–SO-M recently had the chance to chat with actress Taylor Spreitler. Taylor plays “Mia” on the long running soap “Days of Our Lives.” Find out more about Taylor, what it’s like working on “Days,” her hobbies and more below. Also be sure to follow her on twitter: @taylorspreitler.
How did you get started in acting? I was in talent and beauty competitions when I was younger. There were scouts there from New York and they told me that I should go and try modelling work and stuff like that. I did that for a while and then I started doing commercials and that’s when I really started getting into acting. I booked a Chuck E. Cheese commercial and I had so much fun on set. It was pretty much a whole bunch of kids eating pizza and playing games all day. Then I decided I wanted to be an actor and I told my mom and she said, “All right, let’s give it a shot.” So we started doing it and now I’m here.
What can you tell us about your character “Mia” on “Days Of Our Lives?” “Mia” was pregnant and she just recently had her baby. She gave the baby up to Arianne Zucker’s character, Nicole Walker or Nicole DiMera now because she just got married. She has to deal with seeing her baby around town. She’s made some bad mistakes in her past and now she’s having to deal with the consequences while still trying to be a normal teenager, still have the normal teenage love, but then trying to keep everything inside also.
What’s it like working on such a long running/legendary show? It’s so cool. Every 1000th episode they bring this cake and they take pictures with the cast who is on the show then. They just put up our 11,000th episode picture yesterday [May 18th] and it’s so cool. You see all those pictures from their first 1000th episode and seeing the people who were on the show and have grown up on the show like Alison Sweeney. It’s cool to have a show that has that much history and so many people know what it is and have been there for so long.
What would you like to see happen with Mia in future episodes/seasons? There’s so many things that could happen. I want to see her fall in love with Will [Dylan Patton] and be happy together. Obviously they are going have regular teenage problems but I really want them to stay together. I love working with Dylan and I think that would definitely be a lot of fun.
What is your favorite show that you’ve guest starred on? I guest starred on “Law and Order: SVU” and that was fun. I played the younger sister of a girl who got kidnapped, raped and murdered. Martin Short was in the episode and he played a psychic. He was actually the murderer and that was a blast. It was so trippy because I’ve always watched him being the funny guy and he was just this real freaky person [on the show]. It kind of tripped me out to see how people can play such different roles. It definitely taught me a lot.
What show would you love to guest star on? If “That 70’s Show” was still on, I’d love to guest star on that. But of the shows going on right now, I can’t really think of one…Oh I think “Gossip Girl” would be really fun to guest star on.
Is there someone you’d love to work with? I love everybody that I’ve worked with. I can’t really think of anyone else that I could ask for. I work with great actors every day and they’re all so nice. I’m actually just enjoying who I’m working with right now.
You sing also, how long have you been singing? I’ve been singing since I was really young. I used to sing “These Boots Were Made For Walking” in my cowboy boots. I’ve been singing for a long time, but I’ve actually kind of grown out the whole singing thing. I sang on “Days”, an episode coming up, but other than that I haven’t done anything with it in a while.
Any plans on getting back into it? I’m just focusing on acting. I love singing and I’ve done it for so long, but now it’s my time to focus on something new and something different. I might start taking singing lessons again soon, but for right now I’m sticking to acting.
What do you like to do in your free time? I like to bowl a lot and hang out with my friends. Shop…I shop a lot, pretty much every day when I get off work. Dylan Patton and I will go out shopping. We go down to Venice Beach, we go to the beach a lot.
Favorite store? Forever 21 by far.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given? I had a casting director tell me once that the right actor books the right part at the right time. It kind of helped me because it happened, staying out here and going out on auditions, obviously you’re not here for every one and it kind of gets frustrating and you give up hope, but this casting director actually told me that and then I booked “Days of Our Lives.” It was really cool, I think every actor should hear that and everyone should know that you shouldn’t give up.
Favorite summer activity? Swimming. I love swimming and I have a big pool in Mississippi and I’m actually going back there this week and I’m so excited to go swimming every day while I’m there.
Is it hard being far away from home? It’s hard, but I see my family a lot when we’re on breaks from filming and I go there or sometimes my family will come out here. It’s hard being away from there, but I love LA. I love what I’m doing so I just try not to think about it.
Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years? Ooh, I don’t know. I’d like to see myself still working [laughs]. But I think as long as I’m working in 5 years I’ll be happy and I want to win an Emmy in the next 5 years and then I’ll be set. [The show just received 13 Daytime Emmy nominations]
Do you have a message for your fans? Keep watching. A lot of new stuff is coming up so stay tuned.
You can find Taylor on the web at myspace.com/officialtaylorspreitler and twitter: twitter.com/taylorspreitler.
