JASON47'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SIMONE GAD, ACTRESS WHO SPOKE
THE FIRST WORDS ON "DAYS" IN 1965
Simone Gad, then known as Simone Pascal, spoke the first
words in the "Days" pilot episode.
First, a little back
story. I noticed your IMDB resume lists you being born in Belgium. How did you
end up coming to
America? We
were sponsored by my mother's sister and another friend on the quota system. My
parents were Holocaust survivors and my mom decided to bring us to Los Angeles
from Belgium when I was 4, in 1951.
The 10/28/65 rehearsal schedule and 10/29/65 taping scheudule
for the pilot episode of "Days."
You were around for
the first-ever day of taping at "Days." Do you remember how you got the role?
Did you audition in front of the show's creator, Ted Corday?
My mother got me my agent who brought me over to NBC. I was instantly
hired for the role of Carol and did not have to audition. I believe my new
agent had arranged the booking for me. We arrived at the studio and she had told
me I already had the part. I was put to work instantly. I had to learn it very
quickly-was given the script-my lines, and wham-no hesitation. It was
miraculous.
The script pages for the first scene of "Days." Simone
spoke the first words on the show as Carol, Julie's
friend.
Do you have any other memories of your brief
time with "Days?" Was there a mood of excitement around the set,
since "Days" had just been picked up as a series?
Since it was the pilot, we did not know how it would go, but it went
very well. No one really talked about it very much. We had to focus on the
work and that was where our attention was primarily-but it was very
exciting.
Simone with Charla Doherty (Julie) and Geraldine
Lawrence (Diane) in the first "Days" scene.
Any memories of the
actresses in your scenes, Charla Doherty (Julie) and Geraldine
Lawrence (Diane)?
They were both very nice girls and easy to work with. It was very
exciting to be a part of it from the very beginning.
The first scene of "Days of Our
Lives."
Do you remember if you watched the pilot episode back when it
originally aired in 1965?
I never got to see it. All those years went by. I tried to get a copy of it
to no avail. Then early this year, I accidentally came upon it on [a
Facebook post]. I couldn't believe it! I had given up trying to find it,
and suddenly, there it was.
Have you ever watched a "Days" or perhaps be flipping
through the channels and hearing Macdonald Carey's voice still opening the
show?
I watched it regularly for many years, having forgotten that I did the
pilot. Somehow I blocked it out since I had given up hope of ever finding
it. When I realized what I found on Facebook, and saw my character and the
pilot-it was instant recognition. I remembered that I actually looked like that
as a young teenage actress. It was me! It was so incredible to finally watch it
all these years later, that I'm part of that history at NBC with "Days Of Our
Lives."
What's it like knowing now that you have been a part of NBC
history, not just appearing on NBC's longest-running series, but also speaking
the first-ever words heard on "Days"?
Amazing! I didn't know that I was/am part of that history for all these
years. It's thrilling-really!
Other than "The Skydivers", "Days" is your only credit listed
on IMDB from 1963-1986. What did you end up doing after your one-day stop at
"Days" in 1965? How did you get back into acting in 1987?
I returned to acting as a character actress in the mid 1980s after taking a
long break to get into the artworld. I have a dual career-I also am a visual
artist exhibiting in museums and galleries for over 46 years now. Started
showing my work in 1969/1970. I also did a lot of performance art and found that
I missed acting very much, and decided to return to it as a mature adult. I got
my SAG card in 1988 and started doing commercials then. I got my union card from
working in the film "Off Limits", which starred Gregory Hines and Willem DaFoe.
I've been working steadily as a principal roles-character actress ever since.
There are slow times, and therefore I also have a full time art career, painting
every day for exhibitions that come up. "The Skydivers" was my first
professional acting job, "Days" being my 2nd. I studied acting
professionally for many years, in-between also.
Simone (in glasses) as one of the bus passengers in the 1994
film "Speed."
Any parting words you'd like to share with the "Days" fans as
the show gets ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year? Since you spoke
the first words on the show, perhaps you should get invited back to appear on
the show's 50th anniversary next year.
Of course I would love to be included for the 50th anniversary next year.
That would be really wonderful! It's a terrific soap opera and I was honored to
be a part of it at the very beginning in 1965.