This week was a tough one for Daniel Cosgrove's fans, who were forced to say goodbye -- yet again -- to his Days of our Lives character, Aiden Jennings. And while this might not be his first exit from daytime (fans have also had to bid farewell to Guiding Light's Bill Lewis, As the World Turns' Chris Hughes, and All My Children's Scott Chandler), it feels like it could be a while until we see him on the daytime canvas again.
Luckily, his Salem exit came at a time that leads directly into Cosgrove's next chapter, which is playing himself on the new reality series Project Dad, which explores what happens when dads like Cosgrove, comedian Donnell Rawlings, and DJ Skribble are left home alone with the kids. Produced by former soap star Ricky Paull Goldin (ex-Jesse Torres, The Bold and the Beautiful; ex-Jake Martin, All My Children; ex-Gus Aitoro, GL; ex-Gary Dawson, The Young and the Restless) and Chicken Soup For the Soul, the series promises a lot of laughs and heartwarming moments.
But don't take our word for it! Cosgrove gave Soap Central the behind-the-scenes scoop on filming the series, which premieres this Tuesday, November 1, on Discovery Life and again on TLC on January 5, 2017. And from what he teases, fans are definitely not going to want to miss out on seeing him wrangle his four kids (Lily, Esme Rose, Ruby Willow, and Finnian Jack).
soapcentral.com: Congratulations on your new show, Project Dad! How did you get involved with the series? Was it through Ricky Paull?
Daniel Cosgrove: Thank you! Ricky and I worked together on Guiding Light and All My Children. He was the one who got me involved. He called me last summer to see if I'd be interested in a docuseries
soapcentral.com: Reality series can be tricky, because you never know how you'll be portrayed. Were you at all hesitant to put yourself and your family in the spotlight like that?
Cosgrove: That has been my concern. As a family, we decided that this would be a fun project together, and we felt that the Chicken Soup for the Soul connection would keep the tone positive as opposed to what you see on some reality series. This is not something that I had ever considered doing before, but since my kids were excited, we decided to take the leap of faith and experience it together.
soapcentral.com: Did the end product ring true to how your family really is?
Cosgrove: There's no way for a few snapshots to capture the layers of my family's personality and relationships. My hope is that the series gives a glimpse of how important fatherhood is to me, but ultimately the producers' narrative controls how we are portrayed.
soapcentral.com: Well the synopsis makes the show sound pretty hilarious. Can you tease whether or not your segments might be funny, and if so, why fans will be amused?
Cosgrove: Humor is a definitely a part of our home life, but I don't how much of it will come across through the activities filmed for our segments. There will be some light-hearted, fun family moments.
Thank you for all the support on DOOL!! Movin' & Groovin' with my kids on #ProjectDad #days pic.twitter.com/8aRoajBRlS
- Daniel Cosgrove (@DanielCosgrove) October 28, 2016
soapcentral.com: You've got four kids, so I imagine your house must be like a zoo most of the time. What do you normally do to deal?!
Cosgrove: Our family life is a complex puzzle of moving parts, but we are a close family and love to spend time together and laugh together.
soapcentral.com: How did this experience change the way you view or appreciate your wife and the general role of the mother?
Cosgrove: I have even greater appreciation for all that my wife juggles to keep us organized!
soapcentral.com: Moms get all the credit, but dads offer lots of special things, too. What do you think you offer your kids that perhaps their mom cannot?
Cosgrove: Actually, I don't think moms get enough credit for all they do. Dads generally get to enjoy the fun parts of being a parent, while moms' work can be taken for granted. I'm very appreciative of all that my wife manages. I often get to be the fun parent, but I'm equally committed to making good choices for our family, and I'm proud of the close relationship that I have with my kids. I'm grateful that the time I get to spend with them has built a solid foundation of communication and trust.
soapcentral.com: Switching gears for a minute, because I'm sure your DAYS fans are dying to know: what can you say about exiting Salem for the second time?
Cosgrove: I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of the loyal soap fans who have supported me for many years, and I'm looking forward to new opportunities.
soapcentral.com: Do you have an idea of where fans might be able to see you next?
Cosgrove: I've been fortunate to work on a few episodes of a couple of primetime series recently, [but I can't say much more].
soapcentral.com: Is there any chance DAYS could call you back again?
Cosgrove: I've learned that you always have to stay open to possibilities in this business!
Project Dad premieres on Tuesday, November 1, at 7PM on Discovery Life and will re-air on TLC on Thursday, January 5, 2017 at 5PM.
What do you think about Cosgrove joining Project Dad? How did you feel about his second DAYS exit? 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.
