Patch's Days Blog

Imagine that you awaken one morning and go about your usual routine, put the coffee on, get the paper, prepare things you will need for the day's work. You get in the car and on the way to work you listen to the news from around the world, realizing once again what a blessing it is to live in this country, where bombs are not exploding around you and where you have a job to show up for at all.

You arrive. As you enter the building, you amble down past the huge stage doors and say hello to the ever-friendly Stephanie at the security desk and continue on down the hall. Moving down the hallway, passing the costume department, stage manager's desk, and makeup departments, waving and exchanging hellos, you notice something feels different. The place has a different energy. The place is buzzing.

A feeling of anticipation permeates the studio and no matter where you go in the building, this energy is there along with a feeling that everyone present has a renewed interest in his or her particular job. Wait a minute... this is a good feeling.

You go into your dressing room and drop your things. There you find new pages for the day's work, some pink with little tweaks and rewrites to the dialogue. Cool. You are in the makeup chair and this DUDE IN ORANGE SHOES bounds in. "Oh, I have something for you," he says excitedly. He opens his script and gives you a couple more changes, some subtle, fine-tuning type stuff. You check your script — the changes are insightful and good. THE DUDE IN THE ORANGE SHOES bounds out of the room. Now you are buzzing. Your heart is beating a bit faster. You feel flushed. You look up at Gail, who is applying your makeup, and say, "Wow!" She giggles that infectious giggle and you both smile from ear to ear.

You go to the set for rehearsal. You see your buddy Peter Reckell. He is checking his script, getting ready to make an entrance, as are you. You catch each other's eye. You don't have to say anything. You both know the stakes are higher now. Boom, he goes with intensity. After a bit of dialogue, it's your turn. You enter, and bang... the rehearsal is done. Almost instantaneously, THE DUDE IN THE ORANGE SHOES is there on the set working with our director Herb, the cameramen and the lighting crew. You get to tape. You do a take. Not bad, you think. But there is TDITOS with notes for some of the actors. Good, constructive notes. We're doing another take... this time for acting... to get it even better. Wow. This guy is good.

Cut to two days later. You are on the set with your costar Mary Beth Evans. You have done several scenes leading up to the two final climactic scenes of your day. You rehearse, get set for tape, and suddenly the furniture in the downstage area of the set is being moved. Cameras begin to roll toward you on either side, to get better angles, so your face and that of your costar's can be read more clearly. New lights are placed on the floor. Key lights are lower than you have ever seen them, so that you and your costar look as good as you possibly can. Mary Beth looks at you and breaks into the biggest, sweetest smile. You smile, she begins to laugh. There is nothing like good honest laughter shared with someone you love. Mary Beth looks at you and says, "Well, this is different." You think to yourself what a surreal moment this is and all you can say is wow.

Imagine that what you expect in a day's work brings you something completely different. The work that you do is no longer done in a vacuum but rather is done as collaboration added to and enhanced and shaped by your fellow workers, who are feeling that same collaborative energy. You throw the ball back and forth and feed off of each other as the thing you are doing grows. You hit bumps and help each other over them. You don't leave your fellow workers to fall and fail and walk away feeling disappointed. You are working harder and longer than you have in some time but it is worth it and the work is easier, because you see the results right away.

What a good feeling. What is this? At the end of the workday, you feel... happy?

This happened to me, and my coworkers, last week. How? Mr. Edward Scott was hired as coexecutive producer.

At the end of the first week, we had a luncheon to introduce Ed and Marnie Saitta, our new casting director. Our insightful executive producer Ken Corday emceed, and following his delivery of inspiring words, he introduced Ben Silverman, the new head of NBC, who assured us of his support for Days of our Lives.

Everyone was in attendance, including the full cast and crew, Annamarie Kostura, VP of NBC Daytime, and Greg Meng, Senior VP of Corday Productions, who have long been outspoken champions of the show. Our fabulous publicity team was there in force, as well.

Finally, Ken then introduced — you guessed it, THE DUDE IN THE ORANGE SHOES — Edward Scott. Ed gave an uplifting speech while his three lovely daughters looked on. He said his wife (Melody Thomas Scott of The Young and the Restless) would have been there but had to work. When Ed was finished speaking, he mentioned that he was going to get back into his orange shoes and get to work. Ken asked Hogan Sheffer to say a few words and he gave a rousing and hilarious account of seeing happy actors in the building.

Thanks to the people I love to go to work with, cast, crew, upstairs, downstairs, on the floor, at the door. Also to Annamarie, Greg, Ed, Hogan, Meg and especially our captain, Ken Corday, who made it all happen.

Here's to happy Days ahead.

Peace Out,
The Patchman

For the latest on-set photos, visit StephenNichols.net.

I recently taped an episode of Days of our Lives which included (in a scene with Mary Beth Evans, Kayla) one of my all-time favorite lines of dialogue. I won’t give it away but it happens at the end of the show in our final scene of the day, and there’s mention of Steve Johnson’s middle name. I remember fondly how “Patch” was given a name other than “Patch,” and how the character came by the middle name “Earl.”

First the story of how the character came to have a name other than “Patch.” Well, let’s see, we can even go further back than that. How did Patch come about? The story I heard back in the day was that an NBC Daytime executive mentioned something in a story meeting about the need for a “Falcon Eddie”-type character to go up against Bo Brady. Falcon Eddie was a character (with an eye patch) in the hit miniseries, Rich Man, Poor Man, starring Nick Nolte.

Doris Sabbah, who was the casting director at Days back then, called me at home and said, “There is a part on Days of our Lives… a bad guy. He’s crazy; he carries a knife and wears an eye patch." I thought, “An eye patch, that is interesting…. I can work with that.” She also said the part would last only a few months, if that. She said the character had to die.

Cut to maybe four months later. We were taping a scene where my character gets shot. Our director that day, Shelly Curtis, ran out onstage before the taping and said to me, “Oh, by the way, you aren’t dying.”

I have to admit I was ambivalent about this news. I had recently been offered a lead in a movie, Witchboard, and was performing in a hit play, Delirious, in Los Angeles. In those days it was considered “selling out” to be involved in a soap opera for anything other than a short stint. There was much less respect for the genre back then, and when I decided to take the contract my agents fired me.

So, I had a contract, and the character needed a name. I remember Deidre Hall (Marlena), Leanne Hunley (Anna), Drake Hogestyn (John), Kristian Alfonso (Hope) and a few others sitting around in the makeup room waiting for producer Al Rabin to come in and announce the name they had chosen. We were kicking around what we thought would be cool possibilities. It would be interesting to note what those were but, alas, I cannot recall. I can assure you we weren’t thinking Bolt or Thorn or even Zeke. Well, maybe Zeke.

Finally, the producer walked in briskly and said, “Your name is Steve." I said, “Steve?” He said, “Yes, Steve. Steve Johnson,” and he exited. Deidre, Drake and I looked at each other and said, “Steeeve?”

Cut to maybe a year later: We were riding a bus back from a location shoot in San Pedro, California (standing in for Florida). I had had a very good day. I was thinking of how grateful I was to be working, to have the success that I had and I thought, "I wish my grandpa were alive to see this." My grandpa was a surrogate father to me. (See photos at stephennichols.net.) I had not known my own father — he abandoned us before I was born — so in a way, Grandpa saved my life. I thought about this and how if it were not for him, I might not be sitting on this bus. I might not be able to provide for my kids and be a good father to them, which I learned by his example. I wanted to honor my grandpa, make him a part of my success. I turned to Al Rabin and asked if we could give Steve Johnson a middle name. He said, "Sure, what name?" “Earl,” I said. “Earl!!?” “Yes, Earl,” I said. “It would mean a lot to me.” “Sure,” said Al. Steven Earl Johnson. What a perfect name for this one-eyed dude. So I am proud to say, my middle name is Earl.

Last night I watched the documentary on Brando. For me there was never another actor who came close to him in any way. I can’t wait now to revisit all of his films. Martin Scorsese said Brando was the marker. There was before Brando and after Brando. Since his passing, I have turned to my wife on several occasions and remarked how I can’t believe he’s gone. I remember seeing Last Tango in Paris in the '70s. I could not get over the depth of reality Brando was able to bring to the screen. He did not “act.” He was simply being, and apparently Bertolucci had coerced him to dig into his personal life more than he had ever done before. Another thing I found fascinating was the screen test Brando had done for Rebel Without a Cause. It was enlightening to see Brando “bad.” He was doing everything wrong! Unmotivated crosses and hand gestures and pushing the emotion rather than letting it be there. Maybe he was not prepared or too nervous on the day of his first big screen test. John Turturro said it inspired him in the same way: To see that someone of Brando’s stature could actually be bad gave us all permission to miss once in a while.

I have read all of your comments on the previous blog. What a beautiful, intelligent group of fans Mary Beth and I have. I so appreciate that you take the time to comment and are so specific. It looks like MB and I will be seeing quite a few of you at our Patch and Kayla event in June. Be sure to say hello and remind me of something you said in the comments. That way I will have a reference.

Enjoy the show. Lot’s of exciting stuff coming.
Love,
Stephen Earl Nichols, aka The Patchman

What do you do when an actor whom you’ve admired for years, and watched transfixed from the audience when he was on stage, who starred in Scarecrow, Serpico, Glengarry Glen Ross and the seminal masterpieces, The Godfather movies, is sitting 10 feet from you at the Polo Lounge? Well, it turns out, nothing.

In all my years in Los Angeles and involved in the “business,” I have only once approached an acting hero. It was in Westwood at a movie theater. I saw Peter O’Toole standing in the lobby on the second level. I waved at him and called out, “Mr. O’Toole, you are an inspiration to me.” He called back from high atop the staircase with a grand flourish, “Thank you, my boy!”

I have always been a bit reticent about approaching famous people in public. I was never interested in autographs, but it is a different thing to have been inspired by someone and feel a need to let them know that they have lifted you up and been an integral part of your artistic development. Though I do think it is acceptable to cross the line in that case, I have only acted on it that one time with Mr. O’Toole.

The first time I saw Jon Voight was at a Beverly Hills Café, where I was working as a waiter. It was Midnight Cowboy, and his performance in particular, that changed the way I thought about movies and I began to look at movies and acting in an entirely new way. Out of shyness, I said nothing, but after he left I sat in his seat to “soak up the creative vibes,” as I explained it to my fellow actor/waiters. Coincidentally, Mr. Voight became one of my mentors later in my career. He is a rare human being.

Now back to Al Pacino. In the '90s during a lull in my creative life I saw Mr. Pacino live, on stage in Salome and later that same week in Chinese Coffee. He was doing the two plays in repertoire. He played King Herod in Salome, and from the moment he emerged as Herod from a pit below the stage and howled her name I was transfixed. What was so inspiring to me was to see an actor of Pacino’s caliber, a movie star, have the courage to reinvigorate his passion for the work by getting on a stage in front of a live audience and exploring his art again. After the performance I stood that evening on my friend’s balcony overlooking Central Park and thought, “That is what I need to do — get back on stage and reinvigorate my creative spirit.”

So there was Mr. Pacino, enjoying his lunch with some friends. I said nothing. I recalled the experience and was again reminded of that time and the inspiration his performances had given me. That was enough for me. It never hurts to be inspired to work harder, to dig deeper, to plow through no matter what. No matter the arena. Days of our Lives is a soap. The writers and actors don’t have the luxury of time to languish in the work. We don’t have the luxury of doing three to six pages a day. We do 80 in a day. We work very fast, with virtually no real rehearsal. But work is work after all.

We have a new Stephanie in actress Shelley Hennig. She was Miss Teen USA. She hails from Louisiana. I'm sure you all have been online getting the lowdown on her. (Read the TVGuide.com news story on Shelley right here.) I can’t get over how well she has adapted already to such a high-pressure situation. She is a good actress who has worked for two years at a very good school in New York that emphasizes the Sanford Meisner technique… some of my favorite tools. Our first day was heavy. Shelley delivered in spades!

Speaking of good actors, the day players who recently played my fellow mental patients must be mentioned. So often these people are considered mere props in the scenes, but not these actors. They all came with character choices intact. Kudos to them. (See photos at stephennichols.net.) The pizza party was so much fun. Reminded me of the old Patch days.

Well, it’s back to work after a two-week spring break. It’s always tough getting back in the groove after time off, but I will think of Al and Jon and Mr. O’Toole and keep on truckin’.

Peace out!
The Patchman

P.S. To see the most hysterical screen-capture in Patch history, go to stephennichols.net. Note: I assure you — they’re not real, just the latest air pocket technology. Also, don't forget Mary Beth Evans and I will be at the Sportsmen's Lodge on June 3 for the annual Days weekend. For more information go to — you guessed it — stephennichols.net.

I know, the Patch Blog is way overdue. Sorry, I’ve been busier than an actor on a soap opera. Hey, I am one! Yes, I had this week off from the show, but there is always something to be done around the house and it was my birthday this week. Excuses!

Included in the enormous box of gifts my wonderful fan friends sent me were many sweet birthday wishes in the form of notebooks filled with poems, thoughts, assorted birthday remembrances. Included was a "Birthday Chronicle." I know you’ve seen them, looks like a one-sheet newspaper. Anyway, there is a section that mentions the days you… I have been alive. Man, I never stopped to figure that out… 20,440. Does that seem like a lot or a little? I turned to my wife and remarked how we don’t get very many days. Another wakeup call to make the most of the ones we do get. So thanks, everyone, for the incredible birthday. I love you guys a lot. (See photos at stephennichols.net.)

Man, do I love the babies. Mary Beth Evans (my beautiful costar on Days of our Lives) and I went to South Florida a couple of weekends ago. A little town called Fort Myers. We were there to promote the opening of the Miramar Outlets Phase Five. This was Super Bowl weekend, no less, but we had plenty of people in the old autograph line and lots of fun holding lots of babies! (See photos at stephennichols.net)

We worked hard all week and had done two shows on Friday (17 scenes total), then we got on a red-eye with a stop in Atlanta. I don’t know about you, but I can’t sleep on airplanes, especially when the seat doesn’t recline. We arrived in Fort Myers at 9 am and had an hour to “freshen up” before we started meeting and greeting. Mary Beth had no hair spray (they took it from her in Los Angeles, a big, brand-new can). This is where I have to give thanks for Mary Beth again. She is so cheerful and willing to see the bright side of life. She keeps me in good spirits without even trying. And it didn’t hurt that she did, in fact, get some sleep on the plane.

So many fans of the show are glad to have us back. It was so nice to meet them and hear their stories about how long they had been watching. A lot of them said, “Since day one.” Mary Beth wants to keep a tally of these “Day One Fans.” If you fit the profile, let us know.

You may have seen the day James Scott and I flew through the window. It was a big to-do. That’s all I’m gonna say, and there are a couple of photos for your perusal.

TVGuide.com asked me to talk a bit about playing those scenes where Patch is being brainwashed and having those seizure attacks, so I will. Just last week, Phil Calvi, one of our great prop guys who has been there 30 years or so, asked me about playing that stuff. He asked if it was strange to play something like that… something that you never experienced before. Here’s what I told him: I found out everything I could about electroshock treatments and realized that in the script, they had me screaming and actually speaking during it. It is impossible to make any sound when that much electricity is coursing through the body. I asked for a bite guard and Mary Cares (another amazing prop mistress) went out that first day and got two from a medical-supply shop. When they turned up the juice, I tensed as much as I could without giving myself an aneurism and took the pretend electrocution ride. Yeehawww!

When Steve started to have the headaches and hear the sound in his head — that sound was supposed to be the sound of feet clanging on the metal table while being shocked. Steve couldn’t place it, but it harkened back to the torture sessions and caused him intense headaches. As for the seizures and fainting, I played it as if Steve was really back there but when he came out of it, he didn’t remember much. The first real memory of torture he had was when he remembered E.J. being in the room and the words he said, “You’re one of us now.” Steve had remembered this under hypnosis but withheld it from Kayla.

Upcoming teasers: Three women take Steve down! A little mace, a lot of rope and a hypo! Oh, my!

Love,
The Patchman

Hello, friends. The holidays are upon us. Everyone is busy running around trying not to forget anyone on their list. I for one don’t want to forget to thank all of you wonderful people who have supported me during these past seven months. Your letters, cards, chats and especially your blog comments have been insightful and a constant source of energy and inspiration in my humble work. You remind me that it is a privilege to be able to do what I do. Also, a big thank-you to Gina from NBC publicity, who started this whole blog thing with me and has since moved to New York to take another job in the company. Happy holidays, Gina!

My last blog brought on an unexpected deluge of Tootsie Pops. It was a total surprise when I started receiving box after box of Tootsie Pops. The Tootsie Pops brought on scores of inquiries from my coworkers at the studio. Like this one from our mail dude at work:

Wendy (short for a really long name I can’t spell) came a-sauntering down the hall after the first week of the Great Tootsie Pop Avalanche of 2006 and asked, “Stephen, what’s up with the Tootsie Pops, did you mention you like them or something?” I said, “Uh, something like that.” Wendy said, “Next time ask for steak and maybe lobster.” If I had been smarter I would have come up with an iPod metaphor or one involving high-end video/audio equipment. Someone tipped me off that it was Sherry who organized the whole thing. Thanks, Sherry McCutcheon, for coming up with the silly idea to send them. You Tootsie Pop senders are keeping our makeup room supplied with suckers.

So, speaking of that particular metaphor, how was that chewy chocolate center, anyway? Was it all you had hoped for? I’d like to hear from you. Mary Beth [Evans] and I took those scenes by the horns and wrestled them down as hard as we could.

Coming up: in their newfound bliss, Steve surprises Kayla with tickets to a Clay Aiken concert, but Steve’s reading of the Christmas story at the hospital runs late, so he and Kayla miss the concert. Steve runs into Clay on his way out and talks him into doing a private Christmas concert. There were so many people at the studio who are fans of Clay — the excitement was palpable. Josh Taylor said he was a big fan, and Clay’s best friend and roommate, Christy, is a huge fan of Days, so I asked Josh if he could introduce Christy to the rest of the cast. He was happy to do it. Clay was very gracious, taking photos and signing autographs.

When we got to rehearsal and tape, Clay asked if he needed to stick to the script because he would "never remember the lines.” I told him I had tweaked my lines around a bit and we could just play and not worry about the script. He was happy to improvise with me. In this situation, Clay just being himself worked well and it didn’t have that staid feeling of something scripted. Kudos to our director, Roger Inman, for always being there to get the shots. The song was very sweet and quite apropos for Steve to offer Kayla. All in all, I think the day was a success. (You can see all photos at stephennichols.net.

My friend Denise (see photo), who works up in the production office, runs a holiday toy drive for The Sycamores www.sycamores.org, which is a child- and family-services facility that has been in business for many years, helping children in the organization's residential treatment facilities. They also have foster-care programs and in-home adoption services. Days' actors and staff have purchased lots of toys for the kids this year, and I will be Santa at the studio this week when the kids come to get the gifts.

Renée [Jones] and Rhasaan [Orange]’s last day was Friday. It is always bittersweet (see photos). Renée has been with the show 13 years, so she was understandably emotional. I have to say that the news of her departure sent a shockwave around the studio. It was plain to see that she is loved around there. I hugged them both. I can empathize, believe me.

[Executive producer] Ken [Corday] also made a point of saying, “We had ice cream yesterday.” This puzzled Mary Beth. She said she saw everyone walking around with Baskin Robbin’s cups and wondered what that was about. Ken told her they pass out ice cream when we are No. 1 in the demographics, which we were last week. Mary Beth said, “When this happens, they should do a big announcement over the PA. It would be big morale booster.” Believe me, Mary Beth is the biggest morale booster we have around here. They should let her do the announcement.

Funny story: today, one of our stunt coordinators, Mike Adams, came to me and said he got a call from a fellow stuntman, Alan, inquiring about me. I had worked with Alan this past Friday. Alan asked Mike how well he knew me. Mike said he had worked with me for several years. Mike stunt-coordinated on Days back in the '80s, and I asked him to choreograph the fight scene in my presentation pilot, Wild Horses. Alan went on to say that he thought I was “a bit crazy.” He said, “The guy had a look in his eye that scared me.” It’s true that I go a bit bonkers in the story and I was “acting” a bit crazy on stage, but this Alan dude thought that was the real me. I got the biggest kick out of this. I told our director Albert Alarr and he laughed and said he had just been discussing with another crew member how everyone is afraid to ask me to do another take now, for fear that I will flip out and try to kill them. I said, “Are you kidding? I’m the one who is always begging to do another take!” Man, do we have fun!

I recently heard Gore Vidal say something to the effect that the act of writing is the act of finding out what you think. That is definitely a benefit of this exercise in blogging; I wish I could find more time to do it. Happy holidays, everyone. See you in 2007.

World Peace Out!
The Patch Man

Hello Plog Readers,

This time I have a question for you.

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

Now, many people, like the commercial, consider it an impossible task to determine this. They’re biters, not lickers.

Personally, I always took it as a challenge. You know me: I’m into self-discipline (as long as no whips, etc are involved).

However, the ability to wait to get to the chewy, chocolate center is predicated on the belief that there is indeed a chewy, chocolate center at the end of the process.

And there is.

I’m telling you there is.

I know because I just taped some scenes you’ve been waiting for.

So, my friends, who are so impatient for that chewy, chocolate center: don’t give up. Enjoy the ride — the sweet candy-coated-outside ride. (FOR CLUES, SEE PHOTOS AT stephennichols.net)

Well, what’s been happening on the set lately? Mary Beth is hysterically funny. It’s no surprise that Lucille Ball is her idol. When I arrive in the morning I check in at the makeup room and, almost always, the place is in uproarious laughter as she recounts some story in her very own MB way.

I could never tell it as well and I won’t try, but suffice it to say that the most recent one was a tale of do-it-yourself bikini waxing gone bad.

As you know, we (Steve and Kayla) have been in the old Quarantine — the “aquarium,” as Patch likes to call it. Mary Beth has been snoozing through most of it. On one take she kind of snorted and startled herself awake. She looked over at me and had that look of “Oh s***”…. She was afraid she had ruined the take, but fortunately no one noticed, except me since I occupy the adjoining bed.

And hey, how about that biotoxin-resistant patch?! Pretty nifty, huh?

Well, I decided to treat myself and take a mini movie-marathon break.

I saw two masterfully executed films two nights in a row. Babel was last evening and Little Children tonight. I feel compelled to write about these important films. First, Babel, which was written by Guillermo Arriaga and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the team that brought us 21 Grams and Amores Perros.

Cate Blanchett is luminous as usual. She is on screen maybe 10 minutes and practically steals the movie. She is the soul of the four interwoven, intersecting stories occupying the canvas of the film. One gun affects these four groups of people in different parts of the world. What I love about Inarritu’s films is how down-to-the-bone real he gets with his visual style and with the films' acting. He isn’t afraid to allow his actors to appear as they would in these life and death situations… physically unattractive, in some cases… snot and dirt, messed-up hair and all. The stories cover people from four different cultures and countries. And it’s amazing that every single actor is so good. There wasn’t one weak performance or fake moment throughout. The end result is a discovery that we all share the same humanity. I think that is an important message, especially in our world today.

About Little Children, what can I say — Kate Winslet is definitely my favorite actress working today. She can do anything. And I have a new actor on my favorite-actor list: Patrick Wilson. Todd Field, the director, was very smart and/or lucky to get these two actors, because without their performances, I don’t think I would have been as involved in the world his film creates. Narration is always tricky, but it works beautifully here, partly because of its literary roots.

Next up on my list of films to see is Volver by Pedro Almodovar. Almodovar is one of those filmmakers who have developed a singular vision and style. I love the lyrical quality of his pacing and the richness of his images. I can’t wait to see it — and it doesn’t hurt that Penelope Cruz is in practically every scene. LOVE me some Penelope.

Well, folks, I’m reading the posts and all I can say is the holiday season is coming and the presents are on their way. Be patient.

Love,
The Patchman

For more information, please log on to www.NBC.com/Days, www.daysofourlives.com or www.stephennichols.net

DID YOU FALL IN?

“Where you been, Dude?” People who’ve been asking about airtime, you’ll be happy to know I’ve been working my buns off... that’s where. Yeah, almost every day. Sweeps of Our Lives.

Happy to report, I met up with Mark Wayne “Hoagy Carmichael” Sheffer (new head writer) and his lovely and charming right-hand woman, Meg Kelly (see photo at stephennichols.net). Hogan is a very personable fellow. When I walked in the room and went to shake his hand, we had that uncomfortable Midwestern-bred moment where you don’t know whether to shake hands or embrace. Then came the “Oh shucks, come here” moment when Hoagy just pulled me into a bear hug. I said, “Well, that’s all I needed. See you later,” and headed for the door. Meg laughed and said, “Oh, you actors.” So true – we’re a bunch of babies. First thing Hogan said to me was, “You gave me some DVDs. Well, the fans have sent me even more. And I have to tell you, the stuff you and Mary Beth did was the best ever in daytime.” Wow, that was a nice compliment. I had dropped off some DVDs of Patch and Kayla stuff from the early years. All beautifully packaged, in separate chronological volumes, including companion guides courtesy of the inimitable Sherry McCutcheon.

Sherry is our fearless (Stephen and Mary Beth’s) fan club leader, organizer extraordinaire, tireless supporter and good friend. I met Sherry when I was on that other show on another network. You know, the one where I played the dude who wore the expensive suits. She had brilliant ideas about fan events, promotions, how to make things special for our fans – and she has. She also catered for the entire cast and crew during the shoot of my short film Get the Dime. The truth is Sherry rarely ever sleeps and every waking hour is spent doing something for others. Sherry, if you’re reading this… well, you know how I feel.

Some of you have been asking, “Where’s Steve’s ink?” You’ll be getting a peek of the be-daggered pectoral soon. Keep your eyes peeled; just a peek (see tantalizing photo at stephennichols.net). And what the heck is that shirt I’m wearing? Hmm. Now onto questions and comments. I’ve got a lot of lines to learn.

Yeah, babzee and others who’ve commented on the size of the patch: There was a little peekaboo incident where viewers claim they saw the corner of my eye (where there should be none). I went to one of my wonderful wardrobe masters, Jesse, and asked that he close up that little gap with a piece of felt, which he did, expertly. He is currently working on some new, improved patches with the little silver thingies on the ends.

Leigh1972 pointed out that Patch was a gourmand. Thanks, I had forgotten that. As a side note, I really love all these historical comments. It’s great for me because I have forgotten so much and it helps me do a better job.

Queenliser, I love your alliteration: “true testament to your tremendous talent.” The only thing I love better than alliteration is a good limerick or pun.

Cstock, thanks for not using the “A” word. The research into “not remembering” has been very enlightening.

Mlynnd and others who started their Patch and Kayla journey at age eleven or so, it’s so great to hear all of your stories – your connection to Days of our Lives and to Patch and Kayla.

Juju says she thinks it would be interesting for Steve to have memories come to him out of context, like Patch and Kayla at the hot springs or the time Patch held Hope captive. Yeah, this is an intriguing subject because – when you consider that what has happened to Patch is the result of some kind of diabolical intervention – there are so many possibilities.

Patchmeifyoucan, I love your handle!

Babs hopes the writers give Steve and Kayla something soon… a look. Something. Oh baby, watch out! It’s a comin’ – in spades.

CinderAngelik “liked the Jack and Jen goodbye, liked Steve lurking on the fringes, like he needed to be there – yet it was so foreign to him.” I always love these opportunities to speak without words, and much credit goes to director Albert Alarr for setting up those shots.

SteveandKaylaforever and many others commented on the line Steve spoke to Kayla in response to her asking, “Is that what you want?” when he said, “What I want? Who am I? I’m no one.” This is the essence of the Nick/Steve conflict.

I dig how observant you guys are. You’re really watching.

Rhodora589 tells a funny story about being in the kitchen doing chores when her husband yells from the living room, “Patch is back!” Sounds like she dropped the mop and came to see what the heck he was talking about. I hope she wasn’t running in looking for Robin Williams (Patch Adams).

Marypickford believes Steve’s interactions with Billie and Kayla at the hospital show how he subconsciously trusts Kayla more than Billie. He was able to break down with Kayla and show the depth of his feelings to her but wiped his eye and seemed to be uncomfortable showing emotion to Billie. Very astute, Ms. Pickford.

Hey, everybody, thanks again for all the time you invest in the show and reading the Plog. Your feedback always means a lot to me.

It’s Sunday here in Los Angeles. I only have a few hours left before tomorrow when I have to show up with thirty pages of words packed into my cranium.

There once was a man named Stevie,
Who had a huge pet-peevie.
With each passing day,
The brain don’t wanna’ play
When he tried to remember the dialogue-geegies.

Oh, that was bad – ran out of rhymes. Sorry.

Gotta roll.

Love,

The Patchman

For more information, please log on to www.NBC.com/Days, www.daysofourlives.com or www.stephennichols.net

Blog.

I don't like that word. It's clunky, heavy, not very pretty.

Here's the definition from Wikipedia: Blog is the contraction universally used for weblog, a type of website where entries are made (such as in a journal or diary), displayed in a reverse chronological order. (I always wondered about that reverse thing.) Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food: I had lunch with Mary Beth today. She had the salmon salad, no onions; I had the seared Ahi tuna salad, politics (can't go there) or local news: We met up with a reporter today for lunch. She too had the salmon salad.

Some function as more personal online diaries: I used my new hedge shears for the first time yesterday, and as I was hacking away at the ficus on the side of the house, I remarked to my wife how they cut just like "butta." I proceeded to slice my finger pretty badly -- just like "butta."

A typical blog combines text, images and links to other blogs, webpages and media related to its topic. (Oh, we got links! Baby, do we got links!) Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on photographs (photoblog) (we got photos, too? they are with the links), videos (vlog), (someday) or audio (podcasting), (those too? someday) and are part of a wider network of social media.

That's you guys who are digging the log. Hey, how about we call it the "plog." It's Patch's blog, so let's call it the Plog. Is that better? A little, maybe. It's lighter, like my entry thus far ? lightweight. I need inspiration! Oh, Blogods! Help me!

We came back from hiatus to find Julie Pinson in the makeup room showing off her gorgeous wedding ring. (See photos at stephennichols.net). All the girls were jealous ? even Mary Beth, who has the biggest rock of all. Well, not anymore. If I had one of those things on my finger, I couldn't type this right now. Not that I type very well anyway. Ice, ice, baby. Billy broke the bank for that. That's Mr. Pinson to you, and our stage manager Joe's new name for him. "Mr. Pinson to Stage Two!" Everybody got a big kick out of that, including Billy, but especially Julie.

Mary Beth and I went to the commissary with Rachel and Ashley. Earlier I had swiped Rachel's iPod. She was frantically looking for it. I know how important those things are to a young lady (having a 15-year-old daughter), so I spoke up quickly to let her know I had it before she had a seizure. I told her I would give it back to her on one condition -- if she explained to me when Paris Hilton became a singer. She said, "I know it's kinda lame, but it's really a catchy song."

Ashley and I tend to giggle a lot. And if we see something on the set that we both find funny, we can't look at each other for fear that we will crack up in the middle of the scene (i.e., an extremely long, distracting chest hair protruding from an unnamed actor's shirt.)

Last Thursday and Friday Nick/Steve crossed paths with several characters on the show: Kate, Abby, Chelsea, Max, my estranged wife and daughter, Billie, and Frankie.

We were all up in the Sky Box at the Salem Raceway. Kiriakis arrived with Kate. He walked right past me! I thought it was strange that nothing was written for him to say to me or in reference to Steve. I could not take that ball and run with it because "I don't remember!" Kiriakis was Patch's boss when he first came to Salem. So much history, so many possibilities for story.

Since we are on the subject of memory loss, julian'scat asked about acting choices.

Here are some interesting facts I researched about what Steve is suffering from.

Retrograde amnesia (total wipe out) is very rare.

There are three types of memory:

*Semantic (things learned in school): Language: "Dude" "Hey, baby."
*Procedural (acquired skills): Harmonica!
*Episodic (life experiences): I got nothin.'

A person who suffers this kind of loss may change in personality from outgoing to reflective.

News Flash!! Coming up on Days of our Lives -- Nick has an experience that causes him to remark, "Now I know what that feels like. Before I was dead inside."

This I found very interesting: Pieces of memories live in different areas of the brain, which is why bits and pieces of whole memories can come back little by little.

Viderie, yes, the patch was bigger in the '80s, along with my hair, but everything else is still the same size.

Well, that does it for the fourth installment of the Plog. Oh, I like that much better, it's official. The Plog it is! Till next time. Thanks again for all your comments. I read them all -- very astute observations. I'm really diggin' this exchange. Don't forget to look at the cool on-set photos at stephennichols.net.

Peace out.

The Patch Man

For more information, please log on to www.NBC.com/Days, www.daysofourlives.com or www.stephennichols.net

That's right folks, by the time you read this I will be in Cincinnati, Ohio, my birthplace. I promised myself I would visit the real Eddie's Roadhouse and look for Bobo. They tell me he is not the gentle giant portrayed on Days of our Lives. Apparently, this guy has a rep. Eddie's is a rough place and not really my cup a' tea but, well, you know me, anything for my art. Damn, I'm scared. My Grandpa always told me I could make friends with anyone - that's generally true. Well, I'll report back if I get into any fights or get locked up. Tell you what, if you don't see the blog in two weeks, send out the search party. Speaking of grandparents, besides my mother and sister, I will be visiting Grandma, Maddy. She is 101 years old and sharp as a whip and looks good for her age. Crazy, huh?

Since we're on hiatus for a couple of weeks and I won't have any backstage news for you guys, I thought I'd use this blog to respond to some of your comments.

But first, I need to give a special thank you to my friend Sandra McHale who designs and maintains all of my web sites and Mary Beth's as well. Sandra suggested I do a blog on stephennichols.net. If not for her there never would have been a "Patch's Blog" for Daniel Coleridge to take notice of and ask me to move it over to TVGuide.com. When I started, I had no idea how rewarding this exchange, between the audience and myself would be. Thanks to all the fans who have recently "come back" to Days to see Patch and Kayla. I am amazed by your love and dedication.

Laurie Theriot writes:
I was up when they told us that you had posted.. (3AM) I had not gotten to bed yet... lol Why was I up so late? I was looking at Days and General Hospital clips of you and Mary Beth. I'm sooo addicted.. I love you guys!! And last week when you two were not on at all, I was having withdrawls lol.

*Mary Beth and I never imagined we'd cause anyone to have withdrawls. We're told soon you'll have a regular fix.

Mary Pickford: ?I have been re-watching clips of Steve and Kayla from the 80's, starting with the "stalking" scenes in Cleveland. Patch was a baaaad man there for a while--that's what made his redemption so meaningful. It makes sense that "Nick" would feel so much pressure from Kayla and everyone else back in Salem that being with Billie (who didn't know him before) would be a relief. Billie has a similar hard background, too. I'm going to give this storyline the benefit of the doubt. I just hope it is well done, and does you justice?
I can't wait to see more of the "one-eyed tomcat"--the intense, fiery Steve of old. Thanks for bringing him to life.

* I agree, and boy, were those fun times.
It makes sense that "Nick" would feel so much pressure from Kayla and everyone else back in Salem that being with Billie (who didn't know him before) would be a relief.
*I know the Billie and Nick thing is scary for everyone including Nick and me. If Steve only knew - he'd be upset too.

TwinnerA: I deserted DOOL somewhere back in the 1990's when Steve died and Kayla took up with Shane (that was so wrong!). In order to revisit those days of old before Patch's demise, I have been staying up way too light at night watching Steve/Kayla clips from the 80's and have cried more than once over S&K's struggles in getting together and staying together. I had forgotten what a thug Patch really was in the early days and what a hard time he gave sweet and determined Kayla. I didn't know how much I missed you two until the first time they showed the two of you on camera once again. Waaaaaaa, it was like seeing two friends that had moved away and were back after a long absence.

*We didn't know how much we missed portraying Patch and Kayla. We feel so fortunate to be back and especially to be working with each other. This transitional period has been hard on Patch and Kayla's return but the shift is just about complete and our story will definitely pick up from here.


CC1973:I have to say I am not looking forward to the "other" woman story but I have complete faith that you and Mary Beth will live up to the history of the characters. I hope it at least means more airtime because a day without The Patchman and Kayla is a day without sunshine. Keep up the great work!!

*Thanks for having faith in us. The airtime has been spotty but we know that's a result of the transition as well. It will get better. If it doesn't we will be mad too.

Katie: It is a thrill to have you and Mary Beth back on Days. I hadn't watched the show in 16 years. I came back when you did. I hope the writers will reward the viewers with a beautiful ORIGINAL story, and not some triangle-drivel. Actors of your and MBE's talents deserve so much more. And so do the fans that have missed you so and have flocked back to Days to see your work.

* Thanks for coming back, Katie. I like that? flocked back- I'd like to hear from everyone who's come back after 16 years.

Longfortravel: I've soooooo enjoyed having the two of you back on Days!! Congratulations on being back!! I'm sure you know by now that many of us former pre-teens and teens from the 80s associate our early development with the Patch & Kayla storyline . It's a cultural phenomenon!
*A cultural phenomenon? Really? Tell me more.

Kris1biggfan: This is Nick, right? He's not really Steve, so it's sort of understandable. It has to be hard on him not being able to remember his past and to have everyone know him better than he knows himself. Kayla's ever-present wish that he remember her is a kind of pressure, even though she doesn't mean to exert any pressure on him at all.
*Yes! Kris gets it.

Stephen...I want you to know that I am one of those who returned after a 14 YEAR absence JUST for you and Mary Beth and Steve and Kayla. I haven't watched Days in the interim and never thought I'd be back. The two of you brought me back and you're the only ones who could have.
*That means so to me.

Rachel: I will keep watching and waiting for the old spark to start coming back into your "eye". It really has been a little slow in responding to Kayla's beauty.
*There's a reason I'm saving it, baby.

Margie in FLA: I watched a clip of a scene where Steve was rejecting Kayla because of poor sick Jack and she slapped Steve three or four times. Man was that good acting on your parts.
*Oh, Margie, you've got to dig that one up and send it to me. See, there was a time when Steve deserved a good walloping. So give poor Nick a break.

Sugarmagnolia: Now, if only we the viewers could find out where poor Nick/Steve is laying his head at night! Casa Deveraux seems to be all filled up.
*I think Nick must be sleeping in his car by now. I'm getting ahead of the story? oops.

DakotaCelt: I also thought it was sweet when Steve would call Jennifer, "Cupcake".
*Now, I really have ¬¬no recollection of this. Cupcake, that fits.

Kris1biggfan also wanted to know: Can you please let us know when Hogan's name starts appearing on your scripts?
*Tape date: September15th - Hogan Sheffer
And Meg Kelly - Airs October 9th

Cindy, MD: I think Kayla should get to punch Steve for every woman he's been with this whole time!
*Apparently Kayla has punched or slapped Steve a few times already ? see above.

Sotastyithurts: You are doing a great job on the show but I'd love to see more of you in the weeks and months ahead. What can we as fans do let the show know we want to see more of you and Mary Beth?
*Write the producers and the network execs. They want to know what you're thinking. Oh baby, that's quite a moniker.

*Many many of you expressed concern about Billie, the lack of airtime, alienating loyal viewers, etc. Please give Hogan Sheffer a chance. His work is just starting to get to us. I happen to know he is a very good writer because I watched his work when Mary Beth was on ATWT.

Cheers from my husband Chuck,
Kathy T:? my husband, who is *not* a soap opera fan is rooting for a reunion for Steve and Kayla. He's gotten "stuck" watching scenes of you and Mary Beth and even scenes from when "Patch was just Patch" and he wanted me to post to you that he hopes that when Steve regains his memory, that he has some sort of "epiphany" where he slowly develops the mannerisms and sort of hyperness that Steve once used. Like I said, he's not a soap opera kind of man, but he thinks Steve was a kick-a#$ character, and that you are a great entertainer.

Ives: After a 16 year hiatus from Days and soaps in general, your return with Mary Beth has brought me back. After reading all of the other comments to your blog, it kind of sounds like a broken record. It is true, though. I am amazed at how many people are so loyal to Steve and Kayla (and you and Mary Beth) after all of the years. At least I am not alone in my obsession .

I'm overwhelmed by the response to our return. What can I say? Thank you all so much. I wish I could respond to every single one of your comments, but there were over a hundred! It really means a lot to me that you're so engaged with the show and Patch. I love this guy - I have from the moment I first played him and I'm so happy to be back as the "one-eyed tomcat."

Well, BoBo's racking them up. It's my turn to break.

This is The Patch Man sending love from Cincy.

It is 4 a.m. and not ten minutes ago I was auditioning for a play to be directed by Nick Nolte. I bellowed something about fried chicken and dirty socks (a bizarre comedy, I think...perhaps something by Sam Shepard.) A trim, blue oxford shirt- clad Mr. Nolte sat high up in the house
and when I finished my tirade Nolte grumbled/mumbled something about "nice job kid"� or "poor guy has hit the skids"- I can't be sure. As I was leaving, the assistant reminded him of something on my resume and he spit more gravely words, "Yeah, we should get more of you
guys out for this. I'd like to see Ken Shriner and his brother Bill...they're funny."� I awakened just as he poked a finger to his temple and assured me I was fourth on his "mental list." This always
happens to me when I eat right before bed- some crazy nightmare. I figured, I'm up; I might as well get some coffee and finish the blog.

A week ago Friday, Melissa Reeves and Matthew Ashford left the show. I won't say goodbye, I know the door is wide open for both actors to return. They are fan favorites and cast and crew favorites as well. The
day was upbeat for the most part(see photos at stephennichols.net). It is always strange when actors are leaving, whether by choice or not.

The OSV (on set vibe) was definitely a mixed bag on Friday when we taped our final scenes with Jack and Jennifer; a farewell party at the Hortons. Vern showed up to see them off. I hadn't seen Wayne Hefley in all these years. Jack and Steve's mommy, Jo was in the house blubbering over both of us. Marilyn (McIntyre) was a good sport when I told her I would be avoiding her affections (in character of course) by throwing in an "easy now" when she came at me with an, "Oh, Baaabyyyy!!!" as I showed up at Jack and Jen's door.

The most touching moment of the day was when Missy and Frances dress rehearsed their goodbye scene and both women broke down. They could barely get through the dialogue for all the emotion that flooded in. All of this had triggered something in Frances. At the end of the taping
of these scenes, Frances revealed that she had never cried on stage or screen..EVER, before this day. We all sat or stood in stunned silence upon hearing this.

Dear Frances Reid is my roommate. We share a dressing room. When I first came back to the show, Frances would say thanks for "letting me use your room." "What?, I said, I am honored to share your dressing room." When she is at work, I go elsewhere and the rest of the
time; I have the honor and the privilege of using her dressing room.

Then it was cake time for Matt and Missy. Three speeches...one from producer, Steve Wyman and two from great people who happen to be great actors. Missy said when she was a little girl she dreamed of having a family and staying home to raise her kids. She thanked Ken Corday for making that possible. Missy is going to live in Nashville and be a stay-at-home mom. After all these years, she finally sees her dream fulfilled. Matt, with one of his daughters in his arms, talked about her three-day run in her first play and how at the end of it she said, "I didn't know it would hurt this much." Matt
also mentioned something about how many times he had died on the show and come back to life. He was not willing to say goodbye and I told him that I'm not either. Acting with Matt again has been one of the highlights of my return- we always have so much fun. The brother dynamic always seemed to work with us both in the past and currently. I asked the prop man to get me one of those Sherlock Holmes type pipes so Steve would have a gift of some kind to give Jack. I could always throw anything Matt's way and he would find a way to use it in the scene.
One of the lines they wrote for me sums it up. I say to Jack, "Somehow this makes sense, in a weird sorta'way... you and me." I don't believe we have seen the last of Jack.

Thanks for all the comments on last week's blog. I agree, Steve and Kayla should and will have more airtime. Don't be mad if you don't like the upcoming story because of Steve (Nick's) interest in someone other than Kayla. Remember, he doesn't remember being Steve "Patch Johnson" from Salem. He is Nick Stockton from Cincy. Hang in with us and I guarantee the pay off will be well worth it. GI Joe- I have answered your questions here. Thanks to Layman Liz for reminding me of all the nicknames I had for other characters on the show. Shane, you should have said hello to me in the fitness store. I don't bite. I'm sure TV Guide thanks you for all the renewed subscriptions.

Until next time...don't eat deli right before bed.

Love,
The Patch Man

For more information, please log on to www.NBC.com/Days, www.daysofourlives.com or www.stephennichols.nethttp://stephenichols.net

Hello, everybody who likes a da blogs.

What is a blog? A guy who used to fix my Volvo wore them, didn't he? I was once in the passenger seat next to this guy, Stin (rest his soul) as he raced an 850 that he had modified to go even faster. He worked all the pedals furiously with those wooden blogs on his feet making loud clunking sounds on the floorboard. I vuz scared!!

Here is the first Patch's blog on TV Guide.com. I am happy they asked me to do it. Why, you ask? Because it's fun to reveal what goes on at the set. We, who do the work, forget that you fans and friends of Days of our Lives are very curious about the eener verkings of da televeeshjun verld. Hope you enjoy it, cause it's damn hardt verk!

I was back taping scenes on the pier last week, all airing in early September. Remember the old days when I was just "Patch" before Patch had a name? I always met Kiriakis on the pier to get my assignment. Or I met the bad girl, played by Shannon Tweed... remember I called her my "love bunny"? This is where Kayla found me beaten and bloodied and then nursed me back to health. Ah, the good old days on the pier, which brings me to this week's "Days Crew Honor Role." As I stood on the pier during a rehearsal, I glanced over at one of the monitors and noticed a beautiful dissolve (a transition from one shot to another by fading out the first shot as the second shot fades in) that Herb had set up. Herb Stein has been directing Days for over 25 years. Herb comes onto the set each day with such energy and enthusiasm. I was first on Days in the '80s and now that I am back 16 years later, I can honestly say that I feel even more energy and enthusiasm from this extraordinary director. My wife watches the show and always knows when Herb has directed the episode. He puts a lot into it. When you work with Herb, it is evident that he has thought about each scene right down to what props might be useful. We were doing a flashback where I was describing to Kayla my first memory of waking up in the motel room (with no memory) and feeling as if I had been drugged. Herb had the prop guys place a paper ice bucket on the table and he had me stumble over to it and drink the stale water straight from the bucket. What a nice touch. I never would have thought of that. Kudos to Herb, "my man"!

As you all saw last week, the darts were a flyin' at the Brady pub! Kayla reminded me that Bo and I had a fierce rivalry in anything we competed at. And Caroline reminded me of how much I loved her clam chowder. Billie also got thrown into the mix: Was she really just there to pick up a to-go order? I agree that chowder sounds good and then brag that back in "Cincy," I used to trace a human target in darts from 30 feet. I try to enlist Kayla as my first victim, but she didn't going for it. I said, "Don't worry, Sweetness, I never miss." Kayla was looking shocked and awed. "Sweetness!? You just called me ' Sweetness!?" I say I didn't mean to offend her. Anyway, you get the picture. If I remembered to call her Sweetness, it must mean that a glimmer of my former life is coming back, right?

A bit of history... I have always shamefully used my children as inspiration in my work. Back when I was first on the show, my pet name for my eldest daughter, Vanessa, was... you guessed it... Sweetness. So, since it gave me warm, loving feelings when I uttered the name, and since Mary Beth is very sweet, it stuck.

So until next time... and remember, don't drive while wearing blogs!

— The Patch Man