DAYS Exclusive: Al Calderon on Javi, Leo and Bond with Greg Rikaart

Peacock

The Look of Love: Javi (Al Calderon, r.) only has eyes for Leo (Greg Rikaart) and has asked him to move in with him and his family.

During his relatively short stint as Javi on Days of our Lives, Al Calderon has found himself thrust into two couples. After originally connecting with Leo, he hooked up with Kerry, only to ultimately reconcile with Leo.

“Let’s keep it real, it’s a soap and not just any soap, Days of our Lives,” says Calderon, who wasn’t really surprised by the rapid-fire romances. “I knew the steam was coming, and it was a strong start.”

Man, Oh Men

Bouncing between leading men — namely, Greg Rikaart (Leo) and Derek Yates (Kerry) — was part of the job, yet Calderon still had to acclimate to each of them. “Being thrust into intimate scenes with anyone is always a bit funny when you really think about it,” reflects Calderon. “We have a funny job in that way, portraying real relationships while still honoring believable emotions. Luckily, I’ve done my fair share of romantic and intimate scenes before with strangers who eventually become friends. So it was actually pretty easy for me to jump in.

“But on a more serious note, I always make sure to talk about boundaries with anyone I’m working with, no matter what the scene is,” continues the actor. “Even if it’s something small, I always check in with my co-star to see what they’re comfortable with. It’s super important to have that level of trust and respect on set.”

Now, happily back together with Leo, Calderon sees the pairing as a solid one. “It really is the real deal,” he says. “I absolutely adore Greg. He’s such a pro and made me feel super comfortable from the jump. As the new person on the show, it can be intimidating to work opposite someone who knows the ropes so well. But from the second I met Greg, he made me feel like his equal, which really helped take the pressure off. I think that speaks to who he is as a person. He also didn’t know me at all. I could’ve been the worst actor ever, but we became a team very quickly.”

That ‘team’ started the day Calderon and Rikaart shared their initial scenes together. Javi and Leo were meeting for the first time at Small Bar. “In a way [Greg and I] were meeting for the first time as well,” notes Calderon. “The cool part was we were getting to know each other on a personal level, while our characters were doing the same. It felt like a fresh start, and that’s always exciting.”

However, there was one mishap. “At that point, I hadn’t been on the show for very long,” recounts Calderon. “I was so nervous that when I took a swig of my drink, I accidentally clinked my tooth and chipped it. Definitely a memorable first scene.”

Despite the dental issue, Calderon made it through the day and quickly began bonding with Rikaart. “Greg was one of those people that I just connected with upon meeting him,” says Calderon. “Even just Greg sharing his anecdotes with me about life and family and career really allowed us to grow close. And I can really call him my friend. It’s always nice to have that, especially being that he’s my primary scene partner most days.”

Working opposite Rikaart means that Calderon is constantly part of Leo’s comedy routine, and it’s a turn he enjoys. “You know, I’ve always been a bit of a goofball,” Calderon admits. “I used to be obsessed with That’s So Raven, and I would study Raven’s comedic timing. When I first started acting, she was the blueprint for me in terms of comedy. So I’d like to think I’ve got a bit of experience exploring that side of things.”