before said, “You two have really got great
chemistry. The fans have this romantic idea
of the two of you.” Listen, as soon as we put
our arms around each other and kiss, I’ve
got to say, she’s the most available kisser, I
think, I’ve ever experienced. Maybe because
we’ve been together on and off for 37 years,
but there’s something available about those
lips. She has beautiful lips, but she’s avail-
able as a human being. Others are not. I
mean, there are some people when you’re
kissing, nothing happens. There’s no giving.
But with her, she’s a total woman to me, and
that’s what makes her so beautiful.
Digest: What did you miss about being
on the show?
Penghlis:I love my actors and my crew.
There’s something about the ritual. When
you’ve been doing this as long as I have,
there’s something about that ritual when you
come on. The way we’re doing it these days
and doing it so far in advance, there’s always
challenges. But once you hit your first scene,
and the crew, everyone is so supportive. I
mean, they applaud, they say lovely things
and they make you really feel welcome.
And they’ve missed you. I went from being
10-take Thaao from the beginning when
I first went on DAYS OF OUR LIVES to
one-take Thaao. I liked those challenges.
So, to your question, certainly the crew and
the actors, but also the performances and
how you challenge yourself to do reallygood work. That’s how I was trained. I don’t
like to go onstage if I’m not prepared. Ten
minutes before we start the scenes, I go and
sit on the set because I want to take in the
energy. It’s the same thing I would do in
the theater. I will lie on the stage with the
curtains closed for a half hour and I will do a
meditation and bring the audience onto me,
onto the stage, instead of me having to come
out and work at it.
Digest: How had you been filling your
time while off the show?
Penghlis:Well, I’ve written two books.
I’m now on my third, Culture and Cuisine.
It’s like [the late Anthony] Bourdain, except
there’s more culture than cuisine. Bourdain
was more cuisine. I’m writing a story now.
I just came back from Egypt and it’s about
really interesting things that took place this
time around and how it affected me. When
I came back, I thought, “What recipe would
I have had? What did I eat there?” After
each revelation or the journey that you take,
at the end you celebrate with food. To me,
food is about celebrating your survival and
the way you live and what you do in your
life and what you represent. When I sit at
the dinner table, this is a reward for me, a
reward for the people, because I cook a lot.
It’s a reward for people who have come to
my place for dinner. I’m having Wil deVry
[Julian, GH] tomorrow because he lives
across the street from me. It’s nice. wSOAP OPERA DIGEST
Dream Weaver:
Penghlis
popped up
with Kristian
Alfonso’s
Princess Gina
(near l.) as part
of Marlena’s
(Deidre Hall)
visit to purga-
tory in March.XJ JOHNSON/JPI