The Goddess Speaks Nancy Arcayna

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Too much drama fills their days

While gazing into Bryan Dattilo's beautiful brown eyes, I must admit, Sami Brady's tactics came to mind. I could drug him, kidnap him and take him to some secluded, romantic beach.

Don't know what I'm talking about? Obviously, you are not a fan of "Days of Our Lives."

I've watched "Days" for more than 20 years, and admit that I'm pretty wrapped up in the lives of the citizens of Salem. I follow their complex, mayhem-filled lives as if they were members of my own family.

When I learned that a Waikiki taping of SOAPnet's "Soap Talk" would include Dattilo (he plays Lucas Roberts), Julie Pinson (Billie Reed) and Billy Warlock (Frankie Brady), I had to be there. (The show will air Oct. 16 and 17.)

After all, I know these people.

Getting dressed was the stressful part -- it's not like I could compete with the absolutely perfect, size zero models and glamorous divas of daytime. Apparently, I'm not lacking in the drama queen department, though, according to my close friends. One told me that I describe events as if I were reading from a script.

The easy part was sitting backstage at the beach, surrounded by hunks and divas.

Ahhhh, and when Dattilo ripped off his shirt onstage, showing those massive biceps and that six-pack, my kidnapping scheme became inherently clearer. We even got a peek at his new tattoos -- one an Italian family coat of arms and the other a Celtic cross in honor of his grandmother.

"I started watching 'Days' with my grandma," he said. "I used to ask her questions about what was going on, and she used to shut me up by throwing pens at me. ... Now, she keeps a scrapbook of everything I do. It's giant."

Later, I had the chance to talk to Dattilo one on one, and picked up some new information:

» He has height issues and uses 3-inch lifts when playing Lucas. "It's an old trick I learned from Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford. There is hope for me yet."

» He does hilarious impersonations of all the cast and some crew members, too.

» He came to the islands with his girlfriend, Elizabeth Cameron, who is originally from Honolulu. "I thought it was a good opportunity to bring her back home," he said. The couple went surfing in Waikiki upon their arrival. "The boards were longer and heavier than I'm used to," he said. "We paddled out as far as we could. I caught a couple waves and got to stand up, so it was fun for me."

» He's already showing his 6-year-old son the ropes of daytime. "Gabe spends a lot of time in the studio. He is going to be 6-foot-3, so he won't have to worry about height. He is going to be a soap opera star."

» When Gabe asks why his dad is on magazine covers, "I just tell him that it's about Daddy's work and I'm doing this to make the money."

»His daytime grandmother, sweet Alice Horton (Frances Reid), thinks he goofs around too much during rehearsals. "She started going into this whole thing about how I'm a clown and should have a big Bozo nose." He counters with affection: "Every day, I give her the biggest, wettest kiss her on the cheek, and I make weird noises. She gets all rattled. She is the cutest ever."

Ah, yes, funny, cute and sweet. I am beginning to imagine myself as Lucas' love interest, Sami, until I remember Lucas' tendency to stray into steamy love scenes with the likes of Carrie (Sami's own half sister!).

By the end of the day, the kidnapping plans had faded. I went home, picked up my son from piano lessons and chatted with my husband, who has never, as far as I know, had a steamy love scene with another woman ... a man who won't engage himself in mischievous schemes, involve himself with mobsters and will definitely not run off with my sister.

As I walked into our house, I realized it was exactly where I belong, content in my familiar surroundings, minus all the drama.

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