NEW YORK – by Markos Papadatos
Photo Credit: Bjoern Kommerell
Actor Paul Telfer, who plays Xander Kiriakis in the Peacock daytime drama “Days of Our Lives,” spoke about his Emmy recognition.
He is known for his portrayal of Xander Kiriakis on the Peacock soap opera. “I love playing Xander. It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had, and certainly, the best job in a soap opera is to play that guy,” he said.
“Xander is really fun to play, especially a Greek mafia guy on a daytime soap opera. Xander does good things for bad reasons and bad things for good reasons, and he feels either good or bad, depending on how everybody reacts.”
On playing a character that has Greek roots, Telfer said with a sweet laugh, “I always bring it up whenever I go to a Greek restaurant. Obviously, Xander has strong Greek and Scottish features, which is a very unusual combination especially because I don’t have a Greek or Scottish accent anymore, but I love it.”
“I very much hope that someday we can film scenes in Greece or at the very least a Greek green screen so we can get some nice sunshine. I think Xander spends enough time in motels. It would be fun to find an excuse to go back to Greece for sure,” he said.
On his 2025 Emmy win for “Outstanding Lead Actor,” Telfer reflected, “Thanks for all the kind words, gang. It was such a fantastic night!”
In his moving acceptance speech, Telfer remarked, “Thank you everybody. I would really like to thank my wife, Carmen, who can’t be here tonight because she is on stage on the East Coast. I also want to thank everybody at ‘Days of Our Lives’.”
Telfer went on to thank his co-star Linsey Godfrey, Suzanne Rogers, Serena Scott Thomas, and his fellow “Days of Our Lives” “Lead Actor” nominees Eric Martsolf and Greg Rikaart.
“To win this for playing a villain is really wonderful, so thank you mom,” he said, dedicating the award to his late mother, who was a fan of soap operas.
“I am very grateful and humbled to be honored last night amongst so many beloved friends and colleagues,” he expressed.
“Thanks to the ‘Days’ squad for being so incredibly supportive and kind to me – meant so much to me – love you all,” he exclaimed.
“The one very important thing I forgot to do last night was thank our incredible fans – so I’ll take the opportunity now. Thanks gang,’ he said.
When asked by this journalist what scenes he submitted in his Emmy reel, Telfer shared, “I put in the scenes of Xander and his mother, Fiona (played by Serena Scott Thomas), such as the big reveal that she had caused Sarah to be paralyzed. So, scenes of sad Xander and angry Xander.”
“Also, I put in some scenes with Brady (played by Eric Martsolf),” he added.
To learn more about Paul Telfer, follow him on Instagram.
