Italian cop-turned-Hollywood player Victor Alfieri's life would make the basis for quite the compelling character on a daytime soap opera. Maybe that's why he ended up starring in so many when he arrived in La La Land from Rome?

I recently caught up with the multi-soap alum to dish about his recurring role as passionate journalist Victor Cifuentes in TNT's Southland, which will premiere its latest season on Feb. 13. After he provides a sneak peek into what his character will be up to this season on Southland, talk turns to what a full circle moment it was for Alfieri to play a cop in 2009's Angels and Demons, the sequel to Ron Howard and Tom Hanks' monster box office hit The Da Vinci Code.

Alfieri also shares deets about his turn playing a billionaire who goes penniless per his dad's dying wish in the romantic comedy A Secret Promise. Then we chat about the multi-tasking star moving behind-the-scenes to write and direct his own projects. Oh and for any lady hoping to get next to Days of Our Lives' former Franco Kelly — you gotta be down with his dog!

Daytime Confidential: Soap opera fans know you from your turns as sexy, foreign villains on Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, All My Children and Passions. Now you're recurring on the hit cable drama Southland. What would you say is the biggest difference between doing a daytime drama vs. a primetime one?

Victor Alfieri: As an actor I find no difference, simply because I love acting and every time I have a chance to perform, theater, commercials, films or TV, I do exactly the same thing — express myself. I love it and embrace it. If I really have to pick a difference, then it's the time element. In primetime or film, we have more time to work on the material and more takes to nail our performance. In daytime everything moves fast. You have to be that good.
 
DC: Southland is set to return February 13 on TNT. Can you give us a sneak peek of what's in store for your character, journalist Victor Cifuentes?

VA: Victor is still involved in the Sammy/Tammi storyline. He is still in love with Tammi and taking care of her and the baby. She now lives at his place. That upsets Sammy who still comes around and gives her a hard time. I always liked the show, the way it is filmed. It is very close to reality.

DC: Prior to moving to Hollywood from Rome, you worked as an Italian police officer. Does being on the set of a cop drama feel like a full circle moment for you?

VA: Not so much on Southland, since I play a reporter, but it definitely felt that way when I played a cop in Angels and Demons. I remember the audition process in that movie, four times before I met with Ron Howard. After the meeting he told me, "Well, I guess life is coming full circle for you.  Now you are going to play a cop in this movie."  I learned a lot from Ron, from the audition process to the actual filming. READ MORE

Get ready for a Texas-sized funeral. According to TVLine, TNT’s Dallas has set a March 11 date for the funeral of J.R. Ewing. The soap villain's  portrayer Larry Hagman died in November. Reportedly,

producers quickly began crafting a proper sendoff — one that is rumored to feature a number of returning Dallas vets (including several that have not yet been seen on the TNT version.)

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What kind of chaos will Jock and Miss Ellie's (the late Jim Davis and Barbara Bel Geddes) boozehound son Gary (Ted Shackelford) bring with him when he returns to Dallas in Season 2? According to the Dallas Fanzine's Facebook page, Gary will be thrown into the battle for the drilling rights beneath Southfork. READ MORE

J.R. Ewing may not have had much use for "foundling" nephew Christopher, but next generation Dallas star Jesse Metcalfe was honored to share screentime with the character's portrayer Larry Hagman. Tweeted Metcalfe:

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Ruthless oil baron J.R. Ewing and alcoholic, former Miss Texas Sue Ellen Shepard had one of primetime television's ugliest marriages; actually, two of primetime television's ugliest marriages, since they were hitched twice on the original Dallas! Once the director yelled "CUT!" it was a totally different story for J.R. and Sue Ellen's portrayers Larry Hagman and Linda Gray, who reunited in 2011 to begin filming TNT's Dallas continuation. 

Gray, who was reportedly at Hagman's bedside when he died, tweeted the following about her pal and co-star:
 

Photo credit: Warner Horizon

Larry Hagman's best friend and TV brother Patrick Duffy tweeted out a poignant, simple statement and picture in the aftermath of Hagman's passing. The Dallas star tweeted:

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