Fans got their wish for EJ DiMera to return when, in 2021, Aussie Dan Feuerriegel filled the massive hole James Scott’s departure left. The actor fit right as he brought the fire to EJ and Samantha’s stormy relationship and added even more dysfunction to the already-messy DiMera family.
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Bryan Dattilo has been a mainstay on since he was a young twentysomething. Now, as Lucas Horton, he’s helping to usher in new generations as his character’s children maneuver through the trials and tribulations of their own dramas and families.
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Crying on cue is a skill not all can pull off but, as Nicole Walker, Arianne Zucker has mastered the art of the believable sob. When she’s not in tears, the actress is just as good at showing off her character’s bitchier, scheming and even loving sides. She’s what ya call multi-faceted that way.
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Galen Gering acted opposite an orangutan on Over a decade later, he’s sharing scenes with a teddy bear. Whatever the task his FBI agent-turned-Salem detective-turned-police commissioner character is given, the actor manages to pull it off — heck, even playing Robo Rafe.
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The and alum has been in and out Salem as Ava Vitali (and even Taylor Walker) for more than a decade. The Emmy winner has played Ava as an obsessed stalker, a doting (in her own way) mother and sympathetic love interest. Who knows what’s next!
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Ben Weston has come along way from his days as the Necktie Killer. With the help of Dr. Marlena Evans’ therapy, Ciara’s love and portrayer Robert Scott Wilson’s charm, the character has become a bonafide soap-opera hero.
Photo : Chris Haston/NBC
Photo : Chris Haston/NBC
In his more than four decades on the daytime drama, James Reynolds has taken Abe Carver from cop to police commissioner to Salem’s mayor. He’s even navigated the challenges presented by his character meeting two out of three of his children when they were full-fledged adults. Now, if he can just get his love life on track.
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Over two decades ago, Lauren Koslow was recast in the role of Kate Roberts (which had been originated by Deborah Adair). Whether scheming, falling in love or playing the doting mother and grandmother (in Kate’s own way), Koslow has more than made the role her own — complete with her trademark blue hair streak.
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Little Allie Horton is all grown up in the form of Lindsay Arnold. The actress was immediately thrown into the fire with dramatic frontburner storylines, easily cementing her status as a beloved member of both the Brady and Horton families.
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Matthew Ashford’s Jack Deveraux started out on as nothing short of vile. However, a great love with Jennifer, an unstoppable sense of humor and a couple of children helped turn the character into a lovable goof and (mostly) upstanding citizen.
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She had the unenviable task of temporarily taking over a beloved role from a veteran. However, soap pro Cady McClain easily took over as Jennifer Horton — and made such an impression, she won a Daytime Emmy for her efforts.
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The former actress brought her delicious knack for playing the bad girl to . Of course, as Gwen Rizczech, she had to bust up Chad and Abigail’s marriage and almost sabotage her long-lost father Jack’s relationship to do it. But, ya know, it’s all in good, soapy fun.
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Despite Marci Miller having swapped in and out of the role of Abigail DiMera with Kate Mansi over the years, the appeal of supercouple Chad and Abby endures. That’s thanks in part to the on-screen chemistry Miller shares with Billy Flynn (Chad), who describes their version of “Chabby” as an “.”
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All one has to do is say the name Patch, and even non-soap fans know who you’re referring to. Stephen Nichols has been playing the iconic Steve Johnson for decades, cementing his status as one half of the supercouple “Stayla” in the process.
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The actress who portrays the other half of “Stayla,” Mary Beth Evans, has played the heart of the Brady family since the mid-1980s. Not only is she Patch’s “Sweetness,” but as Kayla Brady, she delivers babies, performs heart surgery and removes the occasional microchip from her fellow Salemites’ brains. Hey, it happens!
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Josh Taylor had big shoes to fill when he took over the role of Roman Brady from Wayne Northrop in the 1990s. The recast was made even trickier by the fact that he had previously played ‘ Chris Kositchek. However, some 20 years later, Josh Taylor simply the family patriarch and unlucky-in-love Brady Pub owner.
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After firestarter Claire Brady went away to a psychiatric hospital, she returned with a new outlook and a new face. With Australian actress Isabel Durant in the role, a reformed Claire made amends with those she had wronged and looked ahead to her future. Her love life could still use some help, though. Come back, Claire! Come back!
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Julie Williams has never met a person she didn’t judge. And Susan Seaforth Hayes has never met a scene that she couldn’t perfect, not since she started playing the part when Julie was a rebellious youngster. has given the actress not only a successful career but also a husband as .
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Speaking of Seaforth Hayes’ on- and off-screen love, Bill Hayes hit Salem in the early 1970s, just a couple of years after his future wife. To explain his longevity, ‘ executive producer , “His faith is very, very deep. His love for his wife is very, very great. And he is an eternal optimist.”
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Lamon Archey’s Eli is one of Salem’s, and the Horton family’s, finest. One of his defining qualities is the love he has for his wife and family. Well, that, and his penchant for taking off his shirt… and towel. Just ask hissister-in-law Chanel.
