Digest: Would you go back to soaps?
Wilder: I've been trying to move more into films and that's what I'm going to continue to do, but I had a fantastic time on DAYS. If the right part came along and it was interesting and enlightening to do, I would consider anything. That was a fantastic time. It wasn't a very long time I spent on DAYS and yet I was able to do a lot of work that was fun for me. It was a great group of people to work with. Another benefit of that is you really help a lot of people when you reach that many people, even if it's just a matter of entertainment. What we're doing is not high art, but it gets out there and helps a lot of people escape from their lives and even discover new things. When I was on DAYS, I was pumping gas at a station and this guy stopped me and said, "I know you right? I don't know you, but I know you." He went on to tell me, "I don't watch these damn soap operas, I don't watch them anymore, but I was in the hospital, I had to have quadruple bypass surgery, they didn't think I was going to live, I was in intensive care. I used to watch your show. I remember you punched that guard in the face and I was like, 'Yeah, punch him again. He had it coming.' The nurses came in and thought I was dying right then." I was laughing with this guy and then he turned to me and got very serious and said, "I always fantasized that I might meet you someday because I wanted to thank you. Every day you gave me a reason to get up and keep living, because I wanted to see what would happen next. So, thank you for that." That's the kind of thing that makes you realize that you don't know how far what you do is going to go. You don't know where your work is going to land or how it's going to touch people. You may think you're doing entertainment, and then somehow, you've given someone the will to live. In the end, that's what it's all about. I was speechless. What can you say.

Digest: Are you in touch with anyone from the show?
Wilder: I'm in touch with Ali Sweeney [Sami] and I run into Jim Reynolds [Abe] from time to time. It's nice, because you snap right back to where you were. Everybody's very friendly and it's terrific to see them all It's difficult to keep up with people, especially in this business when you're doing your own thing. It's always fantastic to see them. The show's changed a lot since I've been there. I'm also in touch with Kyle [Lowder, Brady] and Ari [Zuker, Nicole]." 

© Soap Opera Digest 2002