Paul Telfer and Robert Scott Wilson share with ET some behind-the-scenes moments from their 'Playgirl' shoot.
The Days of Our Lives men are sharing details about their steamy Playgirl photo shoot and revealing how the project took shape.
In an exclusive interview with ET's Cassie DiLaura, Days of Our Lives cast members Paul Telfer (who plays Xander Cook) and Robert Scott Wilson (Ben Watson) spilled the details on their steamy Playgirl shoot for the magazine's April 2024 issue.
Alongside co-stars Eric Martsolf (Brady Black), Christopher Sean (Paul Narita), and Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton), Telfer and Wilson stripped down to their underwear to showcase their chiseled physiques on five separate Playgirl covers.
Telfer revealed that the decision to do the Playgirl shoot was straightforward, saying, "They asked us, and we said yes." Wilson added, "Someone paid us millions of dollars, and we agreed to do it. No, we had known some of the people behind the scenes with it, and they are fans of the show and one thing led to the next and before you know it we're half naked."
The duo noted that their experience on the Days of Our Lives set – which celebrates 15,000th episodes in December –made the transition to Playgirl relatively seamless. Telfer quipped, “We luckily were half naked most of the time on the show so it's no stretch, you know. We just got to take our show mode over to Malibu River.”
When asked if they used any special techniques to enhance their photos during the shoot, Wilson denied it, saying, "We didn't have it." Telfer added that the goal was to maintain a relaxed and natural atmosphere, even when unexpected weather threatened to throw off their plans. The overcast skies made the shoot more spontaneous and fun, according to the actors.
"What was really funny for me on the day is, you know, they got this gorgeous mansion and the sky was supposed to be this perfect blue sky through the window. But, you know, very unusually for L.A., had a ton of rain and the entire mansion was inside a cloud essentially. And so when I got there, it was kind of a chaotic feeling of like, 'Oh no, what are we going to do? We don't know if it's gonna work.' But it made it, it made everyone pitch in and make everything more fun in a way," Telfer said.
Reflecting on the aftermath of the shoot, Telfer shared an amusing anecdote about how his wife inadvertently posted the photos on Facebook. "I guess she has the thing on Instagram where it automatically shares to Facebook and didn't realize," he said. The situation caught Telfer by surprise, leading to comments from old high school friends and former rugby teammates.
Wilson also joked about the impact of the shoot on his friends back in Boston, noting that he might have "lost a little street cred" but received plenty of support.
Regarding the label "soap hunk," Wilson expressed gratitude, stating, "This has been my home, and everybody involved is literally a second family to me." Telfer took a lighthearted approach, saying, "I used to joke when I first got here. Like, 'I'm not a soap actor, I'm an actor on a soap.' So now I'm gonna say, 'I'm not a soap hunk, I'm a hunk on a soap.'"
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