Iconic daytime soap opera "Days Of Our Lives" is set to break fresh ground with an anti-gay bullying storyline.
San Diego Gay & Lesbian News reports that Sonny Kiriakis, the show's first gay character in its 47-year-long history, will be the victim of a violent attack.
Actor Freddie Smith, who plays Sonny, confirmed a few details about the plotline to the publication. "Sonny was picked on for being gay early on," he is quoted as saying. "So it has developed slowly, like it does in real life. And what’s interesting is that the bullying is being done by different people.”
The Windy City Times reports that the assailant will be Tad, an old friend who fears that Sonny is trying to "make" him gay. Still, Smith noted the storyline will be quote unique in its portrayal of the attack. "We're showing both sides of it. We'll see where Sonny is coming from, and where the bully is coming from," he said. "It'll be great to see people grow and mature."
It won't all be gloom and doom, however, as the 24-year-old actor also revealed that a romance could be in the works for his character. The object of Sonny's affection could very well be Will Horton, another gay character on the series.
It's actually the second time Smith has played gay. Previously, he joined the cast of "90210" for a five-episode arc as Marco Salazar, another gay character.
Insisting that sexual orientation is merely "part of the character," Smith said he had no fears about returning to a gay role. "Sexual orientation is such a small part of the complex person you are," he said. "We get too hung up about this in America.”
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CORRECTION: The original version of this story originally noted that the character of Will Horton would come out in a future episode. He is already an established gay character on the series.