Galen Gering, the actor behind the infamous Rafe Hernandez doppelganger Arnold Feniger on ‘Days of our Lives’ (DOOL) spoilers, is back to wreaking havoc in Salem. After a decade-long absence, Arnold has resurfaced, much to the dismay of EJ DiMera.
In a recent interview with Soap Opera Digest, Gering discussed his excitement at reprising the role and revealed that he’s pushing the boundaries of Arnold’s character this time around.
‘Days of Our Lives’ Spoilers: Galen Gering Unleashes Chaos as Arnold Feniger Returns to Salem
“He’s kind of a deadbeat guy who ran out of money and figures, ‘Why don’t I go back and get some more?'” Gering explained, describing Arnold’s motivations for returning to Salem. “That’s kind of his mission. Then, obviously, things will get a little complicated, because he’s a loose canon. He doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing or how to go about being discreet or anything like that.”
Gering shared that he was thrilled when he learned of Arnold’s return, admitting, “I wanted to know how it was going to affect the canvas, what was happening [in the storyline].” He also revealed that he revisited his previous portrayal of Arnold, seeking to refine and enhance the character.
“I was like, ‘Wait, what did I do?’ I went back and looked at stuff because I had played this guy many years ago,” Gering recalled. “Then I was like, ‘You know what? I think we’re going to take a few more liberties this time. I think we were going to make him more ridiculous and extreme.'”
Gering’s approach resonated with the production team. “I walked off set and people were like, ‘Oh my God. I cannot believe [what you’re doing]. You must be having a blast,'” he shared. “And I was like, ‘I am!’ It’s super-fun. I feel like I was pushing the limits, but they were loving it. They’d always be like, ‘Do it again. Do it again. We love it.'”
The actor also drew inspiration from the iconic actor Joe Pesci, noting a certain “tenacity and ability to flip quite quickly” in some of Pesci’s characters. “Goodfellas would be a little too extreme,” Gering clarified, “but I think a lot of his characters have that similar demeanor.”
Gering expressed his excitement about interacting with Dan Feuerriegel, who currently portrays EJ DiMera. “I had an opportunity with Dan to have more back and forth stuff,” he said. “EJ is like, ‘What are you doing here? You’ve got to get out of here!’ And Arnold is like, ‘I’ll go if you pay me a bunch of money.’ I got to needle Dan and EJ. So it was really great. I had the opportunity, as the Arnold character, to basically torture EJ, make him feel super uncomfortable, and pressure him into doing things he didn’t want to do. That’s a position that his character isn’t put in a lot, so it was really fun.”
Gering’s return as Arnold promises to bring a dose of unpredictable chaos to “Days of our Lives.” With his over-the-top antics and penchant for mischief, Arnold is sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
