?From his introduction to Days of Our Lives as Sonny Kiriakis, Adrienne and Justin’s out and proud son, it was clear that Freddie Smith was going to play an important part in Salem history. His character’s pairing with Will, quickly made them the show’s first gay supercouple, and, in the process, Smith has amassed a strong following. Want to know more about the talented actor? Here are 25 facts about him.

1. His full name is Freddie Matthew Smith. He was named after his father, Fred.

2. Although it’s often reported that Smith is portraying Days’ first openly gay character, he’s not. Sonny is the second. The first was Harold Wentworth, played by Ryan Scott from 2001 to 2003.

3. When asked if he was gay, during a Twitter chat with fans, Smith responded, “No, I’m straight, but I love playing Sonny [and] such an inspiring storyline.”

4. Smith is an only child, but insists, “I never grew up spoiled. My parents were very big on teaching me hard work.”

5. His favorite actor is Will Smith. His favorite actress it Kristen Wiig.

6. When it comes to games, Smith enjoys “anything with strategy. I love puzzles, playing chess and poker... I’m really big on numbers, too.”

7. Valentine’s Day is a lucky holiday for Smith. He made his debut as Marco on 90210 on Feb 14, 2011. In 2012, he appeared in a Kay Jewelers Valentine’s Day commercial and print advertisements and also taped a Valentine’s Day commercial for Verizon.

8. Smith professes to be a lot like Days’ Sonny. “For the most part, we’re both very confident, good-hearted people, who like to have fun,” says Smith. “But he’s got a little more energy than I do.”

9. One of Smith’s favorite Will/Sonny scenes so far was the show’s 2012 Halloween episode. He and Chandler Massey were both wearing masks, and he was donning vampire teeth. “We went back to [Sonny’s] place... And we were talking... It was just such a fun, playful episode,” recounts Smith.

10. His favorite TV show growing up was Fresh Prince of Bel Air. His favorite show now is Breaking Bad.

11. Smith has never traveled overseas, but it’s something he longs to do. “It’s on my to-do list,” he notes.

12. What’s Smith’s number one way to keep in shape? The P90X workout. “Love this program,” he says.

13. Smith’s favorite LA hangouts are Casa Vega, Studio Café, Barney’s Beanery and Geisha House.

14. Smith’s jeans of choice are Diesel.

15. Prior to making it in the acting world, Smith supported himself via a slew of different jobs. He worked at McDonalds, AAA, American Eagle, Outback Steakhouse and even a doggie day care.

16. When it comes to junk food, one of Smith’s preferred snacks is Cheetos.

17. In July, 2012, Smith spoke to congress in Washington, D.C., urging that legislation be passed on bullying. “I wanted to let people know that parents need to get involved at an early age,” explains Smith, adding that bullying has “a negative effect on people later in life.”

18. Smith’s favorite sports team is the Miami Heat.

19. As for Smith’s dream acting role, he’s always been intrigued with “characters who are geniuses. If I could play a role of this amazing, intelligent human being with great talent, it would be really fun to play,” shares Smith.

20. What type of music does Smith listen? He’s a fan of R&B, hip-hop and dubstep.

21. You can keep all the fancy ice cream flavors. Smith is perfectly happy with plain old vanilla.

22. If Smith weren’t an actor, what would he like to do? “I want to own a restaurant one day,” he notes.

23. As for his favorite Days co-stars to work with, Smith cites Chandler Massey and his TV parents, Wally Kurth (Justin) and Judi Evans (Adrienne).

24. Smith decorated his 2012 Christmas tree with a gift from his devoted fans: a snowflake ornament that read, “We are GLAAD about Wilson.”

25. The best advice Smith ever received was to keep moving forward, learn from your mistakes, and surround yourself with positive people.