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Stefano DiMera is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, played by Joseph Mascolo. Created by Pat Falken Smith, Stefano was introduced on January 18, 1982 as the father of Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) looking to expand his criminal empire to Salem. Stefano's early storylines included his feud with Roman Brady (Wayne Northrop), playing his children – Tony and Renée DuMonde (Philece Sampler) against one another when he is presumed dead, orchestrating a series of murders with his son (then his nephew) and Tony's deranged look-a-like André, and replacing the presumed dead Roman with the brainwashed John Black (Drake Hogestyn).

Stefano returns in 1993 for a munch lengthier stint. He becomes obsessed with Roman's ex-wife and John's longtime love Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), and accidentally causes her to be possessed by the devil. Meanwhile, Stefano tries to help his adopted daughter Kristen Blake (Eileen Davidson) steal John from Marlena by fathering a child with her look-a-like Susan Banks and passing it off as John's – Susan exposes their schemes and skips town with the child. Stefano also switches Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso)'s baby at birth and gives it to his daughter Lexie Carver (Renée Jones) to raise. He skips town in 2001 when he is exposed.

An ailing Stefano returns in 2006 having sent his son EJ (James Scott) to impregnate Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) to harvest the baby's stem cells to save his life. Over the next decade, Stefano's past schemes catch up to him as several of his children meet tragic ends. Mascolo retires in 2016 and the character of Stefano is killed off by Hope Brady. From 2019 to 2020, Stephen Nichols played the role Stefano's essence was transferred into Steve Johnson. During this time, Stefano's obsession with Marlena resurfaces and he also sets out to clone himself. Stefano is one of the most recognizable figures in daytime television and is considered to be one of the greatest villains in television history. Throughout his 34 year run, Stefano becomes a blue print for what villains in daytime can be.

Casting and creation
Mascolo signed a contract in November 1981 and made his debut in 1982. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a soap opera" Mascolo said in an interview with Soap Opera Digest in 1982. He had had just shared a duet with famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti for the film Yes, Giorgio and at the time was doing a play opposite friend Burt Reynolds and Charles Nelson Reilly when his agent approached him about the offer from Days. Mascolo ignored the offer and had finished the play when his agent revealed that the producers wanted him to read the role. Mascolo responded, "What is this, a soap opera? No way." Upon his return to Los Angeles, the actor was quite surprised to learn that the show was still interested in him. "So I got curious" Mascolo said and he finally agreed to a meeting. Mascolo intended for the role to be short term. "I was going to do the role for a few months and get out." However, the producers talked Mascolo into a year long contract. In 1991, actor Frank Fata served as a temporary recast for two episodes.

Unbeknownst to Mascolo, then head writer Pat Falken Smith crafted the role of Stefano DiMera specifically for him. Mascolo caught the scriptwriter's eye when he appeared as real-life crime boss Salvatore Maranzano in the NBC miniseries The Gangster Chronicles in 1981. Though Mascolo knew he would be doing similar work because of the nature of the character compared to the real thing, the actor saw Stefano as a chance to do more: "I wanted to make Stefano as good and as exciting as possible." With the support of Falken Smith and executive producer Al Rabin, Mascolo began developing the character. Mascolo recalled one of his first meetings with Falken Smith during an interview in 1999. He was surprised by his own "audacity" when he asked her "Do you read books?" She said yes and the process there. "We got some books on power" together they began crafting the character of Stefano. "I've been fortunate with this character in that producers and writers have allowed me to bring colors that ordinarily I don't think that actors are allowed to [bring to soap characters]" said Mascolo, grateful to the writers for allowing him to contribute to the character.

Archetypes
Prior to Mascolo's Stefano, villains in daytime followed a more traditional approach. Most villains are usually short term and eventually written out as punishment for their crimes. Stefano becomes one the exceptions to the traditional writing for villains. Stefano is considered to be the "big bad wolf" of Days of Our Lives. In 2016, Tony S. from Soapcentral.com said Stefano is the "ultimate guy you love to hate." While there would be other bad guys, "none like Stefano." Tony further stated that Mascolo "took a role and made his own, creating such a classic villain that he became the archetype of what bad guys are supposed to be and that what many failed at while trying to copy." He compared Stefano to other iconic villains such as Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader from the Star Wars film franchise and J. R. Ewing of the prime time soap opera Dallas. When Passions killed off the evil Alistair Crane (John Reilly) in 2008, Soaps.com said that Stefano was only other villain that could match him. Though created by Falken Smith, in the 1990s head writer James E. Reilly "re-imagined" the character. When Reilly left launched Passions, Alistair to be a much more extreme and evil version of Mascolo's Stefano. Luke Kerr of Daytime Confidential grouped Stefano in with James Stenbeck from As the World Turns and Helena Cassadine from General Hospital as three of his favorite villains in daytime. In 2009, Sara Bibel said Roscoe Born's Mitch Laurence from One Life to Live had given Stefano a run for his money in the "supervillain ranks." Rebecca Lake from Soap World said "every soap has its share of wrongdoers ... none can touch Days' Stefano DiMera for sheer evilness." When compared to villainous characters like Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless, Stephanie Forrester of The Bold and the Beautiful and Paul Robinson from the Australian soap Neighbours "who had become villains out of power mania, greed or a lielong appreciation for the work of The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West, Stefano was literally born to be wild." Lynda Hirsch included Stefano in Soapcentral.com's list of "Soaps' baddest bad guys (and gals)." Hirsch continued, " TVSource Magazine's Angela Romack said Rowan Pope (Joe Morton) from ABC's Scandal followed in the footsteps of characters like Stefano because he is "always one step ahead of everyone." The character of Stefano has become so synonimous with outlandish over the top villainous acts that when Victor Newman -- who is primarily portrayed as an anti-hero -- began going down a similar path, Daytime Confidential's Jamey Giddens and scriptwriter Sally Sussman Morina considered Victor's behavior to be like Stefano.

Personality
Upon his introduction, Joseph Mascolo described the character of Stefano as "Renaissance Borgia." He is not the stereotypical "grimy, hardeyed hood from Jersey" -- he's a "class act." When Mascolo first joined the cast, the producers considered putting gray in his hair to make him look much older than his onscreen son -- Thaao Penghlis but Mascolo shot down the idea. "I decided no, it's not going to be makeup, it's going to be attitude." Stefano is a very "mysterious figure" but following the departure of Falken Smith, appears to be more of a "stock villain" which Mascolo fights against. Mascolo intentionally 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." In a TV Guide interview, Mascolo said "I feel that Stefano is beyond villainy" Mascolo said of the character in 1999. For Stefano it is "about power, whether you're on the side of good or bad." The actor continued, "Stefano always holds onto a modicum of dignity" despite the outlandish things he does. Stefano also has a recognizable "vulnerability" for those he loves.

Accent
One of the character's most recognizable characteristics is his voice and signature accent. In his 2011 book, Ken Corday described Stefano's voice as "deep and resonant and definitely Italian cosmopolitan." However, Mascolo himself, a native of Connecticut "speaks without a trace of any accent." It was Mascolo's idea to establish the character with an distinct accent. The actor actually modeled Stefano's voice and accent after Rossano Brazzi's character in the 1955 film, Summertime. From the moment Mascolo arrived on set, he would put on Stefano's signature accent. "It makes for a more natural performance and it helps me to actually think in terms of the language" the actor explained during an interview in 1982. Mascolo was so good at maintaining the accent when he first started that crew members took bets on if it was actually real or not. When questioned about his method, Mascolo said, "When you have the accent that is automatic, it's part of the color of the character." He said that inauthentic accents can often throw people off so to help him stay in character, he never speaks in his regular voice while on set. While the accent is not usually a problem for him, Mascolo admitted in 2008 that that saying bigger words in the accent could often get tricky.

Immortality
One of the most important components of the character's persona is the illusion that he cannot die. On the possibility of Stefano living forever, Mascolo said "He could. But in this business, you can never count on anything." Pat Falken Smith gave the code name, "The Phoenix" because he would continue to "rise from the ashes." This allowed for Mascolo to come and go from the series quite often. "It was very smart" the declared. Though Falken Smith used the "Phoenix" mythology in Stefano's back story, it Mascolo's own "spur-of-the-moment acting choice" that solidified the legend of the Phoenix onscreen. When Mascolo's first contract expired in 1983, and he decided to vacate the role, Stefano was to be written out as having died in prison due to a stroke. Mascolo instructed the producers to follow his lead. He said, "For you sake and not mine -- because I'm leaving -- I'm going to pen my eyes and look... so you could keep the aura of Stefano DiMera around this town." A year later, Mascolo was contacted by executive producer Ken Corday to reprise his role. "And that's how it started" Mascolo declared.

While Stefano had never actually dies, the belief that he has fuels the 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. 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 comes 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 said to have a direct link to Satan which grants him special abilities.

Children and relationships
Stefano is also known for having numerous children. As of 2018, Stefano has fathered 8 biological children and also fathered 3 more children through various other relationships. However, most of the DiMera children have been killed off – often due to Stefano's own schemes and illegal dealings. In a 1999 interview with TV Guide Mascolo jokingly described Stefano as a "walking sperm bank." However, the irony is that Stefano isn't actually portrayed as a sexual being in the series. "You never actually see him [having sex] that much, but he certainly must be." With the exception of 1, all of his children are conceived and born off screen. Though Stefano only has a hand in raising 4 of his 11 children, he 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. Upon his introduction, Stefano is scripted as having other sons besides Tony as well as several other wives, and mistresses. According to Mascolo's official website, 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 is introduced to viewers as the father of Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis). Tony had been scoping out Salem for his father. Stefano raises Tony as his first born and most beloved son from his marriage to Daphne DiMera (Madlyn Rhue). While Daphne reveals that Stefano is not Tony's father – it does not break their bond. In 1982, David Church from Soap Opera Digest said of the duo's dynamic – "[T]he fact that Stefano is an even match for [Tony] in the virility department gives the scenes between Joe and Tony an added edge." In 2009, Brian Peel of Daytime Confidential marked Tony's 2009 death as the potential end of the "true authentic DiMera Empire." As long as Tony and Stefano were onscreen together, viewers were reassured that the family would survive. Regardless of biology, Tony is always recognized as Stefano's son. "It's father and son drama at it's best -- the true DiMera name in action."

To further integrate Mascolo into the canvas, after his introduction the writers paired him with actress Brenda Benet who portrayed Lee DuMonde. Lee is Stefano's former mistress and they are reunited when he arrives in Salem. Unfortunately, the romance was cut short due Benet's real life suicide in 1982. During their very brief story, Stefano is revealed to be the father of Lee's daughter Renée (Philece Sampler) whom Lee had been passing off as her sister. The revelation upsets Tony and Renée's budding romance. Stefano welcomes his daughter into the family despite Tony's disapproval. Stefano approves of Renée's marriage to David Banning (Gregg Marx) as Tony tries to stop the wedding having recently discovered his true paternity. Just as Tony and Renée are about to reunite, she is murdered when one of Stefano's schemes goes awry. Stefano also has another daughter introduced in 1984 Megan Hathaway (Cheryl-Ann Wilson) only to be killed off in 1985, after her plan to kill Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso) goes awry. Her death only strengthens his vendetta against the Brady family.

Departure (2001)
In early 2001, Mascolo's official website reported that the actor's ongoing contract negotiations with the producers had broken down and Mascolo would be written out in May 2001. However, the statement was later retracted. A few months later it was reported again that the initial message was correct and Mascolo's time with the soap was coming to an end. It was alleged that network executives requested that the actor retract the initial statement about his departure. Meanwhile, reports surfaced that Mascolo was being courted by CBS's The Bold and the Beautiful. Mascolo confirmed the news in May 2001 and said the writers decided to "rest" the character of Stefano. "Usually, one expects some give and take but the powers that be are adamant. They now feel that the character of Stefano should take a rest -- as if Stefano ever rests." Soapcentral.com alleged that the major hurdle in the negotiations was that Stefano would suddenly disappear from the air. However, executive producer Ken Corday announced that the character would be prominently featured throughout the fall. Mascolo imagined that he would likely be replaced if he was unavailable in the fall. In 2008, Mascolo commented on his exit. "I left DAYS because it got ridiculous." Mascolo vacated the role on June 14.

Return (2006)
"It's like going back to high school" Mascolo said of his 2007 return.

Death (2016)
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.

Reception and legacy
Michael Maloney on Mascolo's Stefano: "To Mascolo's credit, he's created a lasting antagonist in a medium where villains tend not to stick around."