Joseph Mascolo

Just like Stefano DiMera, the character he plays on NBC's daytime drama Days of our Lives, Joseph Mascolo is somewhat of a Phoenix as well. He's had the good fortune to have been successful in two very competitive fields, first as a musician and then as an actor. Born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, Mascolo attended both the University of Miami and West Point Academy. From his early years, Mascolo seemed headed for a brilliant career as a classical musician. He played in various local bands and studied with some of the finest musicians in the country. He earned a scholarship to attend the University of Miami and became a candidate for a Fulbright Scholarship to study orchestral conducting, but there was a snag: his dream was to submerge himself in the study of opera in Italy and the available position was in Germany.

Although he had never considered acting, a drama coach at the university heard his hearty basso voice and suggested that he give theatre a try. Ultimately, he passed on the Fulbright and started on the path toward an acting career. His drama professor recommended him to Stella Adler, who for decades was regarded as America's foremost acting teacher, and she quickly took him under her wing. Of all the ways an actor supports himself while studying theatre and auditioning in New York City, Mascolo's way is probably among the most unique: he took a coveted seat as a concert clarinetist with the orchestras of the Metropolitan Opera and Paul Lavalle, thrilled to have the opportunity to enjoy his musical career as he studied for his future career in acting.

His first acting gig was in an off-Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, followed by an appearance in A View from the Bridge, where he succeeded Robert Duvall as Eddie Carbone. His first Broadway venture found him as an understudy to Neville Brand in Sidney Kingsley's Night Life. His actual Broadway debut came in Dinner at Eight, mounted by theater legend Tyrone Guthrie. Over the years, Mascolo appeared in numerous theatrical productions on and off-Broadway, as well as at Lincoln Center. After a run in London's West End, Mascolo was back on Broadway starring with Charles Durning and Richard Dysart in the Pulitzer Prize-winning That Championship Season; it was the national tour of that play that brought Mascolo to Los Angeles for the first time where he appeared at the Ahmanson Theatre with Greer Garson.

One of Mascolo's greatest memories is his role as Enrico Caruso in the world premiere of the play Bravo Caruso!, which was an opportunity for him to combine his love of opera with his acting career.

His feature film debut came in Diary of a Mad Housewife, followed by roles in Sharky's Machine and Heat with Burt Reynolds, who describes his friend as "one of Hollywood's best kept secrets." Other films include Jaws II, Shaft's Big Score, and Yes Giorgio!, in which he realized a life-long dream as well as the challenge of singing a duet with his friend, renowned opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

In television, he attracted much attention and a primetime Emmy nomination as Poppa in the NBC mini-series Poppa and Me. He made television history on the award-winning series All in the Family, as the first person to ever sit in Archie Bucker's beloved chair, which is now in the Smithsonian Museum. But it was his appearance in the made-for-television mini-series The Gangster Chronicles that attracted the attention of Pat Falcon-Smith, then head writer for Days of our Lives, that took his career in an unexpected new direction. She created the role of Stefano DiMera specifically with him in mind. He became such a fan favorite that he stayed on for 18 years, taking time off now and then to do theatre, which continues to be his first love. He was awarded two successive Favorite Villain Awards by the editors and readers of Soap Opera Digest.

In 2001 Stefano DiMera said farewell to Salem and Mascolo left Days of our Lives to take a well-deserved vacation and pursue other career options. But very quickly Bradley Bell, Executive Producer of the CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful called and offered to create a role for him on his show. The character of Massimo Marone was created and the history of that show was shaken when viewers found out that Massimo, not Eric Forrester, was the real father of Ridge. He left The Bold and the Beautiful in August 2006.