Although Billy Flynn had some challenges arriving in Toronto due to airline complications, he was very generous, sharing some of his very limited downtime with me.  While he may have been tired, Billy willingly shared his answers, and did not try to rush the interview.  It’s evident why he has built such a huge fan base during his time as Chad DiMera on Days of Our Lives.

Carolyn Topol Talk:  What was your first professional acting job?

Billy Flynn:  Hawaii Five-0.  That was the first one I got paid for; made any money from.  I did a weird short film a friend asked me to do that was never really shown to anybody.

CTT:  How would you like to see your career evolve over the next 10 years?

BF:  Films, man!  Give me those movies [laughs] — anything actually.  There’s so many good scripts.  A good story; I just want to tell a good story and I just want to work.  I want to do good stuff and I want to act well.

CTT:   What was your favorite Days storyline that you have participated in?

BF:  I have to go with the 50th stuff.  It was a lot of fun; I love working with Rob [Wilson].  It was such a big time for the show.  Although I’ve got to admit the stuff, acting wise, while Abby was going crazy — like going into the hospital, was pretty fun cause I got to push myself.  And then the stuff that I’m doing now is brilliant because I finally feel comfortable with my work.  I go in different stages in my work, but I feel really comfortable with what I’m doing now.

CTT:  If you could play any role in theater, film, or television, who would it be?

BF:  Any role?

CTT:  Any role; your dream role.

BF:  “Rebel Without a Cause”—are you kidding me!  That’s it!  He only made three films [referring to James Dean].  I mean, his role in “East of Eden”—his part in East of Eden—I feel like I can relate a lot to the broken characters he played based on his childhood stuff. It was amazing what he played despite all that.  I’d love to play the role in East of Eden too.

CTT:  If you had no career restrictions, and could move anywhere in the world, even for a short period of time, where would it be and why?

BF:  New York.  If it didn’t change anything, some place like Italy would be amazing, but I’d love to live in New York City.  I love L.A. but I like NYC; I like to walk to the cafés.  In L.A. you have to drive everywhere.

CTT:  If for some reason you could no longer be an actor, what alternate career would you choose?

BF:  [Billy Flynn thought about his for a few moments.] I’m not skilled in it, but I’d love to be a photographer.  If I could choose something to be good at, I’d like to be good at that.  It would be great to be a really good photographer, almost like some of those who take beautiful portraits you see in “Time” magazine or who go into some crazy places and capture something beautiful — capturing a beautiful moment in something terrible.

CTT:  I think you have an artist’s eye.  I’m sure it would work out just fine, but I don’t want you to stop acting.

BF:  I hope not. [laughs] I seem to be moderately okay at it and I like it.

CTT:  ‘Moderately okay’ is moderately humble; more than moderately humble.

BF:  Thank you.

CTT:  You’re so good to your fans, and participate in many events.  What drives you to continue to do these events?

BF:  I don’t do a lot.  I get anxiety going away from home, oddly enough.  I just like to come out and see people.  It’s nice that all these people come from everywhere and spend all this money to come and see you.  It’s like, I’m just some idiot from Minnesota.  It’s wild; just amazing.  [Counting his events over the past year, Billy realized this was his fifth event.  He did not realize how many he had done.]

I like them [events].  It’s cool to see people and it’s amazing to know people want to come out to see you.

CTT:  What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

BF:  Oreo

CTT:  What is your favorite sport to watch and which one is your favorite to participate in?

Hockey is my favorite to participate in and my favorite to watch as well.  Football’s a close second.

CTT:  Team?

BF:  My heart’s in Minnesota, so the Minnesota Wild, but I’ve got to admit, I jumped on the LA Kings bandwagon.

CTT:  Do you get to play a lot being in L.A.?

BF:  I got to play in the celebratory tournament with Luc Robitaille, for his charity, Echoes of Hope. [Echoes of Hope assists emancipated foster youth with the resources they need while pursuing a post-secondary education. Founded by Stacia and Luc Robitaille in 2007.]

I don’t get to play as much as I’d like though.

Thank you to Billy Flynn for this interview.

It was a privilege to interview Billy Flynn, and I thank him, as well as Eric Martsolf and Rob Wilson for sharing their time and responding honestly and willingly to all my questions.  Days of Our Lives and all the fans are lucky to have benefitted from the talent of all three of these actors.

(Next week, I have another fabulous interview to share with one of the Afterbuzz TV’s Dishin Days entertaining hosts!)