The first time I met Austin Peck he was hanging upside down from a parallel bar, working up a gleam of sweat and laughing for our photographer at Muscle Beach in Venice, California. After a few more shots, he jumped down, dusted himself off and gave my hand a hearty shake while flashing a million-dollar smile. He then proceeded to show off his rollerblading expertise on the promenade. As Austin swept back and forth, punctuating his long, dramatic strides with abrupt stops, all heads turned to admire his well-honed physique and devilishly handsome face.
This “look” was only one of the many attributes that helped land him so neatly into the role of Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives. At first, the comparisons to his predecessor, Patrick Muldoon (Richard on Melrose Place), seemed endless. Both have similar mannerisms and talent off-the-cuff impressions, but Austin embodied his namesake’s character and quickly claimed it as his own.
Although he often describes himself as goofy (which is not so farfetched), he’s a very articulate and sensitive guy. His penchant for cartooning, boxing and his girlfriend Tara seem to keep him in balance with his effortless glide along Hollywood’s fast track. Best of all, something tells me that no matter where his career takes him, he’ll stay true to his friends, family and most importantly, to himself—and hopefully remain the same gorgeous goof we’ve come to know and love.
PLAYGIRL: You’re so adorable. Does it bother you if a woman says you’re cute?
Austin Peck: It depends on who’s saying it. If the woman is very attractive, then it would probably bother me. If she’s a mother or grandmother type, then it’s OK.
Do you feel like a man now, or do you still have a lot of kid in you?
That’s interesting. (Pauses) I think every guy has his own definition of what a man is. What defines a man to me is action. If you have responsibilities, you take care of them. You pay the bills on time and you take care of your family. You’re there emotionally and financially. Men try to do the right thing, but when it comes to their emotions they’re like little children. So, where’s the man in that? It’s a constant search for the middle ground.
At the tender age of 25, Where do you think you’ve derived your wisdom?
My mother is an incredible inspiration to me because I look back five years or 10 years and she was a totally different person. She has grown so much. My father has too, but he comes from a more conservative, old-school way of thinking, whereas my mother is more of a liberal. They’re both extremely intelligent in their views, very grounded and experienced. Basically, they’re just two really good people. My mother is more on the spiritual, nurturing side, and my father is more of a realist. I’ve gotten a really good balance from them.
When we last interviewed you, your girlfriend Tara was still in New York. Has she moved here yet?
Yes. One of her callings is to be an actress, so it’s perfect for her here. It’s funny—Tara and I just went to the Soap Opera Awards, and she’s still adjusting from being a New Yorker to living in L.A. After the awards we were both tripping out. She said, “My God, it’s like a club and everyone is so beautiful. The weird thing is how everybody is so nice.” A New Yorker will step on your foot and expect you to apologize. I guess I the good thing is that you know exactly where they’re coming from, which isn’t always the case here.
Did you like living in New York?
I loved it. I was ready to leave, but I loved it. I kind of lived all over, but mostly in the East Village. I figured if I was going to live in Manhattan, I’m going to get down and dirty. One thing about New York is you mind your own business and no one is going to screw with you, especially being 6’2”, 200 pounds.
Show me your “Don’t-mess-with-me” walk.
My New York look? (He stands up and puts on his sunglasses and shifts into his tough-guy mode.) There’s a difference depending on where you’re going. See, if I’m in a bad mood, I would put on the bad-boy glasses. Although, a lot of times, I was looking up at the buildings.
I think that’s against the law in New York.
(Laughs) Yeah, I’d think, God, I must look like a tourist. And that’s OK, because I would notice things. I’d never seen architecture like that before, and I wanted to check it out.
Are you a lot like the character you play on Days?
(Laughs) I’m not as corny. Austin Reed says a lot of things like, “I’ve waited so long to make love to you.”
So, you would never say that?
I just communicate my feelings a little more simply and directly—not so long-winded. Emotions can be communicated a million different ways, and sometimes words can get in the way. I think your eyes and the way you touch somebody say a lot more than just saying “I love you” a million times. If you don’t back it up by actions, it doesn’t mean anything.
Well, the writers do have to make a living.
That’s right, they do. And a damn good job they do, too! (laughs)
Why do you think there’s so much bed-hopping in daytime TV?
Because that’s what people want to see. And I don’t think marriages are very well respected. Which bothers me, because when I get married, I plan on being loyal.
You’ll never stray?
I don’t know. I’d work on it day to day. I plan on staying married, and whatever I happens, we’ll get through it. Getting married is almost considered a negative thing in certain circles.
A figure came out recently that said there’s been something like a 1000% increase in divorces over the past 30 years.
It’s because people get married without spirituality. They think they love the person or it’s the best sex they ever had, and they get married. Then the minute problems arise, they don’t want to be in it anymore and it gets all dramatic and they get divorced. The most important thing in a relationship, besides love and trust, is communication. You’ve got to be able to communicate what you feel, what you need and what you want—and the other person has to feel the same.
Are you a romantic?
My romance usually comes more from touching instead of words. I have just as many problems with intimacy as the next person. Sometimes you feel something and you don’t know how to express it; touching is really going to help you show how you feel. If you find somebody you click with mentally and spiritually, and you’re both willing to grow together, laugh and hang out with each other without saying a word …that’s something to hold on to.
Would you call that a soul mate?
Yes. Although, even with those conditions, the sexual tension may come and go. And you may meet some girl who’s I just hotter than hot, and all you know is that your loins are dying for her, and you know you could have one night of great sex. Then you find out that you have nothing in common with her except for the sex, which was fun, but you’ve had better with your lover, and you’ve ruined the trust and all that you’ve worked for in your relationship.
I look at fidelity as though it were training for a body-building competition. If you eat an entire chocolate cake the day before, it’s just going to screw everything up, and for what? For instant gratification or lust—what’s that?
Can you really resist the fire in your loins?
I’ve been able to do it for the past three years, so I think so. I think once you don’t have the pressure to have sex all the time, then you can relax in the relationship.
But don’t men always have that pressure?
I am going to warn you: It comes and goes. But the biggest thing that keeps me satisfied is just being able to grab her and touch her. Reach out and know she’s mine and I’m hers. That goes a long way for me. If I had somebody denying me that, then maybe I’d focus on the sex and that would become the key thing. But even then, once I got the sex, I’d still feel like whatever.
It sounds as though you’re saying sex is not nearly as satisfying without love. Do a lot men feel this way?
Men can feel the same way, but they don’t admit to it or they’re not aware of it— they’re ignorant to it. Like, my closer male friends are very similar to me. They search for something deeper, and that’s one of the reasons we’re friends. But I’ve got a lot of different sides to me. I’m just as horny and kinky as the next guy…
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