Days Of Our Lives: Beyond Salem Star Zach Tinker Planned To Star As Sonny’s Love Interest: What Happened?!

“Days Of Our Lives: Beyond Salem” gives DOOL fans the opportunity to remember the golden age of soap operas.

In the five-episode limited series, former Days Of Our Lives stars and current DOOL cast gather together to travel “Beyond Salem.”

And their goal resembles an old-fashioned mystery. A group of very different individuals must unite to find precious jewels before they fall into the wrong hands!

As a result of the star-studded cast and clever plot, “Beyond Salem” became a winner for the Peacock streaming service and a delight for viewers.

Some fans wonder, though, how the experience felt from an actor’s perspective.

Cast member Zach Tinker reveals his own unexpected route to going Beyond Salem below!

Zach Tinker Recalls Confusion In ‘Beyond Salem’ Role

Producers debated behind the scenes which stars to cast for “Days Of Our Lives: Beyond Salem.”

As a result, some potential cast members had to wait to receive their confirmation calls.

And while most rejoiced when they got the golden ticket to go “Beyond Salem,” actor Zach Tinker experienced mixed emotions.

Tinker explained to Soap Opera Network that he felt both happy at the opportunity but baffled by his initial casting as Sonny Kiriakis’ love interest!

But producers apparently got just as sneaky in hiring the actor as they did in concocting the complex plot.

Tinker actually received a fake script at first, leading him to think he would play an unknown love interest of Sonny’s.

And Days Of Our Lives producers initially declined to give the actor much detail about his character.

So at first, Tinker knew only that he had gotten cast in a five-episode guest star role.

“All my scenes were with Sonny. I was like Sonny’s love interest,” recalled Tinker of his initial experience with Beyond Salem.

Zach Tinker Faces ‘Beyond Salem’ Dilemma!

When Zach finally received the full offer, he learned the truth about his role.

“[Producers] said, ‘Hey, by the way, you’re actually going to be playing Sonny. You’re not the love interest of Sonny. You are Sonny!’,” recalled Tinker.

The fake script provided producers and writers an opportunity to see how Zach would portray the role.

As for that character switch when the fake script got revealed?

Tinker handled the situation calmly, immediately agreeing to take on the opportunity.

But then Zach faced a dilemma.

Should he watch previous episodes with a different actor, Freddie Smith, playing that role?

Tinker chose to avoid watching Freddie, choosing instead to create his own characterization.

Zach Tinker Let Himself Have ‘Fun’ With Sonny

Before auditioning, Tinker didn’t know Sonny’s backstory, he revealed.

“And in preparation, I didn’t watch any of his [Freddie’s] work,” added the actor.

“You just want to bring you [to the role] and not overthink it. It was such a fast process that I was just like, ‘Obviously, I have the essence enough of the character that they would cast me. And they cast me because they liked what they saw so I’ll just do what I did in the audition and keep that character.'”

Although Tinker felt willing to “adjust” if the director criticized his take on Sonny, it turned out just fine. And ultimately, the actor “just kind of did my thing and had fun with the character and what I thought he was about.”

Would Zach Tinker Return To DOOL?

The actors who contributed to “Beyond Salem” faced an intense production schedule.

Producers filmed the entire show to take place in five days, with each day adding up to a 40 to 50 minute episode.

In contrast, regular series film during a three-month period to achieve a parallel episode count.

But Tinker felt up for the challenge. And now that he’s finished, he enjoyed it so much that’s ready for more!

“I am at the ready,” confirmed the actor. “That’s kind of the job of an actor. You’re just waiting to get called up to the majors, and when they tell you to get in there [you start] swinging the bat.”

Do you hope to see more Beyond Salem episodes? Tweet us your thoughts! And be sure to check back on our site for all your Days Of Our Lives news and updates.