more loving.” And that’s why I think a lot
of the women are saying, “Oh, I hope it’s
Tony coming back.” I had to tap into that.
When he asked me about coming back,
I thought, “Oh, my God, how would I
play him?” I got a little bit uncomfortable
with the idea because basically, one of the
things I did for Andre is I combined both
characters. I thought, “That’s how you
make a richer character.” So now you turn
around and you’re saying, “Oh, I’m going
to take some of those things back.” This
area also has a lot of shadows, and coming
out of the shadows and what is the condi-
tion of Tony. You find out.
Digest: You said fans seemed to be
hoping you were playing Tony.
How did that make you feel?
Penghlis: Well, there are people who like
both characters. I think part of it is because
they like the actor because the actor will
bring some surprises. Because of social
media, in many ways I’ve been able to
have kind of a diverse personality with the
journeys I take, and how I’ve taken them on
those journeys. This time around, when they
say they love Tony, I can always tell this is a
romantic woman. The other one is more into
thrills. We like villains. If you don’t have the
villain, you don’t have a good hero.Digest: What can we expect from Tony?
Is he going to be different?
Penghlis: Well, Albert [Alarr, co-executive
producer] said something to me. He said,
“Tony is not as ruthless as Andre. He’s
softer. He’s a nice human being.” And I
thought, “Well, I’m not really telling you,
then. I have to show some other colors.”
I didn’t want to come off like Prince
Charming; I wanted to have something
about him that was ruthless. I’m working
with Stacy [Haiduk, Kristen] and also with
Leann [Hunley, Anna]. I’m looking at a face
I haven’t seen in years. That was where the
heart came out. Stacy brought my brain out.
She’s wonderful.
Digest: Leann Hunley is also returning.
I’m sure that appealed to you.
Penghlis: People who didn’t know usDead Again:
Stefano (Joseph
Mascolo) mourned
Tony when he
presumably met
his maker in 2009.Lady Of My Heart:
“She’s available
as a human being,”
praises Penghlis
of leading lady
Leann Hunley
(Anna), here
PAUL SKIPPER/JPI in 1985.
NBC/GETTY IMAGES“
It was a very
slow comeback.
”