QUOTES ABOUT THEIR CHEMISTRY & THEIR WORK TOGETHER
“There was Bogie and Bacall, Tracy and Hepburn, and Scarlett and Rhett. Then there was Patch and Kayla. ”
-Rosemary Rossi, Soap Opera Update writer, October 8, 1990
“Mary Beth Evans and Stephen Nichols are absolutely incredible. They are magical. They made those scenes (Emily and Gideon/Civil war story) wildly romantic.”
-Anne Howard Bailey, Days head writer 1989, Soap Opera Update special edition: “Days celebrates 25 years of romance”
“They have a really genuine affection for each other, almost as if they were husband and wife at work. But of course, they have spouses at home that they love very much. Their devotion to each other rubs off on their characters. They rarely spend time apart. And when Mary Beth is on vacation, Stephen just mopes around here. He’s completely lost without her.”
-Shelley Curtis (Days producer and GH producer), Soap Opera Digest, August 22 1989
In Daytime TV/Soaps’ 25 Greatest Love Stories Special Issue, Soap Opera Actors Are Asked: Who Is Your All Time Favorite Soap Couple? “Kayla and Patch on Days of Our Lives. Their chemistry was far superior to any other couple. They were brilliant actors and entertaining to watch.”
-Bryan Datillo (Lucas, Days of Our Lives; he was not on the show in Steve and Kayla’s era), June 1999
“Stephen and Mary Beth balance each other. He’s prone to be intense and to take himself seriously and she tempers that.”
-Marty Davich, (Music director, Days, GH composer), Soap Opera Digest, August 22 1989
“There is so much chemistry and so much going on back and forth. That’s what it takes- that connection they have. I was talking to Mary Beth yesterday, she said that they share so much. They both have families, they both have kids, and they want a lot of the same things out of life. That translates on-screen.”
-Matthew Ashford (Jack, Days) Daytime TV Magazine, September 1990
“…I walked into the room to read and could see that they had this very powerful, electric chemistry…”
-Matthew Ashford discussing his audition for Days -Days of our Lives 40th Anniversary Collector’s Magazine (released 11-05)
“All I knew was that this guy, Jack, was married to [Mary Beth, ex-Kayla], who was nine months pregnant in real life. She was funny. We cracked jokes all the time. Then, Stephen Nichols walked in, and he was Patch, and you could sense the electricity between them. I was suddenly not in the room. Everybody else seemed to be highly aware that these two were very connected…”
-Matthew Ashford on his early storyline with Stephen and Mary Beth (Soap Opera Digest April 30, 2002)
“They are fabulous. They are both amazing — they have a ton of experience and are so easy to work with. They are bright and funny and also work hard. They take the time to really understand. They are great role models to just watch them on the set.”
-Shayna Rose (ex-Stephanie Kay Johnson, Days) Daytime Dial, August 2006
“I saw Mary Beth on an audition for a commercial,” recounts Henning. “She was so bright and lively and excited about things coming her way. I know both she and Stephen are doing well, but I miss them so much! It’s just not the same without them.”
-Shelley Henning (Stephanie Kay #2, Days), Soap Opera Weekly 12/29/09
“Steve & Kayla….Stephen Nichols & Mary Beth Evans, The most fantastic people in the soap world.”
-Shelley Henning (Stephanie Kay, Days) in an interview before the Emmys on SoapNet, June 20, 2008
“I’m looking forward to that. I love them, so hopefully I’ll get to work with these guys.”
-Peter Reckell /Soap Opera Weekly 6/6/06 (about the coming return of Stephen and Mary Beth as Steve and Kayla)
“Sometimes the least expected pairings are the best. Who would have ever thought that a rough character like Patch was the perfect man for Kayla? Then they started having scenes together and everyone kept saying ‘Aaahh!”
– Ken Corday in Soap Opera Update
‘”I went up to Mary Beth and told her, ‘I have to admit, I’m a little star-struck. You and Patch were my favorite soap couple–ever!’ It was great meeting her, and I got to take pictures with her.’ When told that Nichols had also been in the building, Brandt was bummed. ‘No way! I could have had a picture with both of them? Now that would have really been cool!'”
-Kyle Brandt (ex-Phillip Kiriakis, Days) In Soap Opera Weekly-6/24/03
“There was a period of several months when I was really, really obsessed with Days, back in the mid-80’s heyday when the characters of Patch and Kayla were really popular. I just got to meet the actors who played them last month and it was really, really cool. They were so nice and so gracious.”
-Kyle Brandt (Phillip Kiriakis, Days) TV Guide Online 7/1/03
“Stephen Nichols. He calmed me down, told me to keep focused. When I went up on set for the first time, I got so much thrown at me. Stephen pulled me aside and said, ‘Be calm. Slow down. Bring your own ideas into it and let the producers come to you.’ That really helped me out, made me more relaxed. Mary Beth, who was the main person I worked with my first four days, was great, too.”
-Coltin Scott, (Nik #2, GH) discusses who took him under their wing during his first days on the set, Soap Opera Weekly, September 7, 1999
“Everybody loves Patch and Kayla!”
-Days of our Lives official web site 11/2005 (7 months before their return)
Q: What storyline inspired the most fan mail?
Ken Corday: When Patch and Kayla got married and her deafness went away…
Q: Are there any actors from the past that you would love to bring back?
Ken Corday: Fans regularly cry out for Patch and Kayla…
-In Days of our Lives 40th Anniversary Collector’s Magazine (released 11-05)
Q: “Which Days characters did you create and which of your storylines are you most proud of?”
A: The creation of characters in daytime is oftentimes a collaborative process, as in the case of one of my faves, who was Patch. He …was brought in as short term character –in his case, he was a thorn in Bo’s side. Brian Frons was at NBC in those days and wanted a ‘Falcon Eddie’ type character from the miniseries ‘Rich Man Poor Man’, and it morphed into Patch…. (Sheri continued on to list several other of her favorite characters that she helped to create, and Kayla was among them) …As for storylines, they again can be such collaborations, but I feel most attached to the development of the Bo/Hope love story; bringing Kayla in for Patch….
-Sheri Anderson (Days ex-head writer who, in collaboration with Thom Racina, created the original storyline for Steve and Kayla) answering questions on a Days/J&M fan message board called “Poison Soup”, May 2005
“Who is the most popular couple on daytime right now? When we were all growing up, we could answer that question in a heartbeat: ‘It’s Luke and Laura, Patch and Kayla’. There isn’t that same level across the form where I have strangers who don’t watch the show saying to me, ‘Are you on the show with so and so?”
-Barbara Bloom, head of CBS Daytime, Soap Opera Digest, 8/30/05
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