‘Days of our Lives’ Star Paul Telfer Talks Xander’s Shift from ‘Big, Nasty Villain’ to ‘Unlucky in Love Sad Sack’ (EXCLUSIVE)

When Daytime Emmy-winner Paul Telfer joined Days of Our Lives as black sheep Xander Kiriakis, the last thing he wanted to play on Peacock’s 60-year-old soap opera was a “sad sack,” emotional leading man—but it turns out, it was just what they both needed!

As Xander and Sarah put all their cards on the table, a gleeful Telfer giggles with Woman’s World over taking home the gold at the 52nd Annual Daytime Emmys, his luck with the ladies of Days of Our Lives, and what it’s been like to go from villain to family man in Salem.

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Paul Telfer on winning his first Daytime Emmy: ‘I was trying to be cool… Nope. Couldn’t do it!’

Paul Telfer was horrified to have left Days of Our Lives viewers out of his acceptance speech when he won his first Daytime Emmy and took to his Instagram to rectify that. But to his credit, he was spinning as he took the stage and thanked wife, Carmen Cusack, dedicated the win to his mother and also honored his father, cast, crew and lead actor competitors onstage. 

“I was trying to be cool…Nope, couldn’t do it!” Telfer admits on the red carpet right after the win, a grin spreading across his face. “It was incredible. Really moving. Really lovely. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t want this. I really wanted to win this. 

“It was kind of overwhelming in the moment, because I was surrounded by some of my very best friends, all screaming and shouting for me,” he adds. “I wish my family, and my wife were here to share in it with me, but I know that they’re here in spirit from across the pond and on the other side of the country.”

On Xander going from ‘nasty villain’ to ‘sad, crying and just wishing I had my girl!’

While Telfer joined Days of Our Lives as the kind of soap opera troublemaker his own mother would have loved, his Emmy nod reflected much more emotional faire—namely, Xander facing the heartbreak and mama trauma caused by Serena Scott Thomas’ devious Fiona Cook.

These days, he’s desperate to rebuild life with Sarah Horton, and it turns out, those are just the kind of storylines he was loath to play when he was considering signing onto Days of Our Lives a decade ago!

“I’m very glad I joined, but at the time, I wasn’t so sure,” he admits. “One of my big concerns was I didn’t want to become some soppy, unlucky in love, sad sack who’s going from relationship to relationship.

“I was so excited when I got to play this big, nasty villain who’s terrorizing everybody… but look at me now,” he cheers with glee. “Sad, crying and just wishing I had my girl! That’s how you get the awards. You’ve got to cry.”

 Paul Telfer on Xander shedding his villainy on ‘Days’

All joking aside, Telfer has been thrilled to watch his character’s world—and onscreen connections—open up.  

“I’d always wanted that,” he says. “Because Xander’s always been a bit off to the side of things. I mean, he’s a bit of a black sheep, that’s the whole point! That’s why I’m dressed in black tonight!

 “To have him slowly but surely work his way inside the center of the show… and magically, he’s actually Victor’s son… and then, ‘Oh, give him a wife and a daughter!’ ‘Oh, his brother and him… maybe they can get along,’ and to have it be more than just Xander coming in and causing trouble and leaving… It’s the last thing I expect to happen in my career. So… I don’t hate it!”

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While no one is suggesting volatile Xander is a perfect man or that he is not still prone to losing control, there’s no question he’s become someone viewers root for. With the Kiriakis boys finding an unexpected peace after a bumpy ride, much of Xander’s drama over the years has been about the ladies in his life—and perhaps they’ve played their part in getting him here!

“Obviously, I’m spoiled because they bounced me between Linsey Godfrey, Emily O’Brien, Nadia Bjorlin and even Stacy Haiduk,” he says of Sarah, Gwen/Theresa, Chloe and Kristen’s portrayers. “And also, Suzanne Rogers (who plays Maggie)—I know that’s not romantic, but she’s an incredible scene partner. I’ve just been lucky, with all of them.”

What’s so great about Telfer’s ‘Days’ leading lady, Linsey Godfrey?

While this gentleman is quick to honor the many Salem ladies he’s gotten to work with, he only counts one as a bestie—and it’s the actress who told us earlier this year that he’s a “little nerd.”

“Linsey and I have become best mates over the past five, six years of her being there,” he says. “I’ve never had anybody, as an actor, that I could trust and just know was always there to catch me, mid-scene. We do almost everything in one take, so you need people that can see, ‘Oh, he’s gonna make a mistake! I can catch him here and maybe fix it,’ or vice versa. 

“It’s great to have a buddy who is looking out for me—not just for Paul, but she’s looking out for Xander too,” he adds. “She’s got her sense of how things should go and how to protect your character. She’s very good at making sure that I take the emotional time required, and not just rush through things to make the producers happy. I’m very grateful.”

Telfer’s final word? Go see his wife’s musical!

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The dashing soap actor’s final word after winning his first Daytime Emmy for lead actor? It’s a plug for his real-life leading lady! The reason Cusack couldn’t be by Telfer’s side at the 52nd annual Daytime Emmys is that she’s on a very different stage, herself.

“Everybody go see Bull Durham at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ,” the Days of Our Lives star instructs, referring to the musical adaptation running through November 2 that happens to star his wife. “Carmen’s killing it right now. You’ll love it. You’ll have a great time at the show.”