Zach Tinker

[linkyboi88]

Same, but I remember him saying in a livestream that he'd never go back to soaps... Who knows but seems unlikely

made no sense why Y&R would put his character as being gay/bi if he was only on for one day

 

[Umbrella2019]

Same, but I remember him saying in a livestream that he'd never go back to soaps... Who knows but seems unlikely

Wow. That means both actors who played the role of Sonny on Days ended up leaving the soap world after leaving the role.

 

[MrHobbs]

Same, but I remember him saying in a livestream that he'd never go back to soaps... Who knows but seems unlikely

I wonder why tbh.

 

[Kizmit18]

Same, but I remember him saying in a livestream that he'd never go back to soaps... Who knows but seems unlikely

He’s definitely coming back to Days soon for a few episodes. I think it’s for Alex and Theresa’s wedding. He took a selfie some months back outside The Burbank Studio where Days is filmed.

 

[Catchall]

I’d rather have Chandler back.

 

[WillxSonny]

Wow. That means both actors who played the role of Sonny on Days ended up leaving the soap world after leaving the role.

Yeah, I still miss Freddie... He shared in a podcast that he was approached to reprise his role after he left but he declined, seems like he departed in good terms with the producers and just wanted to work on something else.

 

[WillxSonny]

He’s definitely coming back to Days soon for a few episodes. I think it’s for Alex and Theresa’s wedding. He took a selfie some months back outside The Burbank Studio where Days is filmed.

Good to know!! Alex's wedding without Sonny would be odd.

I’d rather have Chandler back.

And here I'm hoping Chandler will be back as well... Sonny without Will in such an important date as a wedding is so sad. A man can dream Bring back my boys

 

[Catchall]

Yeah, I still miss Freddie... He shared in a podcast that he was approached to reprise his role after he left but he declined, seems like he departed in good terms with the producers and just wanted to work on something else.

Freddie and Zach each made certain acting choices that never worked for me. Freddie always overdid the anger when Sonny and Will got into arguments (most of which didn’t warrant such anger), giving me the impression that Sonny didn’t even like Will. And then Zach always overdid the sadness and never chose the right moments to play sadness, leading to weird things like Sonny literally crying over Leo’s betrayal just a few days after having failed to shed even a single tear over Will moving out — which, in a different way, again gave me the impression that Sonny didn’t even like Will.

They’re among my all-time favorite couples in all forms of media (aside from the Guy Wilson/Cheating era, which I prefer to just pretend was a bad dream), but Chandler always carried the relationship for me.

 

[Seattlemb]

Freddie and Zach each made certain acting choices that never worked for me. Freddie always overdid the anger when Sonny and Will got into arguments (most of which didn’t warrant such anger), giving me the impression that Sonny didn’t even like Will. And then Zach always overdid the sadness and never chose the right moments to play sadness, leading to weird things like Sonny literally crying over Leo’s betrayal just a few days after having failed to shed even a single tear over Will moving out — which, in a different way, again gave me the impression that Sonny didn’t even like Will.

They’re among my all-time favorite couples in all forms of media (aside from the Guy Wilson/Cheating era, which I prefer to just pretend was a bad dream), but Chandler always carried the relationship for me.

You make some good points.

For me, it's more nuanced. Chandler used to be the gold standard. His performance through the Will coming out arc was stellar. There is a reason he won three Emmys. Then...he got bored, started phoning it is HARD and stopped acting. He mostly just said lines and smirked. He looked like a HS kid who was about to burst into laughter most of the time. Other than a few moments of brilliance since, he hasn't recovered.

Freddie used to be quite good, just not as good as Chandler. He too got bored and stopped acting and just recited lines. Unfortunately, near the same time, he also let his appearance go and he got bloated. All the sexiness in the relationship went out the window and they seemed like a couple goofy bros hanging out together.

Freddie did kick it back in when Adrianne (TV mom) died, but beyond that, he was not trying. He then left the show and moved to FL.

When Freddie left and they brought Zach in for Beyond Salam, Zach was a breath of fresh air. He was great and I'd say remained so. He was dragging Chandler along, who perked up a bit as someone was actually acting in scenes with him, but he still mostly just said words. I liked the emotion that Zach brought to the role (you described it as sadness, which I can see). I think the thing with Leo was the plot was going to be that Sonny falls for Leo (insert you option here if that made sense or not). Chandler has/had a full-time job now outside acting and doesn't want to be on the show other than small appearances. You can't write a plot with that schedule. But, then Zach, who I think is talented and ambition, got cast on a prime time show and left too. End of the couple unless they recast both roles now.

The one thing that shifted with Zach was Chandler always seemed younger and like Sonny was the older/alpha. Both of those dynamics shifted when Zach came in as he was younger than Chandler and just as pretty.

And, yes, the less said about the Guy Chandler era, the better. But I'm sure he's a nice guy IRL.

Apologies to anyone who was looking for nudes and read this long post and got annoyed.

 

[WillxSonny]

Freddie and Zach each made certain acting choices that never worked for me. Freddie always overdid the anger when Sonny and Will got into arguments (most of which didn’t warrant such anger), giving me the impression that Sonny didn’t even like Will. And then Zach always overdid the sadness and never chose the right moments to play sadness, leading to weird things like Sonny literally crying over Leo’s betrayal just a few days after having failed to shed even a single tear over Will moving out — which, in a different way, again gave me the impression that Sonny didn’t even like Will.

They’re among my all-time favorite couples in all forms of media (aside from the Guy Wilson/Cheating era, which I prefer to just pretend was a bad dream), but Chandler always carried the relationship for me.

I definitely can see what you're saying. I particulary liked some of the angry moments of Freddie's Sonny because I thought it suited the character - I saw Sonny as a very lawful character that oftenly would get too angry when things go the other way round, which was from time to time his biggest 'flaw'. I liked how Will used to make Sonny do shady stuff like helping EJ simply because he wanted to help Will. This aspect got lost a long time ago, mostly because they had to write stuff for some sort of Sonny plot, like he hooking up with Leo in his office, something old Sonny would never do IMO.

Zach's Sonny was a lot less serious, and although I enjoyed his interactions with Leo, sometimes I got this too much emotion going on. I wouldn't dismiss it being bad writing/direction though. I'm also not sure how much Zach knows about WilSon, and if he was trying to mimetize past Sonny or if he was just giving him his take on what he got from the recent plot/scripts.

You make some good points.

For me, it's more nuanced. Chandler used to be the gold standard. His performance through the Will coming out arc was stellar. There is a reason he won three Emmys. Then...he got bored, started phoning it is HARD and stopped acting. He mostly just said lines and smirked. He looked like a HS kid who was about to burst into laughter most of the time. Other than a few moments of brilliance since, he hasn't recovered.

Freddie used to be quite good, just not as good as Chandler. He too got bored and stopped acting and just recited lines. Unfortunately, near the same time, he also let his appearance go and he got bloated. All the sexiness in the relationship went out the window and they seemed like a couple goofy bros hanging out together.

Freddie did kick it back in when Adrianne (TV mom) died, but beyond that, he was not trying. He then left the show and moved to FL.

When Freddie left and they brought Zach in for Beyond Salam, Zach was a breath of fresh air. He was great and I'd say remained so. He was dragging Chandler along, who perked up a bit as someone was actually acting in scenes with him, but he still mostly just said words. I liked the emotion that Zach brought to the role (you described it as sadness, which I can see). I think the thing with Leo was the plot was going to be that Sonny falls for Leo (insert you option here if that made sense or not). Chandler has/had a full-time job now outside acting and doesn't want to be on the show other than small appearances. You can't write a plot with that schedule. But, then Zach, who I think is talented and ambition, got cast on a prime time show and left too. End of the couple unless they recast both roles now.

The one thing that shifted with Zach was Chandler always seemed younger and like Sonny was the older/alpha. Both of those dynamics shifted when Zach came in as he was younger than Chandler and just as pretty.

And, yes, the less said about the Guy Chandler era, the better. But I'm sure he's a nice guy IRL.

Apologies to anyone who was looking for nudes and read this long post and got annoyed.

I agree that Chandler was the star back in OG WilSon (the era before Guy Wilson). Honestly, post-amnesia Will always seemed like a different take on Will as a whole, I think it's a mix of everything you pointed out, the writing got weird and Chandler was not trying that much anymore. As much as I enjoyed some post-amnesia WilSon scenes, it was not the same as it used to be, most of the time they were just -there-.

Then Zach came in and there was a spark again, but heavily underused I felt. Chandler not always present also hurt not being able to insert Sonny in a plot without the mention of Will or some interaction between them, they are husbands and they'd get in touch, if something big happened then Will would 100% appear to support Sonny.

 

[ZenXN]

...Freddie used to be quite good, just not as good as Chandler. He too got bored and stopped acting and just recited lines. Unfortunately, near the same time, he also let his appearance go and he got bloated. All the sexiness in the relationship went out the window and they seemed like a couple goofy bros hanging out together...

When Freddie left and they brought Zach in for Beyond Salam, Zach was a breath of fresh air. He was great and I'd say remained so. He was dragging Chandler along, who perked up a bit as someone was actually acting in scenes with him, but he still mostly just said words...

I agree with most of what was said but with a couple of minor modifications based upon interviews with Chandler Massey, Freddie Smith and Zach Tinker.

Freddie and Chandler both made an observation about the writing on the show after Leo and the "leap forward" in time. if you look back at the show a decade ago, it was centered upon the younger characters on the show like Gabi, JJ, Abby, Chad, Sonny and Will (aka WilSon). Later, the addition of Paul, who had relationships with both Will and Sonny, added spice to the show and importantly, brought in younger viewers.

By the end of Freddie's time on the show, Will and Sonny didn't have major storylines and were just there to respond to the other characters' storylines. Both actors became frustrated and bored and their performances suffered because the writers weren't giving them much to do. Both actors were dropped from contract, another sign that the writers weren't planning to do much with them. Will and Sonny were shipped off to Arizona with Gabi's long-forgotten daughter, ending their story lines on Days.

Zach's introduction with "Beyond Salem" had a lot of promise. Will and Sonny had a sex life again. The fact that Zach had a nice body also meant that the director could have Will and Sonny in more passionate sex scenes that showed more skin. The shower scene with Leo drew in gay fans again. The drag episode was a lot of fun for the actors and it also drew in younger viewers.

Chandler's move out of LA put the WilSon story line on pause. Even though Will and Sonny were back in Salem, there was always an excuse for why Will wasn't around and there wasn't much exploration of what it takes to keep a long-distance relationship going. It was a bad sign for Will and Sonny's future storylines.

Now, Will and Sonny have been shipped off to New Zealand with Will's pansexual sister. The writers now spend their time trying to find ways to occupy the show's older characters with throwbacks to ISA and Satan storylines that don't appeal to younger viewers.

There was also hope that the move to Peacock would allow for spicier content but the opposite seems to have happened. Other than a FFM three-way, the show hasn't done much to take advantage of the looser rules on cable. The Leo-Dimitri storylines did have some more explicit gay content but it didn't seem to catch on with the fans in the way that the WilSon storylines did. Even the recent Playgirl spread with the male characters didn't offer much skin (and Zach and Chandler were not invited to participate, even though Christopher Sean was inexplicably featured).

There was a missed opportunity on Days with Zach, who seemed more comfortable with same-sex love scenes. The writers really blew it and the characters became boring and turned into "nice" characters who were there just to react to everyone else's story lines.

 

[cocktaste]

 

[excowboy]

View attachment 123248411

i just love to watch this gif and imagine him riding a big cock

 

[Seattlemb]

I agree with most of what was said but with a couple of minor modifications based upon interviews with Chandler Massey, Freddie Smith and Zach Tinker.

Freddie and Chandler both made an observation about the writing on the show after Leo and the "leap forward" in time. if you look back at the show a decade ago, it was centered upon the younger characters on the show like Gabi, JJ, Abby, Chad, Sonny and Will (aka WilSon). Later, the addition of Paul, who had relationships with both Will and Sonny, added spice to the show and importantly, brought in younger viewers.

By the end of Freddie's time on the show, Will and Sonny didn't have major storylines and were just there to respond to the other characters' storylines. Both actors became frustrated and bored and their performances suffered because the writers weren't giving them much to do. Both actors were dropped from contract, another sign that the writers weren't planning to do much with them. Will and Sonny were shipped off to Arizona with Gabi's long-forgotten daughter, ending their story lines on Days.

Zach's introduction with "Beyond Salem" had a lot of promise. Will and Sonny had a sex life again. The fact that Zach had a nice body also meant that the director could have Will and Sonny in more passionate sex scenes that showed more skin. The shower scene with Leo drew in gay fans again. The drag episode was a lot of fun for the actors and it also drew in younger viewers.

Chandler's move out of LA put the WilSon story line on pause. Even though Will and Sonny were back in Salem, there was always an excuse for why Will wasn't around and there wasn't much exploration of what it takes to keep a long-distance relationship going. It was a bad sign for Will and Sonny's future storylines.

Now, Will and Sonny have been shipped off to New Zealand with Will's pansexual sister. The writers now spend their time trying to find ways to occupy the show's older characters with throwbacks to ISA and Satan storylines that don't appeal to younger viewers.

There was also hope that the move to Peacock would allow for spicier content but the opposite seems to have happened. Other than a FFM three-way, the show hasn't done much to take advantage of the looser rules on cable. The Leo-Dimitri storylines did have some more explicit gay content but it didn't seem to catch on with the fans in the way that the WilSon storylines did. Even the recent Playgirl spread with the male characters didn't offer much skin (and Zach and Chandler were not invited to participate, even though Christopher Sean was inexplicably featured).

There was a missed opportunity on Days with Zach, who seemed more comfortable with same-sex love scenes. The writers really blew it and the characters became boring and turned into "nice" characters who were there just to react to everyone else's story lines.

I agree with everything you said.

I forgot to mention Paul and you are 100% right. He lit WilSon back on fire. Prior to that, both Chandler and Freddie had started sliding into the non-acting decline I mentioned above. Christopher Sean's talent kicked both of the boys back into gear. It didn't hurt that CS had chemistry in spades with both, especially CM. There were and are fans who preferred Will and Paul to WilSon at that point.

But then CM left (all the reasons are still a bit of a mystery, but it seems both the show's producers and CM didn't handle that exit well). Guy Wilson came in and everything imploded despite CS's best attempts to keep the steam going.

As far as the shift to older characters and callback plots, you are right. Nowadays most of the fans who watch only want (and bitch incessantly on socials if they don't get it) the older 60+ characters on. They want Jarlana, Bope, Stayla, ect to be the main focus, but they must be happy and in love. Then the same fans bitch that the show is boring. It's a bit no-win for the show and the writers. I'm older myself and have been watching with my grandparents and mom since the 80's, but the show needs to move on. It won't because the fans do not allow it. Ericole for the 10,000th time (well, until Ari was fired <which sucks>, sued the show <good for her> and recently revealed she may be MAGA <What the F, lady?>) is proof of that.

I agree that WilSon didn't get the best writing always, but TBF, other long running actors go through the same. Most of them don't just stop acting like CM and FS did. That exasperated the problem exponentially.

I'd love for there to be a gay couple worth rooting for on the show, but there isn't now. Leo and Dimitri had a lot of promise, but the scab writers shipped Dimitri off for some strange reason. Maybe Ron will bring him back. He will surely create some kind of love life for Leo as he loves that character.

And, yes, the move to Peacock seemed like we'd get some spicier content. The actors even hinted at that in interviews. I think it would have been a good idea, in moderation as not to drive away the pearl clutchers. It seems that is off the table now, but who knows what the future will bring. If Zach wants to make a guest appearance and show his ass, I vote yes (or Carson Boatman, or...name other hot actors on the show).

 

[Catchall]

Chandler's move out of LA put the WilSon story line on pause.

The worst part of this is that Chandler only took a job in Atlanta because Ken Corday fired both Chandler and Freddie to free up money in the budget to keep…Josh Taylor (Roman).

Ken and Josh are close pals beyond the set, and Josh’s salary was equal to Chandler and Freddie’s combined salaries (because showing up in a few episodes per year to serve drinks and flub lines is grueling work and must be rewarded accordingly).

The success of Beyond Salem (and the positive reception of Zach) prompted Ken to make an effort to fix that mistake, but Chandler was only willing to return for brief stints (having already found — and grown to love — a new job by then), and that ultimately led to both Will and Sonny once again being written off the show because it’s hard to do much with a couple when half of the acting team is only available once every three months or so.

It sucks for us as fans, but it’s also exactly what Ken deserves.

 

[cocktaste]

What was all this about?

 

[linkyboi88]

What was all this about?

View attachment 135704251View attachment 135704261View attachment 135704271

I wish

 

[Seattlemb]

The worst part of this is that Chandler only took a job in Atlanta because Ken Corday fired both Chandler and Freddie to free up money in the budget to keep…Josh Taylor (Roman).

Ken and Josh are close pals beyond the set, and Josh’s salary was equal to Chandler and Freddie’s combined salaries (because showing up in a few episodes per year to serve drinks and flub lines is grueling work and must be rewarded accordingly).

The success of Beyond Salem (and the positive reception of Zach) prompted Ken to make an effort to fix that mistake, but Chandler was only willing to return for brief stints (having already found — and grown to love — a new job by then), and that ultimately led to both Will and Sonny once again being written off the show because it’s hard to do much with a couple when half of the acting team is only available once every three months or so.

It sucks for us as fans, but it’s also exactly what Ken deserves.

I'm curious if the information you mentioned is fact or assumptions. This is not to challenge you. I think Ken is likely a dick and I've read things over the years that do seem to support that.

But do we know that he fired (and does he alone make those decisions or is it more likely the EP <formerly Albert A> working with the head writer <Ron now, but not back then I don't think>, then Ken signs-off?

While I agree that Josh (who was good as Chris K back in the day, but horribly miscast as Roman from the get-go) doesn't add much to the show He is also supposedly very friendly with Ken. I'd still guess when MOST (not all) actors who are let go, it's an overall budget thing and less one-to-one. Diedre surely has the highest cast salary. Drake as well. Likely when other cast are let go, it's to keep the show under a certain cost line. Now, did Ken + formerly-Albert play favorites, likely yes, as manager in all workplaces do to an extent. I also suspect that there is also audience/fan "input". As much as we may love WilSon and other gay characters, there is still a very large conservative percentage of the audience. They love Marlena, John, Roman, ect; the older, straight, characters and super-couples. I'm sure some never took to WilSon, so their popularity was lesser, to an extent.

I'd also guess that if it was fully up to Ken, Leo would be off the show, but Ron loves him, so he stays. It's likely a complicated situation. And it sucks sometimes for the gay fans.

 

[Catchall]

I'm curious if the information you mentioned is fact or assumptions. This is not to challenge you. I think Ken is likely a dick and I've read things over the years that do seem to support that.

But do we know that he fired (and does he alone make those decisions or is it more likely the EP <formerly Albert A> working with the head writer <Ron now, but not back then I don't think>, then Ken signs-off?

While I agree that Josh (who was good as Chris K back in the day, but horribly miscast as Roman from the get-go) doesn't add much to the show He is also supposedly very friendly with Ken. I'd still guess when MOST (not all) actors who are let go, it's an overall budget thing and less one-to-one. Diedre surely has the highest cast salary. Drake as well. Likely when other cast are let go, it's to keep the show under a certain cost line. Now, did Ken + formerly-Albert play favorites, likely yes, as manager in all workplaces do to an extent. I also suspect that there is also audience/fan "input". As much as we may love WilSon and other gay characters, there is still a very large conservative percentage of the audience. They love Marlena, John, Roman, ect; the older, straight, characters and super-couples. I'm sure some never took to WilSon, so their popularity was lesser, to an extent.

I'd also guess that if it was fully up to Ken, Leo would be off the show, but Ron loves him, so he stays. It's likely a complicated situation. And it sucks sometimes for the gay fans.

It’s technically hearsay, but I got it from a trusted source with behind-the-scenes information. And Chandler and Freddie have each made some comments that alluded to and supported these claims. That’s enough for me to have no doubt that it’s all true, but I understand why you might be a bit more skeptical.

Google might turn up more information. This isn’t the first time any of this has been posted on the Internet, so it’s not like I’m breaking news here or anything. (That probably reads like I’m being defensive, but I’m really just attempting to provide as much elaboration as I’m comfortable providing. I’ll reiterate that your skepticism is understandable and doesn’t “bother” me.)

 

[ZenXN]

I'd also guess that if it was fully up to Ken, Leo would be off the show, but Ron loves him, so he stays. It's likely a complicated situation. And it sucks sometimes for the gay fans.

The Leo character is an example everything right and wrong with DOOL.

After drugging and taking embarrassing pictures of Sonny, Leo is still invited to hang out with Sonny during the holidays while Will is still in Arizona. Totally believable... just like Sonny's sports bra tan... in December... in Illinois.

On the other hand, Leo gets some of the best lines, is a complicated narcissistic trouble-making character who makes the straight male characters squirm. Leo might not be a good candidate for a classic DOOL romantic couple but at least he's being given more to do than sit on the couch and fly back and forth to Arizona like the gay characters have done in the past 4 years.

And any excuse for more shirtless Zach...