Daytime Soap Opera
Actor Of The Week

John-Paul Lavoisier (Phillip, Days Of Our Lives)

There were plenty of big moments across the soaps this week so it might be a head-scratcher for some viewers that I would pick John-Paul Lavoisier over a cancer diagnosis thoroughly explored, courtroom dramatics, a woman begging her mom to steer clear of a psycho’s husband, and even that weirdness of two prominent families negotiating custody of a serial rapist (Y&R is just so, so off right now, isn’t it?). But despite some good moments here and there, none of that managed to fully land with me, mostly, I guess it just felt a little too forced. Then along came Phillip on Days, maybe it was having the luxury of playing scenes that didn’t really have any clear cut storytelling agenda to them, he wasn’t having to push anything, no heavy lifting required to move a plot along, everything about John-Paul Lavoisier’s performance just felt so relaxed and real, his conversations with Belle and Gabi, how he perfectly timed all of Phillip’s little jokes and asides yet smoothly segued into more serious territory like the grief he and Belle share over their dads. Lavoisier’s work was so much more low-key than others this week, but for me, it was also more engaging and more entertaining, sometimes effortless charm just wins out over orchestrated fireworks.