As a daytime vet, Eric Martsolf has been through his share of onscreen romances, from Passions’ Ethan and Theresa to Days of Our Lives’ Brady and Chloe. So he knows an instant connection when he sees it, and, more importantly, feels it. And he feels it big time with actress Sarah Brown (Madison). Martsolf discusses his special rapport with Brown and the “sparkage” he’s felt between them since day one and shares some behind-the-scenes stories about their penchant for singing and indulging in cake.
Did you know Sarah before she joined the cast?I didn’t know her as a person coming in, but I was aware of her work, obviously. The only thing I had heard about her is that she was very strong, and she has delivered. She really came in completely prepared. She had done all her homework. She knew what shoes Madison was supposed to wear, and she knew exactly what her professional aura should be. What’s your take on Madison?
I am in love with this character, personally. She is Darrell Ray Thomas Jr. and Marlene McPherson’s first creation as the new head writers of our show, and they really wanted her to be special. Madison is stronger than any female character I’ve ever come in contact with. For Brady, who loves power himself, it’s an easy match. The two characters find themselves together in a businesslike atmosphere. They’re two very strong bulls going at it and trying to assert their power with one another. Did you feel a spark the first time you worked with Sarah?
There definitely was some “sparkage,” but I loved the surprise element of it. These two characters, just when you think it’s going [in a romantic direction], it doesn’t. Neither one of them wants to budge. It’s not like one is head over heels for the other. It’s definitely something that grows and that you want to root for. Everyone knows you love to sing on set. How did Sarah react to that?
(Laughs) I think everyone at the studio is pretty much over me singing everything, all the time. I just have this issue. If I have a thought, I’m usually singing that thought. It has to be pretty annoying for some people, but once in a while other people will join in. Sarah’s very musical. She is?
Nobody knows this, but she will bust out some tunes. The more I do it, the more comfortable she is on stage doing it. I keep catching her singing and humming. I’ll look back at her, and she’ll be like, “What?” I’ll say, “Uh, Sarah. You were singing.” She’ll go, “No, I wasn’t.” And I’ll go, “Yeah, you were. You were just singing that Destiny’s Child song.” She’ll get all red and be like, “I can’t sing.” But she can. It’s only a matter of time before we see this chick on Broadway. Singing aside, any other funny moments working together so far?
We had a scene, recently, that involved a lot of cake. It was just food and more food. I don’t know how to describe it other than saying that I think Sarah and I gained about 14 pounds that day. There were funny moments of, “Oh. My cake is so good.” “Actually, mine is better.” “Well, try this. It’s obviously better than yours.” It was like a husband and wife... When you’re having a lot of fun as an actor filming a scene, you know damn well that it’s going to be fun to watch. It sounds like you’re really invested in this pairing.
I am. The one thing I pride myself on is my work ethic. I like to come in and get it done; be prepared and do strong work. Sarah and I share that. We are always the ones in the corner working and making sure it’s right. We care about this couple. We care about Brady and Madison. She just doesn’t care about her character, and I just don’t care about my character. It’s not about showboating and grandstanding. It’s about making a couple that people want to engage in. We’re not going to settle until this Brady and Madison thing is front page, cover one and just super, because we think we have the potential to take it there.
