Yes, You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

[uhsir]

I wanted to share this Suzanne Rogers (Maggie) interview from the Days of Our Lives website.

In case the web page goes away, I've copied it here, under the cut.
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Suzanne Rogers on Maggie and her Power Play

We've all been surprised by Maggie's relationship with Victor. After all, one of the most upstanding, conservative of the Hortons, flirting with the head of a powerful crime family? Doesn't make sense, right? It might not make sense, but they are "magic." What we really didn't see coming, however, was Maggie getting shot. And it didn't seem like Suzanne Rogers was too thrilled about it, either! "I thought, wait a minute, wait a minute! My heart stops, twice? Once I realized that I was coming to, I thought, oh, okay, fine," Suzanne laughed with relief. "But I think it kind of shook up some of the characters. I think Victor really realized if I really care about this woman, I've got to do something about what's going on. I think that made him make a decision, whether he and Stefano were going to go at it or whether they were going to step back. And I think that that was a good thing because I think the audience is kind of, okay, well you all get going or call it a day! I think that's kind of what happened."

It would seem, then, that not only is Maggie in a relationship with Victor, but she's wielding a little power in the situation, as well. Because of her, and because she got in the middle of the trouble between the Kiriakis and DiMera families, Victor and Stefano put the kibosh on the brewing war. They declared a truce, helped along by Sonny and Chad. And, of course, Maggie, who put her foot down about the whole situation. She told Victor in no uncertain terms he needed to make peace.

"Isn't it amazing?" Suzanne confirmed. "The thing of it is, for years I've just sort of been in the background, back storyline and whatever. And I've never really worked with a whole lot of people. In the last few years, I've worked with so many people on the show. I know they try you with different people to see how you work, but it's been such a joy to find out that you have something in common with this one or that one or this one or that one. My whole point is this. Maggie and Kate are in similar positions. They're involved with very strong, powerful men. Even though they're not alike, they are alike! Maggie has got to have some kind of backbone in her, or she wouldn't be able to put up with this, what Victor dishes out sometimes. So I think for the audience, it's kind of fun for them to see another side of her, after knowing her one way all of these years. And I think that's what's been exciting for me to play. Finding the other side. Especially realizing I'm not like that in real life!"

Maggie and Kate having anything in common?! That is quite surprising, and reveals the changes that this character has gone through in the past couple of years. First of all, of course, her beloved husband Mickey passed away. Then she slowly but surely found herself the house mother to a bunch of young ladies. "It was nice that they put all the kids in my house first," Suzanne revealed. "Then I could get my feet wet with trying to deal with their problems, without preaching to them, but trying to help them through their adolescence and into their womanhood. That was nice. It was just lovely how it all happened. Then, here comes Victor! That was really way out of left field for me! I thought, oh my goodness! It's been lovely and fun and exciting. And it's been testing, trying to find that balance.

"With Mickey, this was her first love," Suzanne continued. "And she was more of a housewife. I hate to say subservient, but kind of like that. She never really asked herself, what do you want to do? Who do you want to be? I think that having Victor in her life, now, it's okay? All right? Hey, I'm still a viable person. This man of means here is finding you attractive. What is it about you that he likes? And where has this person been all these years? Unlock that door and just step into the sun. You know? And that's kind of how I feel. I've just sort of come out into the daylight again. I think way back when Maggie got injured in the accident that killed her parents, she probably went into a cocoon. And that's where Mickey found her. And he let her stay there. He liked being the head of the household. Now that he's gone, she had to step out. Or die. I really think that that's kind of where a decision was made. Then all of a sudden here comes this silver-tongued devil into her life. She kind of likes the newness of her, the newness of the relationship and she's growing. She's growing up."

Growing up indeed. There was a recent scene in which Victor and Maggie went to dinner, then he brought her home. He didn't really want to leave, but obviously sharing a brandy by the fire wouldn't work for Maggie, who has been in Alcoholics Anonymous for twenty years. Coffee? Too late at night. Instead, Maggie invited Victor for coffee, with his breakfast. Naughty, naughty! "Yes, yes!" Suzanne laughed. "The kind of 'double-entendre.' And I'm thinking, ten years ago this would not have happened. She would not have done this. Even with Mickey. It was almost like, who is this person?! I thought, I don't recognize her, at all! That's what's fun. That's what's so fun, to see me pull things out of, wow, where did you get that from? That's kind of not like me, Suzanne, at all, either. And John just goes along with it. He just goes right on along with it. Whatever!"

It's wonderful to watch Maggie become this new person, still herself, but with more confidence, perhaps a little more spirit. She's always been pretty fearless, but now it's like she's found a new part of herself. "I think, how sad," Suzanne mused. "For instance, if someone lives in their hometown all of their life and never has ventured out to another state or traveled at all. It's kind of the same thing. She was so protected by her family and then she was protected by Mickey. It was sort of like she never got a chance to grow up and to experience womanhood. Now, here, in her golden age, she's getting to do that. I feel, how exciting. Because I really think that there are women out there who are in the same position. I really do. I think you should always give people hope. I think that's what we live on. I think women are nurturers and they give hope to people. They do run the family, whatever that family is. They run the unit. And I think that's what she's doing now. And she's doing it with gusto. And that's what's nice! Yay!"

Yay, indeed. We're thrilled about this newly-minted Maggie, and about Magic, and can't wait for more.
===end quote===
original source: http://www.daysofourlives.com/specials/interviews_detail_5361.html

♥

P.S. If I can find good source material I am so totally making a video for these two! Already got a song.