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| November 25, 2011: I just wanted to jump on my website and say thank you to everyone who has taken a moment to check out the site and especially to those of you who took the time to write to me. I truly appreciate hearing from you. And I wanted to apologize to all of you for not answering your emails! I'm so backed up – it's embarrassing! It's been a crazy year and I still cannot believe that it is almost December. So, I've made an early New Year's resolution. I am going to try my best to respond to all of your lovely emails and do a better job going forward than I have in 2011. I'd also like to state for the record that I am NOT on Facebook, Twitter or any other social network site! To tell you the truth, I barely know how to do the little that I do on a computer. I still don't even own a cell phone! Anyway – I hope it's been a great year for you – I hope that you have enjoyed the show – and I hope you keep watching! I'll try harder to keep things more current on the site and we'll see how it goes! |
| June 15, 2011: Had a few days off so I did what I love to do - some gardening up at our lake house! Tough on the back, but good for the soul. Looking forward to more days up there! |
| May 22, 2011: Today I did a scene with Renee Jones, who plays my daughter, Alexandra. I love Renee and we've had great fun through the years. Her character is supposed to be a not only a successful doctor but also the Chief Physician of the hospital. Well, Stefano was having some sort of breathing problem due to his diabetes so she was checking his heartbeat only she was looking for my heart on the wrong side of my chest! I said, "if you are looking for my heart, you might try over here, as I moved her hand across my chest." She laughed and said, "well we all know that Stefano doesn't have a heart anyway!" Naturally, we had redo the scene! |
| May 10, 2011: Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!!! This is my first Mother's Day without my mom but I have many years of happy memories and I'm so glad that I got to have her with me for so many wonderful years! While some of the moms on our show are not shining examples of the best of motherhood (on screen I'm talking about!) - I send a big thank you to all of you out there who have done amazing jobs of raising some beautiful children!! Keep up the good work. |
| May 3, 2011: OK - I have to admit I did watch much of the Royal Wedding. I do enjoy the pomp and pageantry and some old traditions while at the same seeing how those traditions are evolving for a new generation - for the better I must add. I loved her dress - I thought it was classy, elegant and just beautiful. It was a fun show and I wish them much happiness in the future! |
| April 15, 2011: Hey there - Well I've been crazed I haven't "blogged" for months! So much has happened but no time to write about it. Our recent trip to New Orleans is probably most noteworthy. A bunch of us from the show went there to promote the show and the Days 45th Anniversary book. But what captured our hearts was the amazing work being done by the St. Bernard Project, headed by Zack and Liz Rozenburg. They left their careers and lives in Washington, D.C., five years ago to move to New Orleans and help the people who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina. I was stunned by the devastation that still exists. Zack created his project to help rebuild the homes for many of the families that have been homeless since the disaster and to date they have rebuilt 367 homes! We had the good fortune to work with his team for two days and meet the incredible workers and volunteers who are literally changing people lives and futures. I'll be posting some photos and more information on this group soon! |
| February 14, 2011: Happy Valentines Day Everyone -- Yes, Stefano does have a heart somewhere down deep and I've enjoyed the twists and turns of Stefano's relationship with Kate. Please checkout our Valentines Day interview with Dan J. Kroll at the following link: http://www.soapcentral.com/radio/index.php And enjoy yourselves today and everyday you lovers out there! |
 January
25, 2011:A new addition to the Mascolo family: My wife and I got a new puppy for Christmas - we named him Lucky! It's been years since I had a dog and I had forgotten how much joy, as well as frustration, a little puppy can bring to a home! He's a smart little thing though but I'll be happy with this puppy, chewing on everything ends! Please tell me it ends! |
| January 10, 2011: Well I want to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year. I am sad to say that 2010 went out on a very somber note. My mother, Anna Mascolo, passed away on December 27, just 11 days after her 100th birthday. She was an amazing lady and it gives me so much satisfaction to know that she had a long, wonderful life. She and my father, Peter, were married for 80 years!! He passed away two years ago and now she is with him once again. I want to send a big thank you to all of the wonderful people at Jefferson House in Newington, CT, who took such loving care of her for the past several years. I am forever grateful to them for being so kind and caring to my mother and my entire family. Also, I want to thank our dear friends Lisa and Matthew Duksa for giving her a beautiful service at Newington Memorial and putting her to rest so eloquently. Lastly, but definitely not leastly, to our friends at the Farmington Marriott Hotel who treated us like family at this difficult time and for that matter for all our visits to West Hartford during the past ten years. And to our friends and family for their support and love. We are so blessed to have all of these awesome people in our lives. |
| December 20, 2010: My mother celebrated her 100th birthday on December 16! I had to work so I couldn't be back there but fortunately, we had just visited with her over Thanksgiving break. An awesome lady --- Happy Birthday Mom!!! |
| December 16, 2010: Well everyone is certainly getting into the Holiday spirit on the set. A few of the crew guys stopped by my dressing room with a new wall hanging - a large martini glass in a festive setting! So we got that hung up on the wall. My dressing room is the only one with a window so it becomes the place to come when anyone wants to check on what's happening on the outside world, otherwise it could be snowing out there and we'd never know! It's also a good perspective to see who's coming and going into the studio building - we can see out, but they can't see in! Anyway - tomorrow is our last day before a two week hiatus for the holidays - can't wait!!! My family and I wish a happy, healthy and prosperousHolidays to you all. |
| December 12, 2010: Hey there - We all know that Stefano DiMera is a bit of bully which is a great character to play on television, but in my real life I am concerned about the wave of suicides and emotional problems that are the direct result of bullying. That's why I decided to work with NBC to do a public service announcement to address this increasingly destructive behavior, especially amongst our school aged children. Take a look and maybe you can do your part to Stomp Out The Bullying! Here is the link: http://www.nbc.com/days-of-our-lives/video/stomp-out-bullying/1261802/ Also a quick note if you have not seen my link page check it out for some cool links! |
| December 08, 2010: Our shooting schedule has been nuts!! Worked late tonight and when we were done our little "guys club" - some of the crew and myself - got together in my dressing room for a couple of martinis from my hidden stash! Haven't done any Christmas shopping as yet - hope to get going on it this weekend if I'm not too pooped! |
| November 30, 2010: Check it out! My good friend Ron Weaver, Senior Producer on The Bold and the Beautiful has written a wonderful novel called "Soul Mate" that's garnering worldwide attention.
The Canyon News (Los Angeles) reviewer called Soul Mate "one of the most amazing novels in history ..surely a candidate to ecome a literary classic." After reading the book, I gave Ron a quote which he's used on the back cover: "Soul Mate is one of those novels that gets under your skin. You keep turning the pages to scratch the itch. I was smiling when I got to the last page, finally soothed and satisfied. Great characters." -
Joseph Mascolo.
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| November 23, 2010: The show is down for the week so we headed back to Connecticut to see my mom. We got in last night and it was actually warmer in New England that is was in Los Angeles when we left Visiting friends and family - more to come. |
| November 15, 2010: Days of Our Lives celebrates its 45th Anniversary! Hey Everyone --- well it’s been crazy! I haven’t even had a minute to “blog”….but I would like to tell you about a great event we had last weekend. We had a great week of celebrations for the 45th Anniversary of “Days.” Congratulations to Ken Corday, executive producer, and a big thank you to everyone I’ve had the privilege of working with during my many years with the show. On Saturday, Nov. 6, fans came from all over the world to join in the celebration at the Universal Studios City Walk in Los Angeles. It was wonderful to meet so many great people. THANK YOU to everyone who was there – it was an amazing day. On Saturday evening cast and crew celebrated at the House of Blues in Hollywood. Terrific party. The special treat was the live band featuring members of the crew and our own leader, Mr. Ken Corday, playing his heart out on the drums. He was sensational – this guy is multi-talented! Several cast members sang and performed on stage and it was just a fun time for everyone. It was also announced that NBC has picked up the show through 2013 – so it looks like the Bradys, Hortons and DiMeras will be around for awhile longer. So I would just like to thank all of you who have been watching the show – I hope you stick with us and I hope that you continue to enjoy the stories of the Days of Our Lives!! |
| October 31, 2010: I was “roasted” by my two wives at an NBC employee reunion on Saturday, October 23.  My wife, Patricia, who worked as an executive at NBC for nearly twenty years, and my television wife, Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts-DiMera) compared their “marriages” in front of 300 people who attended an NBC Reunion Party at the Lakeside Country Club in Toluca Lake on Saturday, October 23.Listening to the two of them compare notes on what it’s like being married to Joseph Mascolo/Stefano DiMera had the crowd howling – but it was a little too close to home for me, so I had to come up on stage and defend myself! It was actually quite funny as my two wives shared their experiences. There was also a funny, yet moving, tribute to Johnny Carson on the anniversary of what would have been his 85th birthday. Johnny’s brother Dick Carson was there, along with various family members and Tonight Show staff as comedian Tom Dreesen hosted a tribute to the legendary late-night talk-show host. But the stars of the night were the employees themselves, many of them had worked at NBC for over 30 years and shared great memories of their time together at the network. I know that I barely saw my wife all night long as she talked with friends she worked with during her long career at the peacock network. Thank you Lauren for being such a good sport and for coming out to help us celebrate this lovely reunion. |
| September 22, 2010: Well I had a great time getting together with a bunch of my friends from The Bold And The Beautiful at the Grove for the launch of Ron Weaver's, Senior Producer B&B, new book "Soul Mate." Had a blast catching up with Ronn Moss, Lesley-Anne Downe, Leslie Kay, John McCook and many others. What a great bunch. Much as I enjoy the group at Days, I do miss these guys. I hope you all will checkout Ron's book - it's a great read! |
| September 1, 2010: Eat, Drink and be Merry --- that was the theme at this year's Festival of Arts Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. "Where Art Comes To Life" is how they describe this production but the truth is, you cannot possibly describe it - you simply have to see it with your own eyes. Saturday night was a special "Gala Benefit" hosted by Mario Lopez with donations going to support the Festival of Arts. If you have never been to one of these annual events, you are really missing out on a spectacular performance. A special thank you to David Mirisch and his staff for inviting us to the dinner and show, and to all of the wonderful board members, patrons and artists who we met. A big thank you to our dear friend Carol Reynolds for introducing us to the coolest little Inn at Laguna Beach - the Capri Laguna! Great rooms, amazing ocean views, beautiful beach and all topped off by the wonderful hospitality of General Manager Ibrahim Guirguis and Carlos who made us feel so welcomed! If you go there tell them Joseph sent you! |
 August 26, 2010:My Two Wives!!! Weird as it may sound I'll be with both of my wives on Saturday, October 23, for an NBC Reunion Gala. My wife, Patricia, a former NBC exec., is on the planning committee for the event, and Lauren Koslow, Kate - my wife on the show, will be co-hosting the event! This may get a little tricky but it should make for a very interesting evening! |
| July 22, 2010: She will be missed! This week the final episodes featuring the lovely actress Jessica Tuck aired. Jessica played Madeline Woods, a lady from Stefano's past who tragically was killed this week when she and her son, Chad, got into a nasty argument on the pier. Madeline had yet to tell the "secret" about her mysterious past with Stefano and Kate but I promise you, it will be a real shocker when it is finally revealed. I personally am going to miss her - she is a real professional and wonderful person. We had a great time working together and I wish her all the best. Who knows, maybe Stefano's and Madeline's paths will cross again some day! But for now, Ciao! |
| July 15, 2010: Hello from beautiful Whidbey Island! -- While the show was down for a quick summer hiatus, we flew up to Seattle, WA, then took a ferry over to Whidbey Island to visit family and friends. From the luscioius green landscapes to the spectacular views of Puget Sound - this is a gorgeous place. My sister-in-law and her husband, Kathy and Dennis Shanley, were awesome hosts who treated us to great parties, fantastic 4th of July firework shows over the ocean, to delightful wines from the local wineries. But mostly they showed us around this amazing island. Dennis's brother Ted and his wife Jan hosted an incredible bar-b-que on the 4th at their gorgeous home high atop a cliff overlooking the ocean where we watched the cruise ships heading out from the ports in Seattle....Awesome! A great time, from the great food (the best fresh mussels and crab I've ever had), to the quaint little towns, to the wonderful folks who live on the island and are more than happy to tell you all about their incredible island! Photos to come! Ciao for now. |
| June 29, 2010: Farewell Frances! --- I watched some of the wonderful tributes to Frances Reid (Alice Horton) that are currently airing and it really made me realize how much we all will miss her. The writers, producers, cast and crew have done an amazing job of honoring her legacy throughout the storyline. It’s too bad that Stefano could not be part of the on-screen tributes but as Joseph Mascolo, I will cherish my wonderful memories of a fine lady and a true professional. This is definitely the end of an era for The Days of Our Lives! |
| June 17, 2010: Stefano meet Stefano -- I was thrilled when our costume department told me that they were bringing in some men's suits from Milan, Italy for Stefano to wear on the show, but I was taken aback when the gentlemen arrived to show us the suits and introduced himself as Stefano! No joke, that was for real. Hmmm must be a sign that these were truly the suits meant for Stefano -- DiMera that is! |
| June 10, 2010: Great fun on our east coast vacation! Always great to spend time with my mother who still looks terrific. Once again we were treated wonderfully by the gang at the Courtyard Marriott in Farmington, CT. Had great dinners and visits with friends and family in West Hartford. Visited good friends Anna & Louie Florio in Brooklyn, NY --- thanks so much for putting up with us! And even caught one Broadway show, La Cage Aux Folles, and had a great visit with Kelesy Grammer who does a sensational job starring in the production (he's been nominated for a Tony award!). Checkout the photos! |
| May 26, 2010: Hiatus Week! Got some time off so we are going back to visit my mom, friends and family on the east coast - Connecticut and Brooklyn! We were in Lake Arrowhead on Saturday and woke up to an inch of snow on the ground! when we came down the mountain we were in an actual snow storm! Now on the east coast it's 90+ degrees and humid!!! A big "hi" to a great lady at a little restaurant at the Dulles airport - thank you Joyce for introducing us to Maryland Crab Soup! Please send the recipe! |
| May 17, 2010: The Director In Me: With the fast pace of our shooting schedules getting faster and faster due to the various budgetary constraints, I came up with my own way of getting a "do-over" of a scene I'm not feeling particularly great about. As soon as I feel that a scene is not going in the right direction, I suddenly start swearing and blend that right into my dialiogue. After a couple of times of doing this, the director will call out, "you want to do that scene again Joe?" and we'll try it once again! It's just my little way of having some sort of quality control over "Stefano." |
| May 11, 2010: Beware of false Joe Mascolos! I'm getting lots of comments on my website from people who claim to be "chatting" with me on Facebook or Twittering with me. Don't be fooled! Please know that I don't do either of these so whomever is talking and twittering to you - it's not me! I am not that computer savvy and I'm not that "modern" - geez, I don't even have a cell phone. I'm just trying to hold on the Renaissance with both hands! |
| May 10, 2010: Macho Men Martini Hour - Here's a little secret I'm going to let you in on. About once a week, when I have a later call so that I know I'll be working until the late afternoon or evening, I'll let the camera guys know that I'll be hosting our weekly little "get together." This means that when the last scene is shot, the 3 camera operators (who just happen to be guys) and I meet in my dressing room - which is conveniently off by itself, away from the sets, and the hubbub of all the chaos and production - and I make martinis for the four of us. Naturally, I am talking about "real" gin martinis, not these whimpy trendy vodka martinis that are so popular nowadays. It's a great opportunity for all of us to unwind and talk about the world problems or whatever else comes up in conversation. It's a great bonding experience and one that we all look forward to! |
| May 5, 2010: Okay I'm really trying to stay on top of the blog postings. Had a great time the other night at Ken Corday's book signing party. As you probably know, Ken (executive producer of "Days of Our Lives") has written a book aptly titled "The Days of Our Lives." It was a great opportunity to visit with some of the "old timers" like Director Wes Kenny, and Producers Shelley Curtis and Al Rabin and of course many of the past and present cast members. It was especially nice to see Drake Hogestyn (John Black) because I really miss working him - he's a great guy and dearly missed. Haven't read the book yet, so I don't know what he has said about the infamous Stefano! I'll keep you posted! |
| May 3, 2010: Way to go Calvin Borel!!! We watched the Kentucky Derby Saturday and now we are inspired to make plans to be there next year! I was there many years ago and had a great time! Love the tradition, the "pomp and circumstance," and, of course, all the parties that go along with the event. In case you missed it - Jockey Calvin Borel became the first jockey to ever win 3 Kentucky Derbies in 4 years! |
April 28, 2010: |
| March 29, 2010: Thanks to all of you who are watching the show and taking the time to let us know how you feel. The folks at NBC have apparently paid attention and renewed the show for another year. I guess in these tough times for our daytime dramas, that’s pretty good news. You’ve all been so patient with the Sydney kidnapping story, but this week, finally, Stefano discovers that his son, Elvis, is behind the whole horrific plot. Things are sure to get exciting as that storyline unfolds! Stay tuned! Ciao for now. |
| March 17, 2010: Happy St. Patty's Day! Thanks to everyone out there for the birthday wishes you sent my way! I had a small celebration with my wife on the show, Lauren Koslow (Kate), on the set with the crew and makeup group. Her birthday is a few days before mine. Then I was able to get up to our house at the lake and celebrate with my real wife, Patricia. It was a great weekend with friends and family. Now it's back to work. Hope you are all enjoying the show! If you have thoughts you'd like to share - please let me know and let the show know too by checking into the blog at the Days of Our Lives website! Watch out for those leprechauns! |
| March 10, 2010: I had my first scene with Arianne Zucker (Nicole) since she left on pregnancy/maternity leave and it was great having her back to spar with once again. I’ve always enjoyed working with her. I’m amazed by how quickly she came back to work and how wonderful she looks – motherhood certainly agrees with her. I haven’t seen her baby girl in person as yet, but from the photos she looks adorable. So keep watching to see what’s in store when Nicole returns to stir up more mischief in Salem! |
| February 28, 2010: Hey there - not much to report this week. It's been a busy work week and we've been watching the Olympics most nights. It's incredible what these athletes are doing! I don't think that the gold medal winners of 10 years ago could win against this new breed of athlete - they are like super-humans! Anyway - hope you've all been enjoying the games as well. It's great to have events like this that bring our country together for a moment in time. I wish our politicians could get a message from these folks who come from all parts of the world to compete, yet there is a sense of support and respect the competitors have for one another. Oh well, a man can dream! |
 February
17, 2010:Hi everyone. As you probably know by now, we lost a true “Days of Our Lives” legend last week. Frances Reid was a lovely lady and a consummate professional of her craft. When I first met her I was impressed with what a classy lady she was and with her background in theater. We shared many stories about our days in the theater. On the set she used to tease me all the time about the “evilness” of Stefano DiMeara. She’d say, “How can you be so nice in real life and play such a bad boy on the show every day?” And she would laugh at Stefano’s ‘funny little accent.’ I’d say, “Well that’s what they pay me to do! But I’ll tell you what, when you stop making those delicious donuts that you make, I’ll stop being a bad boy.” Because she made the best homemade donuts that she’d bring to the set and I just couldn’t resist eating way too many of them. Well she never stopped making the donuts and I never stopped the ‘funny’ accent. She was a lovely woman and she will be missed greatly. Ciao Frances! |
February
2, 2010: 2010 has started out great so far, although I cannot believe that it is already February 2! But I need to back up just a bit. I want to send a big thank you to everyone at WPXI, the NBC affiliate station in Pittsburgh, PA. They invited me to participate in their annual Macy’s Holiday Parade and I had a wonderful time. The people at the station were terrific and I met with hundreds of enthusiastic “Days” fans. Their warm reception was truly overwhelming. Also, I had the privilege to volunteer my time with a wonderful organization called Operation Gratitude. The group makes up “goodie boxes” and sends them to our troops overseas. So, along with hundreds of other volunteers, we spent an afternoon boxing up all sort of goodies that will be sent to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places around the world where our military members are serving. It was a great feeling to know that we had a small part in thanking our soldiers for their hard work and commitment. And, because my wife’s grandson, Private First Class Cody Vick, is with the Army stationed in Iraq, it had a very special meaning for us. I’m posting a couple of photos from our day working with Operation Gratitude. As you can see, my fellow castmates Jay Kenneth Johnson (Philip Kiriakis) and Taylor Spreitler (Mia McCormick) also volunteered their time to support our troops. On a personal note, I had a wonderful holiday season with my family and friends, and because the show was on hiatus for two weeks, we got to spend ten days up at our place in Lake Arrowhead. It didn’t snow but there was snow on the ground and it was beautiful. Ciao for now -- until we blog again! |
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