It was a great treat for CarolynTopolTalk.com to speak with Kyler Pettis, who plays Theo Carver, on Days of Our Lives.  Getting to know Kyler, it became clear why he is such a success and is so genuine in his interpretation of Theo.

Carolyn Topol Talk:  How did you find out about the role for Theo?

Kyler Pettis:  My manager sent me on an audition months before this role for, I think, another role on Days of Our Lives. We just kept in touch with the casting director and this role came up and I was called back for it.

CTT:  Do you know what the other role might’ve been?

KP:  I’m not even sure who the character was. It may have been a guest spot. It was a motorcycle dude. It wasn’t as big a role as Theo is.

CTT:  When you were called back for the role of Theo, was it specifically for you, alone, or did you go in with a lot of other actors called back to audition?

KP:  I think they remembered me and I was called back in for the role of Theo, but there were also a lot of other actors called in too.

CTT:  Had you already auditioned for other soap operas in the past?

KP:  Yes. My first booking was as a costar on Ray Donovan. I think that was about a month before I booked Days. Days has been my first big project. I’ve been working on the show almost two years now, and I booked a couple of other things during that time but this is my first big break.

CTT:  Congratulations on the soap! You have a lot of fans who are enjoying your performance on Days. I also noticed [on your IMDB page] that you’re involved in a movie entitled M.F.A. that’s in post production. Is that a TV movie or a feature film?

KP:  It’s actually an independent film. It’s definitely going to be in festivals. It has a great director [Natalia Leite]!  I shot that at Chapman University a couple of months ago. It was a great experience.

CTT:  How did the time balance for you — working on both Days and on the film?

KP:  Our schedule for soap operas is very hectic, as I’m sure you can imagine. We just have to keep an eye out on that. My manager was going back-and-forth to check on production for the movie and production on Days. I think the first date we tried didn’t work out. Of course we wanted to get both things done, so we figured it out. It ended up working out for me, which I am really appreciative of!

CTT:  I’m glad you were able to work it out. Going back to Days, you play a very challenging role, that of a high functioning, autistic young man. What kind of preparation do you do to research, and get a handle on, the behaviors you need to do the work and be believable?

KP:  Well, first off, I definitely spoke with the writer. One of our writers [has a child who] is autistic, and if I’m correct, I think [Theo] was very much influenced by [that child]. I spoke with [the writer] before I actually started filming. I did my research — talked to a lot of people who are related to people with autism. It was a scary process when I started filming because you can totally play this character so over-the-top, and get backlash for it. I definitely was very prepared when I started filming.

CTT:  Have you felt more and more comfortable taking on the persona of Theo since originally going on?

KP:  Oh for sure. I’ve lived with him for almost two years now. It was kind of nerve-racking at the beginning because I also didn’t [see] comments or tweets from fans. After I started, getting that [feedback], and knowing they’re appreciating what I’m doing with Theo, relieved a little tension for me.

CTT:  The fans are definitely supporting you! I have yet to see anyone who doesn’t think you’re doing a great job interpreting the role.

KP:  Thank you! I’m really happy about that.

CTT:  When you arrive at the studio each day, is there something you do to prepare to become Theo?

KP:  No, I just make sure I did my research. The biggest thing for any actor is you just have to be prepared. Days is very fast paced, just like every soap opera. We get scripts and changes with short time windows. I make sure I’m prepared enough to dive into the character.

CTT:  Do you have any routines you go through when you get onset?

KP:  Nothing major. I kind of live with him (Theo), so I kind of just know him at this point. Also, a big thing is that I really wanted to learn about Theo, the person, not that he was just a character with autism. I didn’t want to focus just on the autism because that’s when you can get in trouble — just looking at a person you need to play as autistic. I didn’t look at Theo that way. I approached his story line, and got an understanding of autism as a social awkwardness and the social not connecting. I get that way in my day-to-day life so I make sure to pay attention, and figure out if Theo would feel that way, and play more onto that. So that was my biggest interpretation of how I approached Theo, and how I approach him everyday.

CTT:  Theo is part of an extensive Days of Our Lives family.  How much did you know about his family when you started taping? In addition, once you knew you had the role, did you do any research into Theo’s family tree, or did the writers come to you to tell you about it?

KP:  I’ll be honest, there’s still some information I get from producers that’s sometimes so shocking to me that I didn’t know, because the show’s been on the air for 51 years. It’s impossible for me to know everything. [Laughs] But, of course, I knew my mom died, and I knew who my father was, and about my siblings, who have come and gone in Salem. I definitely had to research a bit because I’m coming into such a big project that’s been on the air for so long. I can’t just come and be unprepared — that would be unprofessional. [Laughs]

CTT:  I was also curious as to to whether Days immediately came forward and gave you the information, or did you have to do more of the searching?

KP:  Figuratively, they gave me a pamphlet of the main things that have happened in my (Theo’s) life that I needed to pay attention to. I got that from them. I wanted to make sure I had all the information that I needed so I got a lot from them, and then researched on my own. I’m still getting information on set, before I film, that will give me more specifics as to how I play the character — information about his storyline from so long ago.

CTT:  We heard a lot about Theo’s mom lately, and his deep connection to his father as Theo was recently so troubled about his father’s illness. When you go to Theo’s darker places, how do you find your way to bringing those difficult emotions to the surface?

KP:  For me, acting is all about getting out of your own head and out of all judgments. I definitely think I’m the type of person, although I might not look it, who’s experienced a lot of deep dark feelings in my life. It’s always good to have experiences to call upon, but I also just like to try and be there with the scene partner. Most of the time actors can get in their heads, but if you’re really present with the scene partner it works, and, Abe [James Reynolds] my dad, is such a great scene partner! Honestly, I work off of him and I just try to trust that I know what I’m doing, and I know the writers know what they’re doing. Obviously, you also have to trust the cast and the crew, because you are vulnerable when you open up like that in front of a lot of people.

CTT:  What can you tell us about rehearsal? Do you get any rehearsal time — particularly with whoever you’re scene partner is?

KP:  Yes, everyone is different. I’m the kind of person who likes to be really prepared so I can just go with it when on set. But a lot of people are different. A lot of scene partners like to run [lines]. We have a coach on set who helps us run [lines]. We also have blocking before it. When we come in, we learn where we’re going to be walking and where we’re going to be in a scene — where we’re going to be sitting and what we’re going to be doing. Before we tape, we have a rehearsal where way can run through the kinks, and then after that we’ll tape it.

CTT:  Once you get to that point, have you done some rehearsing on your own?

KP:  For me, it relieves a lot of stress when I come to set knowing exactly where Theo’s going to be, what he’s going to do, and what his emotions are, so I do a lot of prep at home. It’s always good to come to set and do some more rehearsal, so for me that extra preparation is always good.

CTT:  Theo has been through a lot since you’ve taken on the role. What would you say has been the most challenging storyline you have been given so far?

KP:  That’s a hard one. I give a lot of props to soap actors, in general, because I think the writers, as it’s part of the genre, take circumstances to the extreme. For me, it’s sometimes been hard to drop into a truthful place with so much going on. A lot of it has been challenging. I think the storyline between Ciara and Claire [Vivian Jovanni and Olivia Rose Keegan] and Theo has been challenging. That triangle has been challenging. I’ve never been in a situation like that, so I have to do my homework to find the truth in it. Also, the autism is an underlying storyline that has been throughout the entire show for me. The new stuff, with Valerie [Vanessa Williams] back in Salem, was interesting. To see how Theo was acting with her, and how the relationship has changed between father and son. So it’s often challenging but it’s been great!

CTT:  What was the most fun story line you did?

KP:  One of my favorite moments was when Ciara told me (Theo), in the DiMera mansion, how she didn’t have feelings for me in romantic way — kind of like a break-up scene.  To get there as an actor, I felt like me and Vivian (pictured left with Kyler), who is a really good friend of mine, dropped into a very real place, and it’s always great to get there as an actor. That was really fun for me. Also, the scene where I got to pull a gun on Clyde Weston [James Read] was really fun. I remember holding my first gun — it’s a prop gun, but It’s real, and safe. I came running on set, and in my mind I was in a bad boys movie. I was yelling at him [Clyde] all confident and everything. I remember the [director] telling me that was good, but that’s not Theo — you have to remember that he’s scared. It’s his first time doing anything like this. So I was like, “Yeah, you’re right,” so I had to turn that around. That was the most fun I’ve had so far — holding the gun, and getting to seek my revenge. [Laughs]

CTT:  How are you like Theo and how do you differ from him?

KP:  I definitely think a big part that I could resonate with is the idea of social discomfort. I can really understand Theo because I sometimes get myself into situations where I am just so uncomfortable I don’t know what to do. I really relate to him in that way, and I also relate to him as he’s always kind of the white knight in Salem. His actions are sometimes darker in the storyline, but he’s always coming from a loving place, and that’s how I am. I always want the best for people, like Theo. As for what’s different, along with the good stuff, I do have a bit of a darker side that I don’t show  in public. It’s something Theo hasn’t really come into yet. To be honest, Theo is really a fully rounded character that I could see a lot of myself in.

CTT:  If you had any role in the future that you might dream of playing, who would you want to play?

KP:  I would love to play — I’ve been a fan of Blade – The Vampire Killer. I love how the superheroes are kind of dark; I’d love to play them. And I’m obsessed with Will Smith and Denzel Washington, so if I could play a son, in one of their movies, where we would have a lot of conflicts and emotional scenes with either one of them, that would be my dream come true.

CTT:  I could definitely see you playing one of their sons — that would be great!

KP:  Oh, wait — and there’s Star Wars — I have to be in Star Wars! I have to be in Star Wars, and I’d have to be a villain. That’s the top of my list! [Laughs]

CTT:  So you wouldn’t be one of the Jedi?

KP:  No, I’d be a Scythe for sure.

CTT: We’d love to see that happen for you.  Going back to something you mentioned earlier, you said you had auditioned for days more than once, have you auditioned for any other soaps?

KP:  Yes, I auditioned for, I’m pretty sure, The Bold and the Beautiful. It was actually at the same time as I had my call-back for Days. I had already done my screen test [at B&B], and it was down to me and another guy, and they were going back-and-forth. They actually asked me to come back to meet the producers, and then Days snagged me up real quick.

CTT:  You’re clearly established on Days now. Where do you see Theo going on the show; can we expect to see him getting more and more independent?

KP:  Definitely! Right now Theo has been finding himself in his space as he is now turning into a young man. He’s discovering himself now, and making choices’s that have been coming from him. I think we’re going to see him deal with different, and more challenging, decisions than he’s had before. Hopefully they’ll help make him grow into a young man. We’re seeing him grow from his older teens to young adult stage.

CTT:  Then for you, Kyler, where do you see yourself going over the next few years? We see more and more flexibility offered in soap opera schedules so what else do you hope to do? (Kyler pictured above with his brother.)

KP:  Films and movies, as an art form, have always been such a pleasure of mine. My uncle and I are big movie buffs. We’ve been going to movies, together, since I was little, pretty much every week. I definitely want to be in movies — but, then again, there is also so much at work for TV, especially now with Netflix and Hulu. To be honest — anything that gets me excited. I love good storytelling!  Anything that gets me the opportunity to have more experiences, and be excited. I would love to get to a position where I’m able to be established enough to make choices about what my soul wants. I have to first build myself up in my career, but I would love to be able to choose, based on the art and the individual project. That would be my biggest accomplishment.

CTT:  When did you know that acting was going to be the direction you were going to take for your career?

KP:  When I was much younger. I have pictures I drew, when I was younger, that are still on the refrigerator, of me on stage with a microphone. I’ve always wanted to be in the entertainment industry. I used to be obsessed with Power Rangers and Peter Pan. I would stand in front of the television and want to actually be inside the TV with them. [Laughs] I always wanted to be an actor since I was younger. I started to actually pursue [acting], as a great career, about four years ago.

CTT:  Is there anything else we can expect to see you in — in addition to Days going forward?

KP:  I’m not sure yet — you’ll have to stay tuned. [Teasing voice]

CTT:  So, in other words, there may be some things happening, but you’re not able to talk about them yet?

KP:  Correct. [Laughs]

CTT:  You have many Days of Our Lives fans and we wish you all the best as you pursue those things you hope will happen in the future!

*****

Without a doubt, CarolynTopolTalk.com‘s team will look forward to all of Kyler’s upcoming projects, as well as continue to follow his growth, as Theo, on Days of Our Lives!

(Photo Credits: Brad Everett Young and Courtesy of Kyler Pettis)