The same-sex romance between Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis has been heating up on Days of Our Lives. Now, it seems, the show's gay power couple will experience a first for the daytime soap: a Valentine's Day marriage proposal. It will all take place this Friday, February 14.
Days is not the first soap opera to focus on a same-sex romance, but the show has broken new ground by depicting intimate moments between Will and Sonny in the same light as their straight counterparts. The actors who play the characters, Guy Wilson and Freddie Smith (affectionately referred to as WilSon by fans), spoke to The Advocate about the couple's official engagement.
"I've been waiting for this since the day I signed on," Smith said, whose character Sonny was a fan-favorite after making his first appearance on the soap opera in 2011. "Of course, Will said 'no' when Sonny popped the question last month because it's a soap, and it has to be dramatic. But when I found out they were finally getting engaged, I was thrilled. Will and Sonny have been a power couple for two years now and in the town of Salem, people don't usually stay together that long, so they're doing something right. It's definitely time."
Wilson stepped into the role of Will Horton in January after actor Chandler Massey departed from the series. "I truly feel blessed to be able to come onto this show and immediately have the opportunity to take part in something that is so important, not just in the context of the show, but on a wider scale," Wilson said. "I'm thankful we're creating something that resonates with people and makes a positive impact."
Smith went on to explain that Will and Sonny's storyline has made in the lives of many viewers:
"I've gotten so many letters over the years from people in their teens to their sixties who were struggling with their sexuality and said seeing gay characters on our show helped them be more comfortable with who they are. In fact, one of those letters that touched me the most was from a young man who told me he was able to come out to his grandmother by saying, 'grandma, I want you to know that I'm just like Sonny.' That really tugged at my heart because without this storyline he may have continued to keep his feelings to himself, but he was able to be comfortable enough to be honest instead. That's why I'm so happy Days is showing this because it's part of life and people need to see themselves reflected on TV."
Since Salem's same-sex power couple will soon be engaged, fans are expecting that there may be a wedding in the works for them in the near future. Of course, this is a soap opera, so don't count on it. The two actors wouldn't reveal any hints about a potential walk down the aisle, but they were both in agreement about which character would be the bridezilla in the relationship. "It would definitely be Will," Wilson said. "He's very passionate about everything he does. So when it comes to planning a wedding I feel like he'd be a little more likely to make a fuss."
Days Of Our Lives airs weekdays at 1pm on NBC. Watch a clip from the February 14 episode below:
