With Roman’s gun tied to who shot EJ on Days of Our Lives, portrayer Josh Taylor sits down with Woman’s World to reflect on his run in Salem—which started almost 50 years ago! The Days of Our Lives star who first won over fans as Chris Kositchek in the ’70s and ’80s gets candid about what it was like to return to the fold in 1997 to assume the role of Roman, previously played by Drake Hogestyn and Wayne Northrop.
After 28 years in the role, Taylor also weighs in on whether Roman’s true love is Marlena or Kate and reveals why he’s not ready to retire.
Plus, the 81-year-old soap opera hunk glows with pride over onscreen sons Jason Bateman and Luke Perry, as well as his Days of Our Lives boys—including Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles and The Rookie’s Eric Winter
‘Days’ star Josh Taylor reflects on the enduring power of Chris Kositchek
Josh Taylor would like to say he was nervous about stepping into the role of Roman Brady when he returned to the Days of Our Lives almost three decades ago after his runs on The Hogan Family and 90210… but he can’t.
“Call it confident and cocky or whatever, but I feel calm,” he says. “The big question at the time was how I felt about taking over for Drake Hogestyn and Wayne Northrop, rest in peace, who’d played Roman for all that time. Wayne had done a hell of a job making this character come alive, but I knew I could put my mark on it. I said, ‘In all due respect, I think my biggest competition is going to be Chris Kositchek!’ And that turned out to be true.”
That’s because the good guy he’d played from 1976-87 was a game-changer in the genre.
“Chris Kositchek was the first blue jeans character in daytime soaps,” explains Taylor, who showed up to all of his auditions wearing jeans, a denim shirt, and a belt buckle. “This was back when we were still bringing in and using our own clothing on the show, so when I booked the role, I wore the jeans and shirt. Our wardrobe guy said, ‘Oh no, we want you in a suit,’ and I guess I was too naive to say, ‘Oh yes, of course!’ Instead, I said, ‘No,’ because this guy was an engineer who gets out in the shop and works with these guys. Luckily, the producers said, ‘Go for it,’ and our story exploded.
“That Christmas, I got around 35 belts,” he shares with a laugh. “When I did personal appearances around the country, it was crazy—and at events like Days of Days in Los Angeles last year, people still asked about him.”
‘Days’ star Josh Taylor on tussling with Lauren Koslow’s Kate – ‘Damn, that was fun!’
While Kositchek still holds a place in the hearts of longtime Days of Our Lives viewers, Taylor has long found since making the character of Roman his own—and he recalls his groove in one of his early stories.
“When I was the top cop and an agent for ISA, those were very fun stories to shoot—like when Krista Allen’s Billie and I had that big love affair,” he reminds. “We were in Paris. We were in disguise. That was just extraordinary, because we were bouncing from country to country, and then we were also back in Salem. We had a great time together! I still have one of our magazine covers hanging in my dressing room.”
While he loves playing those big Days of Our Lives action and adventure storylines, he also appreciates good old-fashioned drama.
“A couple days ago, I shot a scene with Lauren Koslow, and I walked outside after like, ‘Damn, that was fun!’” Taylor says. “Kate and Roman had some problems, and it was really well-written stuff. We were going back and forth, and boom!
“It’s always great when you have conflict with someone—especially when you’re married to them or loving them and then all of a sudden, things are not quite right.”
‘Days’ star Josh Taylor weighs in on whether Marlena or Kate is love of Roman’s life\
Viewers will have to wait almost a year for that scene since Days of Our Lives shoots so far ahead, but they already know Roman’s chemistry with his current wife Kate is epic—as is his chemistry with Deidre Hall’s Marlena.
When asked which Salem beauty holds his character’s heart, however, the actor hedges.
“You know, the show set it up that Marlena was the love of Roman’s life, but I wasn’t involved in the flip around,” he said. “I didn’t play all that, so I’m not quite sure….But I’m just glad that Marlena and Roman have developed an incredible friendship over these years—one that’s actually how I am with my ex-wife in real life, so I feel that.
“But then… Kate was always there,” Taylor continued. “We’ve come back and forth at different times, for good or bad! So I would say they’re tied for first. Kate definitely belongs up there, as well.”
Josh Taylor talks playing dad to Jason Bateman, Luke Perry & ‘Days’ sons
“That was so much fun, and we are still so close,” Taylor says of Jason Bateman, Danny Ponce, and Jeremy Licht. “We ended 35 years ago, and to this day, my sons and I get together at least once a year for dinner. I always tease them when we go, ‘What, no Father’s Day presents, again?’
“But no, I’m a very proud dad, and I’ve got a lot of great sons,” he continued. “I got along so well with all Luke Perry on 90210. We lost him way too soon. He was a great guy. Then on Days, I’ve had Jensen Ackles, Greg Vaughan, Kyle Lowder and Eric Winter, who’s on The Rookie now.
“They’ve all done well, and I can’t take the credit… but I will. Every time I see Jason, I go, ‘Just like your dad!’”
‘Days’ vet Josh Taylor on his longevity in television and his bucket list
Having first joined Days of Our Lives almost 50 years ago, Taylor’s come of age alongside Sale favorites like Koslow, Hall, Hogestyn, onscreen sis Mary Beth Evans, and Stephen Nichols—and he’s got no complaints about that.
“In all my years on Days of Our Lives, I honestly can’t think of more than a handful of people who I didn’t like working with,” he marvels. “Most everybody has been very professional, very good and shown up, so I’ve never had any real conflict with anybody, and I still love walking in that door and doing that show. Not a day goes by that I don’t remember how damn lucky I am.”
The 81-year-old counts himself so lucky that he doesn’t even have a bucket list.
“My bucket list is everything I’ve done,” Taylor says with a grin. “When I first came on as Chris Kositchek, it took off big time, and then I was gone for 10 years, fortunately, with The Hogan Family, 90210, and a lot of movies of the week. I’ve been very fortunate in this business. The longest I’ve gone without work was eight months, and then I just love doing Days. I’ve been Roman now 28 years. So no, I don’t have a bucket list.”
‘Days’ star Josh Taylor on Who Shot E.J. – ‘Even I could have done it!’
Since laying John Black to rest and honoring portrayer Drake Hogestyn, Days of Our Lives has swung right back to the case of who shot E.J.—which means Taylor and the cast had to swing from playing grounded heartbreak to soapy drama.
“That’s being an actor, and going to those different places is a very fun part of the job,” Taylor says. “We’ve done some really out there stuff on Days, like going to the island. I was part of that [2003] Salem Stalker story, and it was fun to play. It was also nice knowing I will come back!”
As for the current Salem mystery surrounding who actually shot EJ, while Roman thought he was covering for Johnny when he took his gun back, the actor applauds the Days of Our Lives scribes for doing too good a job with this one.
“When I shot that scene where Roman put the gun back in the box, I thought of all different people who had access and realized, ‘Damn, that’s a lot of us that could have done it!’” Taylor admitted to Woman’s World with a laugh. “Even I could have done it. It’s amazing how many people are capable of suspicion—and with good reason! EJ’s not exactly going to be voted most popular. What a great character, and Dan Feuerriegel’s so good at it.
“You know, friends from high school keep asking me, ‘Are you going to retire, or what?’” concludes Days of Our Lives’ Taylor. “Man, I’m having too much fun, so no, no way!”
