The latest digital issue of Playgirl features some of the hottest Days of our Lives stars from recent years. Eric Martsolf (Brady Black), Paul Telfer (Xander Kiriakis), Robert Scott Wilson (Alex Kiriakis; ex-Ben Weston), Bryan R. Dattilo (Lucas Horton), and Christopher Sean (Paul Narita) got together earlier this year for a photoshoot that leaves little to the imagination.
They also talked to Playgirl about their soap star status and how they handle the hunk label they've been handed.
Telfer, who has been bringing Xander Cook to life for the last decade, embraces being a daytime hunk and can't believe how far he has come since boyhood, saying, "The buck-toothed, lisping, overweight, perennial new kid at school with a flat top and Scottish accent in England would be very amused to know he grew up to be this 'sex object.' Seriously, I very much embrace it."
Sean, who has played John's son Paul off and on since 2014, understands the assignment and who the assignment is for.
"When I think soap hunk I think sexy," Sean said. "Sexy body, sexy smile. Soap hunks are for the thirsty fans."
Dattilo, who has been on DAYS longer than the other Playgirl hunks, thinks his mother might have predicted how his life would turn out when she described him as a kid.
"If that's what I am I'll take it," Dattilo said of the hunk title. "Soap hunk is fun. My mom used to say I was soap opera handsome. I guess she was on to something."
Wilson, who started his DAYS career as Ben Weston but now plays Alex Kiriakis, thinks hunky daytime characters can come from all walks of soap life. "I'd say the male characters on a show would [also] typically be charismatic or charming," he explained. "Bad boys to business men, lawyers to doctors, often played by decent-looking guys with some good acting chops, and maybe a few abs sprinkled in there."
Despite the hunk description, Martsolf, who got his soap start on Passions before moving to Salem, wants fans to know that he and his fellow Playgirl cover men are more than just their looks.
"One can't control what the public thinks or how they define you," the actor said. "The good daytime actors have just as much depth on the inside as displayed on the outside. Staying power in the soap world requires understanding of character and an incredible work ethic. It's not for everyone."
Will you be checking out the DAYS spread in Playgirl? Who is your all-time favorite DAYS hunk? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
