DAYS Exclusive: Cherie Jimenez On How 'Great Scenes' Propelled Gabi and JJ Romance

3 weeks ago 6

It didn’t take long for Gabi to land a new man on Days of Our Lives after Stefan divorced her and vanished from Salem. Lucky for actress Cherie Jimenez, that man came in the form of actor Casey Moss, who returned to the show as JJ Deveraux last year and inspired the show’s writers to revive the couple’s pairing.

Romance Redux

“Casey was only supposed to come back for a couple of episodes, but I guess they really liked our chemistry,” says Jimenez, who’s been having fun collaborating with her new love interest. “Casey is so kind and a really sweet guy. I’ve enjoyed working with him. We’ve gotten to know each other really well, and they’ve given us some really great scenes along the way, especially as we continue on as Gabi and JJ moving forward.”

Among the things Jimenez likes most about the Gabi/JJ coupling is what it’s brought out of her character. “It’s nice to [show] the softer side of Gabi,” notes Jimenez. “What I’ve also enjoyed about it is the fact that when I came into the relationship with Gabi and Stefan with Brandon [Barash], I came into an existing relationship. So I didn’t really have room to grow in it as I have with JJ and Gabi. Even though I know that [the characters] dated in the past with the prior Gabi, it’s allowed for me to start fresh and grow within a relationship, which is why I think people love Gabi and JJ so much. It’s because they’re seeing it flourish versus having somebody thrown into a relationship that existed that was already passionate before.”

That’s not to say that Jimenez doesn’t think that she and Barash had chemistry. “We did,” she insists. “But our chemistry grew as we continued working together. Then they ripped us apart, obviously for storyline, which is fine. But with Casey, it’s been nice to be able to see things grow. We’ve had some really beautiful scenes together, and we have a really cute chemistry.”

Jimenez acknowledges that one can’t always tell from the start if things are going to click romantically with an acting partner. “You never know when you’re on set. Everything moves so fast,” says Jimenez, allowing that there’s barely time to think about it. “You’re just doing it. For me, personally, I have a friendship with Casey and I enjoy working with him, but I didn’t know chemistry-wise how it was going to play. So being able to see it actually play out onscreen… I can see why people like us so much together. I like it too, so that’s really cool.”

Jimenez describes JJ as “a real gentleman. He takes Gabi on dates. He buys her flowers,” she rattles off. “You don’t see it, but I’m sure he opens doors for her. He’s not trying to take over a company with her or take anybody down to get what [the two of them] want. He’s not power hungry. He’s an actual good guy. It’s funny, because in the beginning I had a couple of messages saying, ‘Leave JJ alone. You’re going to break his heart. Please, don’t hurt him.’ And I’ve been like, ‘Don’t worry. I know that he’s a good one.’ I think that’s the difference with Gabi too. She’s aware that JJ is a good guy.”

As for Moss and Jimenez’s off-screen camaraderie, Jimenez notes that they connected from their first scene in the Horton town square scene where JJ punched EJ. “That scene was so nice and so lovely, because it was Gabi wanting to redeem herself,” remembers Jimenez. “Casey even said, ‘I really love this version of Gabi that you’re bringing into it.’ We just played off of each other and really allowed ourselves to feel very comfortable.”

Another key factor in propelling Gabi and JJ so effortlessly for Jimenez is that she had already experienced soap pairings with both Brandon Barash and Dan Feuerriegel (EJ). “So I started to understand and feel more comfortable with romantic relationships and love scenes versus at the beginning,” points out Jimenez. “It’s not that I didn’t feel comfortable at first, but understand that I stepped into a world that I had never been in where there is romance and all of this stuff. By the time that Casey came around, there was just a comfortability in myself as a woman and in this world of daytime. So I was able to just be free and play.”

Playing opposite Moss has been particularly enjoyable for Jimenez. “It’s so funny, I don’t even call him Casey. I call him JJ,” shares Jimenez with a laugh. “Every time I see him walk down the hall, I’m like, ‘JJ. JJ.’ I just love JJ. At the end of the day it’s been really refreshing and a lot of fun.”

The two co-stars have yet to meet each other’s off screen partners yet. Namely, Jimenez’s husband, Sean Faris, and Moss’s fiancée, True O’Brien (ex-Paige, DAYS). “But we’ve actually talked about getting together, because I think that Casey would really get along with my husband Sean,” says Jimenez. “And Casey says that I would get along with True, who is stunning. Oh my God. Anytime that I see pictures of her, I think that she is one of the most beautiful women ever. And I love that they met on the show. Casey just lights up when he speaks about her. He’s so proud of her, and he’s so supportive.”

Jimenez believes that her and Moss’s attitudes towards their real-life partners translates to what they’ve created on DAYS. “That’s what makes it a really great working relationship when you’re working with somebody romantically. It’s the respect for the partners that you have outside of this,” explains Jimenez. “Because you understand that this is a job and you understand that when you have a partner there has to be a level of respect and a level of understanding. Because of that, because we talk about our significant others, Casey and I have a really cool and awesome friendship.”