Would Jennifer Aniston Ever Guest star in Days of Our Lives? This is what her father John Aniston says about it
At 82 years young, John Aniston has an extra jump in his stride. Thanks to the powerful story lines and agile writing, Days of Our Lives' Victor Kiriakis has never been more fun to watch, whether he's hurling insults at Theresa or coming to Caroline's aid. Now, the veteran actor (who has starred in 40 Broadway, Off-Broadway and other theatrical productions) celebrates 30 years as the powerful patriarch of Kiriakis in the NBC daytime drama, not including the few appearances he made as Eric Richards on the show a early 70's.
In person, the Greek-born (and Penn State graduate) actor has Victor's commanding presence and practical jokes (though never short-tempered), but he's also a master storyteller who has a soft spot for every actor in the show. Over the course of an hour, we sat down with Aniston in his dressing room to talk about his famous mustache, location shoots went awry, and whether his daughter Jennifer would ever make a cameo in Salem.
John: Everyone. It was a huge fundraising event at the country club, and they had an auction. There was a photograph, and they started bidding for it. From the back of the room, you hear a voice, and it's Victor who says, "A million dollars." That was my entry.
Glamor: Who do you remember working with the most in the beginning?
John: You really are pushing me. [Laughter] I think Peggy McCay because one of the first stories we did was when I found out that Bo was my son. I had a lot of scenes with her and Peter Reckell. Peter and I got along really well, and Peggy and I had been on Life's Love together in New York. She was the original first lady on that show, so we had a lot to talk about.
John: It depends on what is happening in the scenes. I've had a lot of things over the years because they did it a bit bitch and it has these snappy lines, which are so much fun to do.
Glamor: What do you remember going to Greece for Justin and Adrienne's wedding?
John: It was too short! Drake [Hogestyn] and Genie Francis also came. Wally [Kurth] was there, and Judi [Evans]. The exteriors of the church were filmed in Greece, but the interiors were filmed at Hagia Sophia in Los Angeles. It was my wife's first trip to Greece, I think. The first day we were there, we had the day off, so we went to Delphi and stopped in this little town. My wife drank some water from this water fountain which featured a lion spitting water. Big Mistake. She became horribly ill. And then the next day, they were supposed to send me a limo to take me somewhere else, and we were supposed to have first-class accommodations, but the limo turned out to be an Oldsmobile van. At the last minute, the NBC PR rep wanted to come with us, so we had to put her in the car and all our luggage in the same car as well. I was sitting with my knees up to here, and they basically pulled me out of the car. Then we got there, and there was a dental convention, so there were no first-class rooms.
Glamor: This is better than a soap opera.
John: They thought, "How do we get first-class rooms?" So they rented yachts for the crew, the actors, etc. We were on a 70 foot schooner, which is a luxury boat under most circumstances if you are on vacation in Greece with a bathing suit and mallet. But there were three showers on board, and one of them was on the deck, and there was no hot water. They said the water was "refreshing." We did a shot of me arriving at my yacht at three in the afternoon, so at least we have it [for the show]. Then we go to the boat, and the cabin is very small. So we unpack, go up on deck for a drink, but there's no ice. They brought us some crushed ice, but in the middle of dinner I was obviously mortally ill from the ice. Sherry didn't get sick, probably because she had nothing in her body the night before when she was sick. Then we come back from dinner, and the bus is there with everyone else. Someone went into town and found accommodation in a class B hotel, which was quite nice. Sherry is packing, and I'm completely out of it. So I go downstairs to finish packing, and they take me to the hotel, they take me to bed, and my poor wife has two suitcases, in a city she's never been to, and she has no idea where we are. It took an hour before she finally met someone and they could tell her where to go. So when we finished the rest of the shoot, and that was pretty good, but then we had to leave immediately. It was not a wonderful trip, but it was still a good trip. I loved it.
John: Yeah. Actually, when the Doug Williams part came around, I auditioned for the part, and they asked if I would shave my mustache, but I was hesitant. Finally, we agreed that I would shave my mustache. And then they didn't give me the part. I was angry! [Laughs] Then about two weeks later, they called me and said they had another part that they would like to see done and said, "Could you grow the mustache back?" It wasn't because of Victor, but about another guy [named Eric Richards]. They got me into this story with Bill Horton. I was the prison doctor who treated Bill Horton very badly. I came from Hell’s Kitchen in New York and worked my way through medical school, while he came from a family that handed him everything on a silver platter, so I tried it like shit. The audience hated me. A woman attacked me in a supermarket one day. She said, “What are you doing? Bill Horton is a wonderful man! He has never hurt anyone in his life! " Funny. It was at Ralph's grocery store in Sherman Oaks.
Glamor: when the role of Victor appeared, you had a mustache, right?
John: Right. I have never shaved it since.
Glamor: How do you feel more like Victor and how do you like Victor less?
John: I look like him! But he has a lot more money than me! And a very different lifestyle.
Glamor: Are you a smart businessman like him though?
John: Yes, I am smart. I'm just not rich like him.
Glamor: I would say that you are living comfortably.
John: Yes, very comfortably. The first question I ask anyone who wants to manage my money is "Are you rich?" Because if you're not, why the hell should I listen to you? You should have a lot of money! Good business managers don't want to talk to you unless you have a couple million dollars.
Glamor: What story made you most anxious?
John: I was afraid of a couple of them when we were taking a trip to… we had a 200,000 gallon tank on stage four here. I just know that we spend a lot of time in the water. I can't remember the whole story line. [Ed. note: It was the Cruise of Deception in 1990].
John: I've been so lucky on this show with the best ladies I've ever had. Each of them has been fantastic. The ones I have now… Suzanne, Lauren Koslow, Louise Sorel, Arianne Zucker, Deborah Adair, Judith Chapman. They are all phenomenal actresses, truly exceptional.
Glamor: Have you ever taken something from Victor for your own home?
John: I have a couple of suits. [Laughs] The last suit I bought was from my first wedding, and it was a disaster that I haven't bought since.
Glamor - Many famous actors now auditioned for Days of Our Lives when they first started. Julia Roberts comes to mind. Would you ever ask your daughter Jennifer to come on the show even for an episode so dad and daughter can work together?
John: We work together on Find Tomorrow. She was an extra. [Laughs] I was 13 or 14 years old. I had her in the studio one day and Jane Krakowski was on the show and Jennifer was in the green room and she met Jane and they were talking.
Glamor: But have you asked him to come to Dias?
John: No. But yeah, [it would be nice]. There is circumvention of Victor's staff ...
Glamor: so she could play a member of the Kiriakis staff.
John: Yes, I could, but all we have is the butler. And you never see the butler.
Glamor: I think NBC would make an exception in this case.
John: Do you think so?
Glamor: Yes, I do. [Laughter] The grades would go through the roof.
John: OKAY. [Laughs]
