User:Nk3play2/Stefano DiMera

Stefano DiMera is a fictional character from the NBC daytime drama, Days of Our Lives, a long-running serial about the working life in the fictional town of Salem. The role was most notably portrayed by actor Joseph Mascolo from his debut in January 1982 until onscreen death in January 2016. Stefano was created by scripted writer Pat Falken Smith as a super villain that could come and go. Often presumed dead, Stefano is known as the Phoenix because he always "rises from the ashes."

Creation and casting
In the early 80s, then head writer, Pat Falken Smith created the role specifically for Joseph Mascolo after seeing his performance as real-life crime boss, Salvatore Maranzano on the NBC miniseries, The Gangster Chronicles in 1981. At the time, Mascolo was appearing opposite Burt Reynolds in a play in Texas when he was contacted about the role. "I had absolutely no interest in it" Mascolo said but it was persistence that made him curious enough to return the phone calls. Known for his experience on Broadway, Mascolo officially signed with the series in November 1981. Mascolo was very much interested in portraying a villain. When Mascolo first discussed the role with Smith, he asked asked if her she reads books. She said yes and they got some books and started developing Stefano. In a 2008 interview, Mascolo admitted that Stefano wasn't intended to be a long term role. "When I started this thing, I was going to do the role for a few months and get out."

Characterization
Initially, Stefano's background and nationality are a mystery except for having been from somewhere around the Mediterranean. However, upon arrival, critics viewed Stefano as a "Sophisticated Italian." Stefano appears to be "dashing" and "wealthy" aristocrat and is later revealed to be a "dangerous and powerful villain." According to Mascolo, Stefano is a "Renaissance Borgia." He is not some "grimy, hardeyed hood from Jersey" -- he's a "class act." Mascolo initially developed Stefano as sort of an omnipotent very powerful villain. "I want to be the bad guy who never kills anybody" Mascolo said of his meeting with Pat Falken Smith. He continued, "I'll beat your brains out. I'll knock you down. I'll do everything that hurts you, and I'll have people working that will probably kill you, but not me." Under the direction of Falken Smith, Mascolo also developed a certain "accent" for the character and also incorporated his own love of classical music into Stefano. While most villains can be written as "black-and-white," Stefano appears to have a certain "nobility about him." Joseph Mascolo considered himself fortunate that he was allowed to bring colors to the character that most actors wouldn't be allowed to. "I feel that Stefano is beyond villainy. It's about power, whether you're on the side of good or bad. Stefano always holds onto a modicum of dignity."

Multiple deaths
There is a running theme with Stefano that he is often presumed dead. Pat Falken Smith gave the character the code name, "The Phoenix" because he would continue to "rise from the ashes" allowing Mascolo to come and go from the series. "It was very smart" Mascolo said. Mascolo explained that while Stefano has never actually died, the belief that he actually has adds to his legend. "That is the whole point of the Phoenix. He disappears but rises from the ashes so to speak. ... You never see a dead body." Over the years, the character has become known for his dramatic death scenes. Soaps.com ranked the character at #2 on its list of "Top Nine Soap Characters with Nine Lives!" Rolla Bahsous said "This man has overcome all sorts of deaths." In the aftermath of one of his deaths, viewers were even led to believe that they had seen his decaying corpse -- "wearing his trusty Phoenix ring." Stefano had come back to life so many times that whenever it happens, viewers had come to expect his eventual return. "It's a part of who he is, so if there is ever a scripted 'death' for Stefano, we know it's not forever, and that's OK, which is another unique-to-'Days' characteristic" according to Soap Opera Digest editorial director, Stephanie Sloane. Christine Fix said Stefano's "deaths are always as exciting as when he rises from the dead." Adding to the character's apparent immortality and legend as the "Phoenix", Stefano has claimed to be the Seventh son of a seventh son. In folklore, such a son is believed to have certain special powers inherited simply by his order of birth. The seventh son of a seventh son is also speculated to have a direct link to Satan who grants him special abilities.

In December 2015, Thaao Penghlis hinted at a tragic turn of events in the New Year for a member of the family. On Friday, January 8, 2016, the final minutes of the episode featured Stefano being shot to death. Previously executive producer Ken Corday had stated during an interview in 2015 that all recent and upcoming character deaths would be finite. Even then, there was still speculation that Stefano would be the exception to that rule. However head writer Dena Higley and several of Mascolo's co-stars confirmed the news on social media. The character of Stefano's 34 year reign of terror had finally come to an end.

Joseph Mascolo passed away on December 8, 2016, after a battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

Family and relationships
Stefano is known for having several illegitimate children. Stefano fathered seven illegitimate biological children and also fathered three more children through various relationships. There is also an unofficial tradition of the series killing off Stefano's children -- often due to his own schemes and illegal dealings. Though he only raised four of his ten children, Stefano has a habit of trying mold each of his children in his own image which usually doesn't end well for him, the children or his relationships with them. It assumed that Stefano's list of wives, mistresses and children will never be actually complete. Soap Shows said "From artificial insemination to adoption, there always seems to be a way for Stefano to claim another child."

Stefano was introduced to viewers as the father of Count Antony "Tony" DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) in 1982. Tony had actually come to town on Stefano's orders to win back his estranged wife Liz Chandler (Gloria Loring) and to see if Salem is suitable enough to expand the family empire. Tony is assumed to be Stefano's son from his first marriage under common-law to Daphne DiMera (Madlyn Rhue). Stefano had raised Tony as his first born and most beloved son for years. However, in 1983, Daphne reveals that Stefano is not Tony's biological father. In 2009 when it was announced that the character of Tony was to be killed off, Brian Peel of Daytime Confidential marked it as the end of the "true authentic DiMera Empire." As long as Stefano and Tony were onscreen together, viewers could rest assured that the family would survive. Regardless of biology, Tony is always viewed as Stefano's son. "It's father and son drama at it's best -- the true DiMera name in action."

To slowly ease the character into the canvas in 1982, the writers pair Stefano with established character Lee DuMonde (Brenda Benet) -- the ex-wife of local businessman Doug Williams (Bill Hayes). The romance however is cut short by the real life suicide of Brenda Benet. In their very brief story, it is revealed that Stefano and Lee share a past and Stefano is the father of Renée DuMonde (Philece Sampler) whom Lee had been passing off as her younger sister. The reveal upsets Renée's romance with Tony. Stefano welcomes his daughter to the family despite Tony's reluctance. Stefano approves of Renée's marriage to David Banning as Tony tries to stop the wedding having secretly discovered his true paternity. Just as Tony and Renée are about to reunite, she is murdered when one of Stefano's schemes goes awry.


 * Megan


 * Benjy


 * Lexie

In 1993, the series introduced siblings Kristen (Eileen Davidson) and Peter Blake (Jason Brooks) as Stefano's adopted children. Through his romance with their mother, Stefano adopts and raises the Blake siblings as his own.


 * EJ


 * Chad


 * André

Feuds

 * The Bradys
 * John Black
 * Victor Kiriakis

Reception
Stefano ranked at #22 on Complex magazine's list of the "25 Greatest TV Villains of All Time" in 2013.