Exclusive: Christoper Sean On His Days Of Our Lives Return As Paul

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You Can Go Home Again: Christopher Sean (Paul) was thrilled to reunite with Drake Hogestyn (John, l.) and Deidre Hall (Marlena) on the DAYS set.

Christopher Sean returns to Days of our Lives for a brief stint as Paul Narita to attend the wedding of Theresa, his significant other Andrew’s sister.

“It’s always a blast coming back,” enthuses Sean, whose original run on the show took place from 2014-18, with a follow-up from 2022-23. “DAYS is my first home. It gave me my first opportunity in Hollywood and a contract role.”

Expect Sean to take part of some key scenes during the matrimonial drama set to unfold. First and foremost, Paul senses his brother Brady’s struggle as he watches his ex, Theresa, commit to another man and confronts him about it. “Brady’s just off,” notes Sean. “Paul has this inkling that there's something wrong. He also thinks that Brady may have turned back to alcohol. Paul hopes that he hasn't and takes Brady’s word for it, but everything inside of him is saying that he has.”

The meaty material, coupled with reconnecting with his old co-stars, appealed to Sean. “The writers do such a great job of creating a layered storyline, which allows for layered performances,” praises Sean, adding that it “was fun to be on set watching Eric Martsolf [Brady] perform. He's so talented. It was wonderful to reconnect with so many of the cast. Seeing Paul Telfer [Xander] work… He's phenomenal. He deserves all the accolades. And then, of course, Colton Little [Andrew] is a great talent. I'm always excited to see Deidre Hall [Marlena]. I think she's amazing. I love seeing Drake [Hogestyn, John], too. To me, he's my father on camera and off. I absolutely love him.”

Sean shares that a few fun comic relief moments were also highlights of his DAYS comeback. “Oh my God, Leo,” he gasps, referring to actor Greg Rikaart’s character and a particular scene involving a wedding cake. “He's so funny. I feel like he's the voice for the audience when he shows up. Everyone's thinking the same thing, and he just says it. To see the impact that he has on the cast and the crew, after they call, ‘Cut’… The entire set bursts into laughter. He's just that good.”

Rising Star

Fortunately for DAYS, Sean was not only eager but able to return when he got the call inquiring about his availability, given how in-demand his talents are elsewhere. Since his last trip to Salem concluded, “I've been doing a lot, actually,” he says. “My movie, Ultraman: Rising , hit number two worldwide on Netflix.” The actor voices the lead character, Ken Sato, in the action-animation film. “I’m also in the midst of self-publishing a kid's book. I'm working on another television series with Amazon, but I can't say what it is yet. And I've been doing a lot of panels and conventions and interviews.”

Ultraman: Rising is currently Sean’s standout project. It tells the story of Ken Sato, a superstar baseball player (sound familiar, DAYS viewers?) who returns to Japan to become the latest hero to carry the Ultraman mantle, while raising a newborn kaiju monster, the offspring of his greatest nemesis, as his own child.

For Sean, the highlight is “working with that [creative] team,” he begins. “Shannon Tindle is an amazing director and writer. I can go on and on about how amazing he is. And Mark Haimes, who wrote it with him, and co-director, John Aoshima… The entire team was some of the best in the [business].”

The film’s success seemed inevitable from the get-go. “I wasn't surprised [by how well it performed], because when I first read the script, before we even went into production, I bawled my eyes out,” recalls Sean. “It was one of the best scripts I'd ever read. I believed 100 percent in the talent of this team. There is Oscar buzz, too; it was just recently written in Variety that Netflix is in the running with our adaptation of Ultraman: Rising . And Ultraman is one of the biggest superheroes of Asia, if not the biggest. To be part of this, as well as to be the lead actor, is just incredible.”

Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

Sean with Gedde Watanabe, who voices the role of Professor Sato in Ultraman: Rising .

One of the best parts of the project has been sharing it with his family, namely Sean’s longtime love, Laneya Arvizu, and her offspring. “We have three kids. I’m stepdad to three – 20, 17 and 15,” says Sean. “I was able to actually bring them all to the crew wrap party at the Egyptian Theatre, one of the oldest theaters in Hollywood. I flew my kids in from Arizona to partake in the wrap party, watch the movie on the big screen, and hear the story from the directors on stage. I introduced them to the whole array of amazing Netflix cast and crew. It was something that they'll never forget, and I was so lucky to be able to bring them into that world so they could see it. To this day they say Ultraman is the coolest movie that they've ever seen. So I'm really proud.”

Not surprisingly, the Ultraman character has inspired some major merchandising. “Now they have action figures with my voice,” marvels Sean. “It's my third action figure behind the Star Wars character [Asu of Star Wars: Visions ] and behind DC [Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Gotham Nights video game], but it's the only one that actually has my voice. There's a whole line Bandai has put out, so it's really cool. I've got the collection at my house.”

During his breaks from superhero stardom, Sean penned a children's book, Axol the Draxolotl . “He's a dragon axolotl mix,” explains Sean. “It’s actually a story about me being a mixed kid. My father being in the military, we moved quite often. Every time I would go to a new school, my parents would tell me, ‘Just be yourself and people will like you.’ So the storyline kind of jumps into the middle of a slice of life where Axol goes to a new school and tries to fit in by becoming something he's not. Then he's reminded by the teacher, ‘Maybe you should try being yourself.’ He remembers his parents saying that and then starts to be himself. [The book is about] figuring out how to be yourself, and in finding out who you are, you’re able to truly make friends and genuine relationships. It’s about learning to be yourself, listening to your parents, and then with hard work, anything is achievable.”

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Sean, of course, has reaped the benefits of adhering to the above, having attained great success throughout the entertainment industry. Yet he’ll always have a special place in his heart for DAYS. “What are we now, 59 or 60 years filming?” ponders Sean. “To continue to be part of such an ongoing legacy is one of the coolest merits I can receive in Hollywood. And, honestly, it's always so much fun to be back on that set. It really does feel like I'm stepping back into my safe zone. I feel like it's home, and it's always lovely to come back home.”