know, it's like you want to slap
it because she's so loose and gives you this look.
(35:09):
But at the same time, it's interesting because you're trying
to break through that that facade that she creates, and
she's a bit like that as a person. Actually, that's interesting.
Both characters are extensions of themselves, I see. But because
the Gwen character is, you know, British and and very
(35:30):
diplomatic about things, where where as Sharry she's just so passionate.
But at the same time she's a killer.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
That's because one thing we're always lambasting is like build
up the de Mirror family. Like I think some of
our favorite times on the show was when the family
was together, even if they were at each other's throats,
we saw, it's you and Stephano and then we have
in a in. One of my favorite times was when
it was Stephanel and then Lauren, as you know she
(36:01):
was married to Stefano, and then it was you and
in out there, and then EJ was with Nicole and
he was with age e O and you know what
I mean.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I like the.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Familiness of bringing the Demeurs together. So I'm glad that
we're getting a little bit of that now with especially
bringing you and Anna back, bringing one into the fold
to join sort of Ej and and we have Rachel
there and yeah, I just I like the idea of
building up.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Where the original seed was planted in nineteen eighty one
eighty two. It's interesting to see how it has survived
all these years. Yeah, and that's because the the Demeras
were diabolical and they were characters that you love to hate,
but at the same time they gave also a very
(36:48):
sexual energy and they're also dangerous. And of course when
Andrea came into the picture, who was just off his rocket.
Although I like playing with him because I thought I
could get away with things, you know, those choices were.
I loved all the disguises with that character. But you know,
(37:09):
now coming back and there's so many different characters that
I don't know who they are. But in the Demera family,
you know, bringing in theo which I think is really
interesting and what happens because we're so far ahead now,
But I think you'll enjoy the storyline of Gabbian and Tony.
(37:31):
I think it gives me a chance. It gives me
a chance to sort of almost take the leadership in
a sense and start seeing bringing in the diabolical side
again rather than always pleasing Honor Well.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
I mean I think that he I think that he
could break all of the plates in the art work
in the house and he and he would still I'll
find a way to please Anna. So I think that's
that ship sailed long ago. Yes, But do you feel
like you are the eldest Demera now? Maybe not firmly
(38:13):
planting yourself at the head of the family, because you know,
you know, Stephano's presence, Joe's presence. It's impossible to replace
or replicate. But do you feel a sense of responsibility
now is the eldest in the in the home? So
as to speak?
Speaker 2 (38:29):
So to speak, you know, I wish, I mean, I
just go by what they write. It's not what I want. Sometimes, yes,
there are times where I feel I've earned the right
to be ahead of that. Family said Ana wants to
travel all the time. Drives me up the bananas. I mean,
(38:52):
it's like, can we get any shadower than that? You know,
if you take a journey, we come back and we
had a journey, but there's nothing in that, there's nothing
to really say. You know, we had dangerous things happen.
You know it's got kidnapped or you know those things were.
But that's I'm not the writer, and so I've got
(39:15):
to play it and lift off the page what I
can under circumstances. And I've had a chance to do
it now with Gabby. But you know, there used to
be long arcs in storylines and say you'd follow through
with it. Now they give you information and you can
stop right there and doesn't come back in another two weeks.
(39:36):
They kind of dropped the story in a sense. But
it's the way they are formatting things. And but I
must say, it's always nice to go through those doors
and get made up and get dressed and go into
the stage and see whatever moods your actors are in
and playing in the characters and see what comes out
(39:57):
of it. It's always it's always new. It's never for me,
it's you know, it's like Susan Hayes for instance. You know,
it's my relationship with Susan Hayes has grown so tremendously
since it's since it initiated itself back in the old days.
So and I enjoy her because there's not a lot
(40:18):
of beds left. Yeah, you know, there's something about realizing
those who have gone now, and a lot have gone,
especially this past year.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Yeah, it's been a rough couple of years for the
Day's family.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Yeah, it's been. And you know, you've been working with
them all these years and it's not easier to you
don't forget. You just you know, go on with the
show and that's it. But you know, the Joe character, well,
there's the portrait there, so that's not going to fade
too quickly. Interesting stuff coming up about that.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
I got to ask you, we know why we love
Tony and Anna, how would you describe why do you
think the audience loves Tony and in out just outside
of the general chemistry that you and Leanne have had
for decades in your friendship? You know, we know that
book in your words? Or why do you why do
you think you know people are so crazy about this
particular couple.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
I think it's genuine. You know, there's something about you know,
you can act a particular relationship and kiss and say
things to each other, but there's something about when Leanne
and I come together, it's like fitting the same shoe. Yeah,
(41:35):
she really cares. It's like when she puts her hand
on my chest. I mean it's genuine. I think in
many ways, the reason chemistry happens is because deep down
people find each other not just attractive, but their spirit,
that underlying spirit, that magical thing which is who we are,
(42:00):
the light that we are. There's not a lot of
shadows with Leanne and I. I support Leanna as much
as she supports me, and so you know, she's come
to my home so many times for dinner, and we
have opposite in politics and things with you know, not
(42:23):
that we get into arguments, but at the base of
it all is that we do love each other and
so when it comes, it's the closest thing to husband
and wife. And so that's what comes on the screen.
And so when people, you know, people are not stupid.
When people see they can say, oh, I don't like
that person, why don't you I? And that is something
about them. The reason like Tony and Anna is because
(42:45):
whatever comes through with Tony and Anna is real at
that moment, with the dialogue that we have for that day,
has has an honesty about it. And that's because it
has a line that comes through which is the direct
connection from my core to yours and vice versa. And
(43:07):
that is rare because you know, I've been in business
long enough, but sometimes you've got to kiss somebody you
don't want to vice versa. But you know, with Cleanne,
so I can play whatever I like and I shall
be there.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
Yes, so we we would love to have you here
for the rest of the afternoon, but we do have
a regular show. Cluck. So I do want to close out.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
By Sorry, I just want to I want to bring
this up because I was going to mention this earlier.
And then actually this person popped in the chat room, okay,
and one who you know very well, Tao fellow Aussie
Stacey Armstrong.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
Oh my god, yes who I.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
Actually I actually had the pleasure of meeting last weekend.
I know you guys did the Starstar fan event. Stacy
Allison was there, Yeah, Andy Olsen but a couple other
people fans then had a great time. But I got
to meet Stacy and Alison the night before that Sunday,
and they they love you and adore you with Leanne
(44:20):
and and just resounded me with stories about how how
great and generous you've been to them over the years
and and the friendships have developed. But yeah, it's so funny,
Stacy says she's listening on her flight to Nashville. Loved
Stacy and Allison.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
But how could you not love somebody for I was
all away from Australia to come and see you. Absolutely,
it's always genuine, you know, she's right there. Uh. You know,
I had a bit of a physical situation that I
almost canceled that boat trip, but I didn't. But they
(44:58):
were very compassionate about it, their generous spirits, and you know,
it's like anything you. It's not about ego anymore. It's
when somebody has supported you this long and takes the
time because something about what you do makes them feel
better about themselves, or they're more interested about something within
(45:19):
themselves that's been touched by the person that they have
decided to focus on. And I think and the same
with Leanne. She's a genuine character and that's why people
are drawn that way. And so you know, as I said,
kindness is not expensive.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
Yep, well, i'd just because I met her in Elson
last weekend.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Yeah, well, my best to her. I'm sorry I didn't
get a chance to see her afterwards. But no, she
and Alison are terrific very well.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
Said yes, yes, And so to close out this interview,
I want to once again, uh say that The Loss
and not The Lost Chargers The Great Escape is currently
available on iHeart Media as well as on Spotify and
you said Amazon as well, And when when can we
(46:14):
expect part two?
Speaker 2 (46:16):
I had radio too, I think, and then probably a
couple of weeks, okay, and so therefore then all three
will be available. I'd like to make a film of
the story.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
There is definitely a market for this. I find that
with what is the Amazon the Amazon series. Yes, the
name escapes me right now, but yes, yes, I find yes,
I mean that that I think is the most popular
(46:52):
series to date now, but now that there's definitely more
of an appetite for more, more film, be a documentary
or you know, realized fiction.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
It really is a fascinating journey to go through all
those places and see where they hid and what it
must have been like for them, the Holy Family. And
then you go into ancient Cairo Coronaria called Babylon, and
you see all those Coptic churches, and every one of
those Coptic churches has paintings and photographs of the Holy
(47:25):
Family escaping on a donkey into Egypt. So it did
make a profound change to the country. So I must say,
and I thank you for allowing me to express my story,
which ideally loved and I think I hope the audience
gets the chance to listen to it because part one
(47:46):
and part two are really I thought exciting, and I thought,
you know, this could be a film, So yes, all.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
Right, so then that we can expect that next project.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
I don't know if you can see it. It's the
screen is not why is it not working?
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Put it right in front of your face.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
It'll work right there. Here we going celebrities, which I
have my copy here, signed copy. I'm slowly making my
way through retail. I'm doing one recipe at a time.
I've done what have I done? I've done the laguini GLAMs,
I've done the pork tenderlin. I think I want to
tackle the ducks sometime soon.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
Oh yes, yeah, yeah. I remember when the publisher said,
do these recipes work? I have no idea. They came
out of my head. I didn't have the recipes. No,
this is that's the way I cook. It's the way
I write. It's all part of the imagination. And the
thing mostly is that you cook. You tell stories. Oh,
(48:46):
because you want some part of your audience to feel
that they haven't wasted their time, that something about what
you've just shared made a difference.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
No, I love it. I love to cook, so I
like the I like the art of cooking.
Speaker 2 (49:00):
So I'm glad that you're probably, especially if you're going
to have a party, because I know you have a
lot of parties.
Speaker 3 (49:08):
Right Okay, speaking of which, we're we're still waiting on
our invitation to one of your lovely dinner parties.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
All right, all right, I'm sorry I missed him. Yeah,
tell him I've taken him out of the will.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (49:32):
Thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 3 (49:34):
With you.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
To see you.
Speaker 1 (49:38):
Yes, and thank you for our audience.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (49:41):
Bye, and thank you to our audience for joining us
for a small dish with opening list. Stay tuned. We
will take a little break and we will be back
in a little more than an hour two our regularly
scheduled programming.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
Thanks everyone, Thank you.
Hello, everyone, Welcome to a small dish here at Dition Days.
I am Adisalli Abby Les, joined by my co host Yes, yes, sorry,
and today we will be having a small dish before
our big dish of a show that we have every
(00:46):
Sunday here on at three o'clock at Dition Days. If
you are a regular part of our audience, welcome and
please make sure to follow us on all our social media.
Please make sure to like us and follow us here
on YouTube. And if you don't happen to catch this
interview live, you can always catch us on our podcast
(01:08):
channels when we post after the show. Today, we will
be having a small dish with one of our favorites.
He is a just I think a forty year now
veteran of the show on Days. I saw something this
week that he and his is on screen Paramore had
(01:29):
an anniversary, an on screen anniversary this past week I think,
And so it was a joy for us to welcome
the legend himself, mister Tail Pengliss to the show. Hey,
oh yes, yes, hello.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Noon.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
So yeah, it's great.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Believe it's been forty three years since I started show. Yes,
you know it's who'd ever think you know. I was
told by a psychic in Sydney when I was twenty
one that I would be playing a diabolical character for many,
many years. It would be popular character. I didn't realize,
(02:18):
you know, when they tell you this all these years later,
that it's actually true. I mean, it's you know, now
people are thinking that possibly Tony could be Andre Andre.
You know, it's kind of interesting to have two characters
and depending on the mood, but both characters were diabolical.
(02:41):
Tony became much more romantic, I think then, and I
kind of missed that side where he would disturb happy people,
do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yes, well, well, you know, whether it's Tony or Andre,
a demera is still a demera. It is very much.
There's always something lingering in the background.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Always, yes, well, you know, it depends, you know, the
way we played it, Joe and I as we began
and established this family. Joe had wonderful qualities in his personality.
I think that's why he was so loved. He wasn't
just a villain. He was someone you love seeing because
(03:24):
of the way he played the part. And I think,
and I always thought always had a secret that people
don't know about you, and so that's what I always
had as the character, and so when I enter, I
always think there's something about you or me that you
don't know, and so that's how I always played him.
(03:46):
So that's why it's so easy to go from one
end of the character to the other depending on the circumstances.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Interesting, well, we are definitely going to get into some
day's stuff, but before that, we do want to talk
about your brand new project, which is your podcast in Ursula.
You want to take the first question.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Yes, So just explain to our audience that this new
venture called is The Great Escape, and it's available on
iHeartMedia right now. Give our audience a little intro into
what it is about and what led you to start
this journey.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It's also on Spotify and oh yes, yeah, it's on
Amazon as well. Well. In the year two thousand, i'd
heard about the Holy Family's escape into Egypt and how
the Coptic religion, which is the Egyptian Christianity, began, and
that took place between four and eight a d. And
(04:47):
so I decided to hire someone to take me up
and down the Nile for two weeks because the purpet
established eight different places, but the Holy Family had hid
from Herod any secret police. So I decided to take
that adventure. And what was interesting about it was how
(05:07):
they how at that time there was no Christianity. You know,
they're just a couple with a child. And by that time,
you know, everybody thinks the Christ Child was, you know,
still a baby because of the paintings and the photographs
that you've had to establish that journey that they took.
(05:29):
But really the Christ Child, by the time the Three
Wise Men went to visit him, he was already two
years old. That's why Herod had the massacre of the
Innocence and for all those two boys who were two
years and younger. But so I took this journey. Some
places were just ruins. Other places were caves. Others were
(05:52):
sacred wells, caves beneath schools where I saw children coming
in and praying. And also so there were places where
like Ashmonain was the first place. It was the ancient Helopolis,
and when I arrived, this is where the Holy Family
(06:13):
had first arrived. And supposedly the statues of the Egyptians
collapsed in their presence, and palm trees bowed to them,
and all these miracles were taking place, and so when
I arrived, I thought, this is just such an ordinary
primitive place. There was nothing there. But wouldn't you know
that last night I'm watching National Geographic and they have
(06:37):
a special on Egypt and it is the area called Ashmonain.
And what they have found is underneath all that soil
are these incredible statues of rameses. The second they're finding
a whole metropolis underneath all that soil. So when I
was walking along their soil, also I just saw these
(06:58):
colonnades built by the Greeks. I thought, well, where is
the history that you see mostly part of it? And
here it is, by coincidence, it's on National Geographic. And
what they are uncovering is extraordinary. I mean a statue
sixty feet tall. I mean, it's just it's just absolutely amazing.
(07:20):
So it was a constant discovery as I went along.
And so the story really I thought about it and
I thought, you know, one of these days I'm going
to write the story. And what was the story was
who are the wise men? You know we always see postcarines.
Who was there? And from which area Persia did they
come from? Which were the kings that were established at
(07:44):
that time, which was in Persia which was Fratasis, and
in Israel it was Herod. They both raned at the
same time, which was thirty seven BC. So these two
incredibly villainous kind of people. So I thought, well, I
(08:06):
have my villains. And so what goes through the pure
part of the story is the Holy Family's escape and
how they survived for four and a half years, how
it created the Coptic religion which survives today. So it
was really an extraordinary journey. And I know sometimes like
a previous head writer said to me that he had
(08:28):
had a hard time writing for me because I was
too deep, And I thought to myself, do you didn't
know what it took to get this deep? It was like,
you know, just eliminating my history and my life and
what I what kind of a foundation I stood on.
So it was, you know, these are the things we
(08:49):
all have depth. It is the willingness to explore that
depth that without being afraid that we might find something
about ourselves that we may not particularly appreciate, or discover
an innocence that we're afraid to expose. So, you know,
so I did it in three parts. The introduction, which
(09:10):
was the journey that I took to discover these stories
Part one in my mind, and how the three wise
men were established that they were the astronomers, the astrologers
of the King's court, the escape, and then part two
of that story how they survived and how Herod died,
(09:32):
how Fratasis died, and how that story all came together
so that it's almost like the innocence prevailed and came
through that storm, yes see.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
And the way that you structured that with the introduction
and part one, which are already available for our years
if you would like to listen to them, and then
the upcoming part two, it seemed like that was very intentional.
And you're starting from your journey first and then moving
backwards to give it almost a distinct sense of time
(10:08):
and space where you know, you're placing yourself in this
environment and then as you said, you're walking on this
what would now be known as holy ground, but again
saying that time has ravaged this area.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
As that was that purposeful, you know when I said it,
you know, it's like planning a sea. It is your
way to see what grows out of it and then
you nurture it. When I look back on it, I
don't remember how some of this story came out. Certainly
I did research. Certainly I wanted to discover the three
(10:50):
Wise Men rather than being a postcard, and who they were,
and what the gifts were about that they eventually brought
to the christ Child, how the escape took place, what
kind of miracles took place. And you know, it's like anything,
a lot of the subconscious comes to the consciousness of self,
and then when that comes through, you don't remember that
(11:13):
this is what came through. It's just I don't know
if you've had that experience. I think we all have,
but maybe we don't notice it. But sometimes intuition information
comes through that we think, oh, because you listen, you
picked up the message. Well, that's what writing is about.
For me, It's about allowing what I have studied. It's
(11:37):
like a recipe. You put all these things together and
through that comes the story and the structure. You know,
being an actor, you know you know that there is
a villain and the antagonist, and there's the hero, and
so how do you work these things through? And so
when I created the first miracle to the child, I
(12:00):
said to the lady who did all the sound effects,
which I think she did a lovely job. Jill Santabanez
I said, I wanted the christ Child because of his innocence.
There's the lamb, there's the shepherd, and the blindness, and
that became the first miracle. And then you know, when
(12:23):
I went to different places, they had in the churches
examples of how boys and girls who couldn't walk suddenly
because of their faith could get out of their wheelchairs
and start walking. So all this gives you inspiration and
it makes you feel like there's something beyond ourselves because
(12:45):
we can be so cynical because if we can't see
what's going on around the corner, we don't believe it.
We have to see it. So that's why I said,
it's really about faith, and when you trust that, you
start to explore. And it's amazing how life will open
doors for you because you have opened up yourself to experience.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
So I want to ask you, did you always plan
to tackle these topics in this type of series or
was it the success of The Lost Treasures that that
kind of made you want to continue.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Well, you know, one of the things that kept my
character alive and well on days was that every time
we had a break. I took a journey so that
when I came back I was full with some kind
of substance, so that I could offer that through to
the character. I mean, I remember Drake Hoaston would say, oh,
I built a bomb, or I played, you know, hit
(13:41):
a ball, or I did this with the grand children,
whatever it was. And so everybody has a way of
filling their time. Mine was my education wasn't good enough
I had. My education was chosen for me, not by me,
and so these journeys are my way of educating, understanding
(14:01):
other cultures so that I have a better understanding of
my own. And it's amazing, you know, I've lived long
enough now to understand that I've sharpened my certain tools,
and that's my intuition. And I think because I explored
so many cultures. I mean I did go to Egypt
fourteen times, you know, I've been to Europe so many times,
(14:25):
and so there's all these stories in my head. And
so now I'm beginning to take the next podcast, which
is going to be about the Parthenon and the stealing
of those marbles from Greece and taken to London by
Lord Elghan, And that's what we're going to do. I'm
(14:45):
now developing with some people. Maybe it's going to be
a theatrical piece, but that's going to be my next podcast,
so I've got something ahead. I haven't quite studied everything,
but I found the subject fascinating. So you know, I've
always been a history buff, you know, yeah, you know,
and I'm also a political you know. I mean, I
(15:06):
think what's going on in the world is I can't
say it's fascinating it because it's.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Yes, it is, but it is interesting to reach back
into the world. And you know, in part one in particular,
where you just you know, you you describe you know,
King Herod in such detail. That's like again, we know,
you know, people who have grown in the church, you know,
(15:35):
very famous figure, but it's always you know, almost just
one note archetypal bad guy antagonist. We know, you know
this is you know, this is the story that we
tell in Sunday School. But in order to give great
d you have to dig deeper into Okay, what could
(15:55):
this person this have actually been afflicted with? What is
what does history tell us throughout time of leaders such
as this?
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah, yes, well, you know they didn't have much of
a conscience in those days. They we hopefully believe in
the God that gives us some kind of conscious feeling
about how we treat people, although I'm not quite sure
our leaders that much connected to the compassion of poor
(16:33):
people and what they struggle with. But yeah, I didn't
want to make them a cartoon. It was interesting. I
went into a sound booth for an hour to do
each podcast as I finished, and it was interesting because
I didn't know at that particular moment how I would,
(16:56):
excuse me vocalize Herod. What I did go into was
to go into a guttural sound. And because I can
manipulate my voice, because I've even from the days of
Mission Impossible and Days and all the characters I've had
to play, my voice is my instrument in which I
(17:17):
can manipulate, and so instantly when I spoke about Herod,
I gave him a deeper voice, a certain attitude. When
I had the angels, I did certain things with my
hands over my mouth to create a more angelic feeling
to the scene. So it was a real test because
it was all very spontaneous, and I think because daytime
(17:40):
is so fast and you have to have that facility
to be able to say and do something in one
take without apologizing and then going on to the next.
I think that's what helped me make this podcast as
versatile as it is. But let me ask you, you've
heard it, do you feel about the story?
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I feel I always feel that there's more to explore.
You know that that you know, you can travel the
world and see you see see artifacts or replicas of
certain artifacts from you know, history, and there's always there
(18:25):
was always It's easy to forget that there usually were
people behind all of those things, all of those artifacts,
all of those places.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Yeah, I love it. Funny thing that you mentioned you're
a sound person because we actually were talking about sound
and I don't know, tell if you've seen the movie Sinners. Yeah,
there's a scene where del Roy Lindo is explaining a
story and in the background, they play out the sounds
of the story as he's describing it. So it actually
reminded me of that when he listening that you're hearing
(18:57):
sort of the background noise is matching sort of what
you're saying, and it's enhancing the story. So kudos to
you and the sound person for that. And we actually
were talking talking about the rape rape actually before you
came on the sound and the noises and how it
enhances the story. So yeah, kudos to you guys for that.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Because did you like the story? Hm, did you like
the story?
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Yeah? I did?
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Oh yes, yeah yeah. But we Yeah, with with those things,
I'm always thinking, Okay, what's what's next, What's what's more
to explore because it's it's the history is just so
rich and so dense that there's not sometimes there's not
enough time, there's not enough, uh, to be able to
put into podcast worm. But I do think, I do
(19:40):
think switching from from the written word. I know, you know,
we all, we all value the written word, but I
think switching from the written word to this podcast form
is important, especially for the next generation, in order to
be able to catch to capture their attention, and to
be able to, as we've discussed, place you know, these
(20:02):
quote unquote things that we've only learned in or in
history books or in the Bible or what have you,
in the written word and place them in context.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
I think there's also something too about listening to it.
It's it, you know, sort of reminds me of these
you know, quote unquote old timey radio shows that you'd
gather around and listen to the radio, and that was
you know, before TV, that was how you help expand
your imagination and how you sort of received information. So
I for me, I'm not I never gotten into like
(20:32):
audio books, but I love podcasts, so like having it,
having the stories sort of digest it through that and
that sort of way. I think was interesting for me,
just because I'm more likely to as much as I
love podcasts, to like pick up a book and try
and read it and try and visualize it. But I
realized when I hear it sort of visualized by someone
else and spoken and doing the different characters, it's it
(20:53):
paints a different picture for me than if I was
sort of left to myself to kind of imagine it.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Well, you know, when I did the first podcast of
Shlimann Discovering Troy and all those wonderful treasures, I went
through sixty thousand documents, which took me two weeks. I
went to Troy three times. I spent countless time sitting
among ruins in Myceni where the Trojan war had started.
(21:21):
So my experiences are pretty When I look back on them,
I'm thinking, who would have thought that all this stuff
was going to come together and there would be a
tale to tell. And how do you tell the tale? Well,
you know some people are storytellers and some people you
know you wanted them to say and what happened? Because
(21:41):
you know some people, when they're telling you an experience,
it just goes on and on and on and on,
and you can just say, okay, so what happened and
you cut to the chase. Because this story, the hooks
are not interesting. They don't have a clear picture of
the intensity of the story they're telling. And so that's
(22:01):
why you must drive a story in at the same time,
understand who you're talking to, and if you're doing it live,
you must you must bring your audience up to you.
You don't go down to your audience, who bring them
up to you. And it's the same way. How do
you keep an audience interested in what it is you've
you've experienced, what it is that came out of that experience,
(22:23):
which is the tale? How do you then write that tale?
How do you then recite that tale? And how you
explore that tale in the writing and the recording and
then the effects. You know, when you look at it
is it's a lot of work and you know, I
don't even have to be honest with you. I don't
even have except maybe for Susan and Leanne and and Lauren.
(22:47):
I don't have any responses from all the actors that
I work with for so many years. I mean, it's like, okay,
so then you realize, you know, I've supported certain things facts.
But when it comes back to you, it's like, why
can't people just be supportive and understand that what you've
contributed is also part of the show. You know, it
(23:10):
gives you, It broadens the aspect of what that show
is about and who the characters are. And so for me,
it's a terrific pleasure. And when people enjoy it and
people say to me, oh, because the last thing of
part one is the chase was on, so what kind
(23:30):
of a chase isn't what takes place? And so I
thought the second half also, it came out very well.
And I wanted to acquire the sound of a choir
when something special, spiritual miracle happens in the story, And
so when I spoke with Jill, I would orchestrate what
(23:53):
kind of sound I would like, And so you know,
in the end what happens is supposedly the Angels comes
to just to say that Herod has died and it's
time to go back. You can go back home basically,
And what happens to the Jesus character, which I think
is fascinating from the ages of thirteen to twenty nine.
(24:14):
Why aren't there any stories on him and people just saying, oh, well,
he's just doing his work. No, you know, there's other
things that I'm discovering now about what took place when
he went to India. So it's been a real joy
to tell this story. I was going to release it
for Christmas, but I didn't have the chance to finish it.
(24:37):
But it's one of those stories that keep going and
keep going because it is it's like Christmas, you know,
it's like Easter. Those stories have gravitas to them and
we've all been brought up on them, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Definitely. I know you write in direct each episode. What
can you give us a little bit of what's your
process for both of those things?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
What is the process for my writing.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Writing and directing? Because I believe you directed each episode
as well.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Yes, yeah, I mean, you know I always thought that,
as I said, when the Christ has his first miracle,
I wanted to sound like it was something profound. And
so what's profound to me is the music. I love corral.
I love the sound of a choir, even in the district.
(25:26):
It just allows the miracle to be something very special.
And also the fact that miracles do happen. That's why
people have faith. You know, we intellectualize everything. We go
to those ancient lands and you see how people live,
and the way they live is because something miraculous happened,
(25:47):
and if it hasn't, they keep going until something does,
you know. And that's why in the air, I mean,
it's interesting parts of the story of what Christ does
and how suddenly the whole sky explodes and what takes
place for the people of those villagers. So, you know,
(26:08):
we've just become too cynical and we don't have time
to really listen. We don't take the time because we're
so busy. You know, if I see one more person
with the phone walking in the street and bumping into people,
do you know what I mean? It's just like, are
you people crazy? You're not conscious? I mean, you can't.
They can't deal with themselves. It's all about going outside
(26:30):
of yourself rather than going within. And so you know,
that's why I like the ancient lands. It's got there's things.
The reason why these stories have have gravitas is because
we need these tales because otherwise we'll have an empty
canvas and we'll have things like what's going on in
(26:52):
our politics now where so many people are dying and
it's like that we're not realize there's all this stuff going.
I mean, we went through the slave situation. We're seeing
what's going on in Palestine, We're seeing what happened to
the Jewish people. I mean it's like we have to
wake up. You know, there are things that we're not
(27:12):
paying attention, and that's why we're having so many catastrophes
because they're dealing with egos, and you know, egos the hollow.
They're done, there's there's nothing that sustains them. Ye.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
I could agree with you more.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Yes, Yeah, you're you are you are quite literally preaching
to the choir. Yes, and you know the I did
think that you know, part of you doing this work,
and you know why it's important to brought in it
to even just like our soap audience is because you
(27:45):
know we we we I think a soap audience is
prime real estate because for these stories, because we love
long form stories, we have a history of loving our
long form stories. We will stick with you in any
form you choose to give them to them. And it's
important to spread that education, I think as far as
(28:06):
it can go.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Yeah, to remind people, you know that we our stories
are America and the way they're trying to wipe out
our history. America has an enormous history. I mean, even
though it's a young country, but go to Europe and
you see their history. It's just unfathomable what has taken
place in the two thousand years. You know, I just
(28:29):
find it fat you know, even when I went to
Syria just before the war started and I climbed to
the castle where they established the Christians established in a
Muslim world that they were here to stay and have
the Crusades and all that. I mean, they're just wonderful
things to explore.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
People go to oceans and sit in sun bay and
do whatever. That's good too, But in the meantime, try
and explore something that you don't know. Try to teach
your children what happened before us. There's so many things
to embrace, and to me, it makes you a better person,
It makes you a better writer, better active, It makes
you understand and love goes close to you because understanding
(29:13):
the loss that has happened to so many people, to
all of us, you know, those are the qualities that
make us human beings. But they seem to want to
us to just stay on the surface because then that
can control us. So I'm saying to people, don't buy
into all those things that are easy. Does this enhance
my life or does it keep me in the same place?
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Before we move on to some fun, fun stuff with
data here from from Cold People that marian has. It's
very intriguing in graduate interest from the beginning with the
opening music and tails Smooth Boys, so yeah, Marianne is
a fan. And then of course Annette Thompson, who's one
of our favorites, said, we seem to want need an
explanation for everything instead of just accepting we may never
(30:01):
know how, know why how something happened. So yeah, preaching
to the choir there.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, yeah, we still we're still constantly searching. But I
think the it's the it's the it's the journey, as
you as you say so eloquently in the in the podcast,
it's the you know, but we can explore and track
this journey. It's not necessarily for us to say this
is why this happened, and this is exactly how this happened,
(30:32):
you know, in in almost minute detail. But it's for
us to explore.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Yeah. And also when you think of what missus Obama
wrote of a book called Becoming and what does that mean?
You know, you your life is about becoming, and then Monday,
you've become and what does that mean? What are you
standing on? So that a lot of people who reach
their sixties suddenly realize they don't know what they've become.
(30:57):
They didn't invest in that it self in the right way.
It was all about escapism or having fun all the time,
or let's not get too serious. Well, the reason why
you get serious is because at the end of that
is is you is joy. Yeah, you know, once you
go through something and you overcome obstacles, at the other
(31:19):
side of it is joy, celebration. But you can't always
hide and pretend that what's there is like you know,
I don't want to hear it's too serious. Whatever serious
is wonderful, Yeah, as much as it is joy. And
we must have a continuity of all of those things.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Yeah, I find it telling, like I think that you
have that in common so much with with with your
alter tony demera, that it's an a'll transition here, that
that you both you both have that that that set,
that deeply rooted sense of of your history, of your
individual history, and yet still still always always traveling, always
(32:02):
searching for that joy, always looking for that joy wherever
it may be.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
You know, Let's face it, I arrived in Daytime and
was with Gloria Loring, and I didn't know where it's
going to go. But those wonderful writers, Pat Falk and
Smith the way they established the demos and brought Joe in,
and then we had those wonderful big, you know, dramatic
(32:29):
scenes and that voice that Joe had. I remember one
morning I came on to say and Joe said, I
don't like this scene. And I said, well, what's the problem.
He says, I don't like the way you're talking to me.
I said, gentleman and adult, I can talk to you
that way. You know, I'm grown up. I'm separate to you.
I don't care. You're talking to me very rudely, and
(32:50):
I'm going to cut it. No, you're not going to
cut it because I'm going to say it, and so
he got really upset. I said, Joe, we make enough
money to say these words off the page. Let's try it. Yeah,
and that's where we started to feed each other. He
apologized later, but it's that for the first time he
(33:10):
wasn't in total control. Yeah, and that was what brought
the rivalry between Tony and Joe Stefan. But then, you know,
all the rest of the demas that have come have
been more angler than you know, so it's a different
(33:34):
kind of thing that we started with.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Speaking of extra damirors, I have to say we we
welcome you back. We love seeing you, so glad you've returned.
But we got to ask you about working with two
of our favorites, Sherry Alexander as Gabby and Emily O'Brien
as Gwen, who are well Gabby, Gaby's character not so
much to do, but especially Gwen sort of coming into
(33:58):
the Tamia fold. What's the lect to with those two
ladies who we just we just adore it well.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
But I really enjoyed because they're so different. Sherry, because
the Gabby character she was different to the previous actress,
you know, but they're both very Latina's and the wonderful bodies.
I mean, I find it interesting Nece to study their bodies,
the way they move, you know, it's like it's a dance,
(34:25):
you know. And so I've got some really interesting scenes
coming up with her. It was, and she's a joy,
you know, when she comes on the set, she's she's
she's so happy to work with you, you know, she comes,
she's so genuine and she's she's probably one of my favorites.
(34:48):
And but Gwen character, I've only really I had one
show with her where I had a lot of dialogue
and she has that kind of aloofness that you want
to penetrate, you know, it's like you want to slap
it because she's so loose and gives you this look.
(35:09):
But at the same time, it's interesting because you're trying
to break through that that facade that she creates, and
she's a bit like that as a person. Actually, that's interesting.
Both characters are extensions of themselves, I see. But because
the Gwen character is, you know, British and and very
(35:30):
diplomatic about things, where where as Sharry she's just so passionate.
But at the same time she's a killer.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
That's because one thing we're always lambasting is like build
up the de Mirror family. Like I think some of
our favorite times on the show was when the family
was together, even if they were at each other's throats,
we saw, it's you and Stephano and then we have
in a in. One of my favorite times was when
it was Stephanel and then Lauren, as you know she
(36:01):
was married to Stefano, and then it was you and
in out there, and then EJ was with Nicole and
he was with age e O and you know what
I mean.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I like the.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Familiness of bringing the Demeurs together. So I'm glad that
we're getting a little bit of that now with especially
bringing you and Anna back, bringing one into the fold
to join sort of Ej and and we have Rachel
there and yeah, I just I like the idea of
building up.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Where the original seed was planted in nineteen eighty one
eighty two. It's interesting to see how it has survived
all these years. Yeah, and that's because the the Demeras
were diabolical and they were characters that you love to hate,
but at the same time they gave also a very
(36:48):
sexual energy and they're also dangerous. And of course when
Andrea came into the picture, who was just off his rocket.
Although I like playing with him because I thought I
could get away with things, you know, those choices were.
I loved all the disguises with that character. But you know,
(37:09):
now coming back and there's so many different characters that
I don't know who they are. But in the Demera family,
you know, bringing in theo which I think is really
interesting and what happens because we're so far ahead now,
But I think you'll enjoy the storyline of Gabbian and Tony.
(37:31):
I think it gives me a chance. It gives me
a chance to sort of almost take the leadership in
a sense and start seeing bringing in the diabolical side
again rather than always pleasing Honor Well.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
I mean I think that he I think that he
could break all of the plates in the art work
in the house and he and he would still I'll
find a way to please Anna. So I think that's
that ship sailed long ago. Yes, But do you feel
like you are the eldest Demera now? Maybe not firmly
(38:13):
planting yourself at the head of the family, because you know,
you know, Stephano's presence, Joe's presence. It's impossible to replace
or replicate. But do you feel a sense of responsibility
now is the eldest in the in the home? So
as to speak?
Speaker 2 (38:29):
So to speak, you know, I wish, I mean, I
just go by what they write. It's not what I want. Sometimes, yes,
there are times where I feel I've earned the right
to be ahead of that. Family said Ana wants to
travel all the time. Drives me up the bananas. I mean,
(38:52):
it's like, can we get any shadower than that? You know,
if you take a journey, we come back and we
had a journey, but there's nothing in that, there's nothing
to really say. You know, we had dangerous things happen.
You know it's got kidnapped or you know those things were.
But that's I'm not the writer, and so I've got
(39:15):
to play it and lift off the page what I
can under circumstances. And I've had a chance to do
it now with Gabby. But you know, there used to
be long arcs in storylines and say you'd follow through
with it. Now they give you information and you can
stop right there and doesn't come back in another two weeks.
(39:36):
They kind of dropped the story in a sense. But
it's the way they are formatting things. And but I
must say, it's always nice to go through those doors
and get made up and get dressed and go into
the stage and see whatever moods your actors are in
and playing in the characters and see what comes out
(39:57):
of it. It's always it's always new. It's never for me,
it's you know, it's like Susan Hayes for instance. You know,
it's my relationship with Susan Hayes has grown so tremendously
since it's since it initiated itself back in the old days.
So and I enjoy her because there's not a lot
(40:18):
of beds left. Yeah, you know, there's something about realizing
those who have gone now, and a lot have gone,
especially this past year.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Yeah, it's been a rough couple of years for the
Day's family.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Yeah, it's been. And you know, you've been working with
them all these years and it's not easier to you
don't forget. You just you know, go on with the
show and that's it. But you know, the Joe character, well,
there's the portrait there, so that's not going to fade
too quickly. Interesting stuff coming up about that.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
I got to ask you, we know why we love
Tony and Anna, how would you describe why do you
think the audience loves Tony and in out just outside
of the general chemistry that you and Leanne have had
for decades in your friendship? You know, we know that
book in your words? Or why do you why do
you think you know people are so crazy about this
particular couple.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
I think it's genuine. You know, there's something about you know,
you can act a particular relationship and kiss and say
things to each other, but there's something about when Leanne
and I come together, it's like fitting the same shoe. Yeah,
(41:35):
she really cares. It's like when she puts her hand
on my chest. I mean it's genuine. I think in
many ways, the reason chemistry happens is because deep down
people find each other not just attractive, but their spirit,
that underlying spirit, that magical thing which is who we are,
(42:00):
the light that we are. There's not a lot of
shadows with Leanne and I. I support Leanna as much
as she supports me, and so you know, she's come
to my home so many times for dinner, and we
have opposite in politics and things with you know, not
(42:23):
that we get into arguments, but at the base of
it all is that we do love each other and
so when it comes, it's the closest thing to husband
and wife. And so that's what comes on the screen.
And so when people, you know, people are not stupid.
When people see they can say, oh, I don't like
that person, why don't you I? And that is something
about them. The reason like Tony and Anna is because
(42:45):
whatever comes through with Tony and Anna is real at
that moment, with the dialogue that we have for that day,
has has an honesty about it. And that's because it
has a line that comes through which is the direct
connection from my core to yours and vice versa. And
(43:07):
that is rare because you know, I've been in business
long enough, but sometimes you've got to kiss somebody you
don't want to vice versa. But you know, with Cleanne,
so I can play whatever I like and I shall
be there.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
Yes, so we we would love to have you here
for the rest of the afternoon, but we do have
a regular show. Cluck. So I do want to close out.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
By Sorry, I just want to I want to bring
this up because I was going to mention this earlier.
And then actually this person popped in the chat room, okay,
and one who you know very well, Tao fellow Aussie
Stacey Armstrong.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
Oh my god, yes who I.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
Actually I actually had the pleasure of meeting last weekend.
I know you guys did the Starstar fan event. Stacy
Allison was there, Yeah, Andy Olsen but a couple other
people fans then had a great time. But I got
to meet Stacy and Alison the night before that Sunday,
and they they love you and adore you with Leanne
(44:20):
and and just resounded me with stories about how how
great and generous you've been to them over the years
and and the friendships have developed. But yeah, it's so funny,
Stacy says she's listening on her flight to Nashville. Loved
Stacy and Allison.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
But how could you not love somebody for I was
all away from Australia to come and see you. Absolutely,
it's always genuine, you know, she's right there. Uh. You know,
I had a bit of a physical situation that I
almost canceled that boat trip, but I didn't. But they
(44:58):
were very compassionate about it, their generous spirits, and you know,
it's like anything you. It's not about ego anymore. It's
when somebody has supported you this long and takes the
time because something about what you do makes them feel
better about themselves, or they're more interested about something within
(45:19):
themselves that's been touched by the person that they have
decided to focus on. And I think and the same
with Leanne. She's a genuine character and that's why people
are drawn that way. And so you know, as I said,
kindness is not expensive.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
Yep, well, i'd just because I met her in Elson
last weekend.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Yeah, well, my best to her. I'm sorry I didn't
get a chance to see her afterwards. But no, she
and Alison are terrific very well.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
Said yes, yes, And so to close out this interview,
I want to once again, uh say that The Loss
and not The Lost Chargers The Great Escape is currently
available on iHeart Media as well as on Spotify and
you said Amazon as well, And when when can we
(46:14):
expect part two?
Speaker 2 (46:16):
I had radio too, I think, and then probably a
couple of weeks, okay, and so therefore then all three
will be available. I'd like to make a film of
the story.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
There is definitely a market for this. I find that
with what is the Amazon the Amazon series. Yes, the
name escapes me right now, but yes, yes, I find yes,
I mean that that I think is the most popular
(46:52):
series to date now, but now that there's definitely more
of an appetite for more, more film, be a documentary
or you know, realized fiction.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
It really is a fascinating journey to go through all
those places and see where they hid and what it
must have been like for them, the Holy Family. And
then you go into ancient Cairo Coronaria called Babylon, and
you see all those Coptic churches, and every one of
those Coptic churches has paintings and photographs of the Holy
(47:25):
Family escaping on a donkey into Egypt. So it did
make a profound change to the country. So I must say,
and I thank you for allowing me to express my story,
which ideally loved and I think I hope the audience
gets the chance to listen to it because part one
(47:46):
and part two are really I thought exciting, and I thought,
you know, this could be a film, So yes, all.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
Right, so then that we can expect that next project.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
I don't know if you can see it. It's the
screen is not why is it not working?
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Put it right in front of your face.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
It'll work right there. Here we going celebrities, which I
have my copy here, signed copy. I'm slowly making my
way through retail. I'm doing one recipe at a time.
I've done what have I done? I've done the laguini GLAMs,
I've done the pork tenderlin. I think I want to
tackle the ducks sometime soon.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
Oh yes, yeah, yeah. I remember when the publisher said,
do these recipes work? I have no idea. They came
out of my head. I didn't have the recipes. No,
this is that's the way I cook. It's the way
I write. It's all part of the imagination. And the
thing mostly is that you cook. You tell stories. Oh,
(48:46):
because you want some part of your audience to feel
that they haven't wasted their time, that something about what
you've just shared made a difference.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
No, I love it. I love to cook, so I
like the I like the art of cooking.
Speaker 2 (49:00):
So I'm glad that you're probably, especially if you're going
to have a party, because I know you have a
lot of parties.
Speaker 3 (49:08):
Right Okay, speaking of which, we're we're still waiting on
our invitation to one of your lovely dinner parties.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
All right, all right, I'm sorry I missed him. Yeah,
tell him I've taken him out of the will.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (49:32):
Thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 3 (49:34):
With you.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
To see you.
Speaker 1 (49:38):
Yes, and thank you for our audience.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (49:41):
Bye, and thank you to our audience for joining us
for a small dish with opening list. Stay tuned. We
will take a little break and we will be back
in a little more than an hour two our regularly
scheduled programming.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
Thanks everyone, Thank you.
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