Actor Jacob Martinez chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about being a part of “Days of our Lives” on Peacock as the new Javi Hernandez.
Oprah Winfrey once said: “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” This quote applies to Jacob Martinez.
On being a part of the “Days of our Lives” family, he remarked, “Oh, my gosh. It’s very surreal. It’s trippy to think that so many people are watching you on their TV screens and having their own thoughts and opinions about you on a regular basis.”
“It’s definitely a level of visibility that I haven’t ever experienced, but I’m just very grateful to have so many good and supportive people around me who ground me and keep my head on straight,” he noted.
Playing Javi Hernandez
On playing Javi Hernandez, he shared, “Honestly, there is so much to love about this character. No. 1, he is obviously in the medical field so his heart is already evident in his character. It’s a part of his job, but he goes beyond that and he really cares about the people around him.”
“Javi is not only healing people at work, but he’s also trying to heal the world from the inside. I think that’s really special,” he acknowledged.
On being on a show that has been airing for over six decades, he stated, “Oh, my gosh. There is rarely a better time to use the words iconic or legacy, but this is definitely one of those moments. If you looked up ‘iconic’ in the dictionary, ‘Days of our Lives’ would probably be in the definition because that’s what it feels like. It’s just so surreal, but also really cool.”
“I will say it makes it so much more fun to talk about with random people because it feels like everybody has some sort of connection to it. The viewers’ grandparents watched it, or they watched it with their parents growing up, or they stopped whatever they were doing at noon and ran inside to watch ‘Days of our Lives’,” he elaborated.
“It’s part of people’s memories and their personal history, so it’s really cool to see how it transcends generations,” he added.
Dialogue-heavy
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy, he responded, “I’m very happy that I did so much theater before this, because in theater, you basically get one take on stage. That’s what I like to remind myself whenever I think about the process here.”
“Learning that it was basically one take and moving on definitely made me nervous at first, but then I remembered, ‘Wait, that’s what I did in theater all the time.’ That’s what I do on stage. I was obviously nervous because it was a new job, but I knew I had the training to do it. I was really excited to put that training into action and see it come to fruition,” he elaborated.
2026 Daytime Emmy nominations for ‘Days of our Lives’
For this year’s forthcoming Daytime Emmy Awards, “Days of our Lives” received a total of eight Emmy nominations. “That was awesome. I also literally screamed when I saw that Al Calderon got nominated too,” he admitted. “This just goes to show his depth as an actor and the depth of his character… what they can do with him and how he can be seen and represented on TV. It was really cool.”
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, at a time when streaming, technology, and social media are so prevalent, he said, “Oh, my goodness. I love that it feels a little more accessible to people. When it was on network or cable television, you kind of had to be in front of the TV when it aired, right? Unless you recorded it on VHS.”
“I like how it’s so much more convenient now. People can go back and watch episodes they missed, or if they get off work late, they can just pull up the episode and stream it whenever they want. I think that’s really cool,” he added.
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “I would always encourage anyone, no matter where they are or what they’re doing, to start acting any way they can. Whether it’s community theater, making short films with your friends, or just recording scenes on your iPhone at home, just start. Find people around you who share that same vision.”
“It might be harder to find those people if you’re in a smaller town or a more rural area, but they’re out there. Find the dreamers, bring them together, and that’s when the real magic starts to happen,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Connection.”
“There are so many people I’m connecting with and sharing life with right now,” he admitted. “Through all the growth, changes, and ups and downs, it all helps the character and it all helps me as an actor.”
Superpower of choice
For convenience, his superpower of choice would be “teleportation.” “This way, I can visit my family in Nebraska a lot more often. I would be able to pop in and out whenever I need to,” he said.
Success
On his definition of the word success, he said, “I feel the most successful when the people around me feel successful too.”
“I love working on projects that are community-based that involve people chasing their dreams together with one shared goal and one beautiful vision. It feels like everybody is seen, and everybody feels accomplished in the end,” he noted.
“When my friends and the people around me are seeing their dreams come true, and feeling proud of themselves, that’s when I feel the most successful and proud as well,” he added.
Message for his fans
For his fans and supporters, he expressed, “Oh, my goodness. I would just say ‘hi’ to them. I’m so excited to meet you all and let you get to know me a little better. I can’t wait to get to know you a little better too.”
“I hope the fans enjoy what is ahead, and I hope they see the humanity within the character and within everything that is still to come,” he concluded.
To learn more about Jacob Martinez, follow him on Instagram.
