ALL SOAPS Comings & Goings

Days before the on-air reveal that Bold & Beautiful supervillain Sheila Carter is Finn’s mother, the news is out. First Kimberlin Brown appeared on Entertainment Tonight, which also ran clips of her nefarious character introducing herself to her son. Then she was interviewed by Soap Opera Digest.

Bold & Beautiful segment about Sinn wedding on Entertainement Tonight#Sinn #BoldandBeautiful pic.twitter.com/rN4vozmGWK

— Steffy__Forrester (@SteffyForreste7) August 2, 2021

“When I found out that Finn was Sheila’s son, I was excited — I mean, terribly excited,” Brown told the magazine. “Especially because all the years that Sheila has been on the show, and I know she has other children, I’m finally going to get to act with one of them for more than just a little while.”

What’s more, Finn’s marriage to Steffy ties Sheila to ex-husband Eric and his family — whether they like it or not. Though, to hear Brown tell it, the antagonist, who got her start on The Young and the Restless stealing both Lauren’s husband and her baby, will be on her best behavior. “I really thought she had changed the last time she was there. She was really trying to be a better person,” she said. “There’s no doubt about that, and I don’t think that that has changed.

“But… when you have certain elements in life that refuse to acknowledge that betterment, you just hope you don’t slip back into some of your old ways,” she continued. “I guess it’s the way I have always signed my photographs: ‘Get ready, because the best is yet to come!’”

While you’re here, check out all of the latest Bold & Beautiful cast changes with our newly updated Comings & Goings photo gallery.

The cast of the upcoming Days of Our Lives spinoff continues to grow by the hour… to the point that we’re beginning to wonder how they’ll all be squeezed into a five-episode series! The latest news has Eileen Davidson  appearing… although it remains to be seen as who.

Days fans of course recall that Davidson played Kristen DiMera from 1993 to 2017, at which point Stacy Haiduk assumed the role. But they’ll also recall that during Davidson’s iconic run she played Kristen’s doppelganger Susan Banks, Sister Mary Moira Banks, Thomas Banks and Penelope Kent! Several years after leaving Days, she returned to the role of Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless, which she has played on-and-off since creating the part in 1982.

More: All the actors returning for Beyond Salem!

News of Davidson’s Beyond Salem stint leaked when Lisa Rinna (Billie) posted a photo of the actress sitting in the makeup room of the soap, captioning it “Look who I found!”

Later, Davidson posted to her own Instagram feed, confirming that she was “beyond excited” to be joining the show, although not specifying who she might be playing.

Although no release date has yet been announced for Beyond Salem, it will be airing not on NBC but the network’s affiliated streaming service, Peacock. Storyline wise, we know it will follow the adventures of several Salem couples who, as the title implies, have left town for various reasons only to find themselves united in the search for stolen gems which, if not recovered, could have devastating consequences on their beloved home town.

Among those already revealed to be taking part are Robert Scott Wilson (Ben), Victoria Konefal (Ciara), Deidre Hall (Marlena), Drake Hogestyn (John), Sal Stowers (Lani), Lamon Archey (Eli) and Billy Flynn (Chad). It’s also been announced that Chandler Massey will return as Will, although he’ll be playing opposite a new love interest as Freddie Smith’s Sonny will be played by Zachary Atticus Tinker (formerly The Young and the Restless’ Fenmore).

Stay tuned for more news about the limited series as it becomes available. Meanwhile, go behind the scenes with some of your favorite stars in this gallery that shows them like you’ve never seen them before!

Only a week after Days of Our Lives alum Freddie Smith admitted that if asked, he wouldn’t return to the soap as Sonny comes news that the character has been recast for the show’s spinoff, Beyond Salem. 

When the limited series debuts on Peacock — aka NBC’s streaming service — a whole slew of fan favorites will be featured, including several couples who are not currently residing in Salem. Among them? Will and Sonny, who’ve been living in Arizona since leaving town last fall. In the original press materials released to announce the show, it was mentioned that Billy Flynn’s Chad would be “visiting old friends in Phoenix.”

More: Why Days star won’t be coming back

Enter Will and Sonny… with one slight change. While Chandler Massey will once again be stepping into Will’s shoes, Sonny’s will be occupied by Zachary Atticus Tinker, best known to daytime fans as The Young and the Restless’ Fenmore Baldwin.

Truth be told, Tinker was woefully underused during his time in the Genoa City-based soap, despite playing the son of longtime favorites Michael Baldwin and Lauren Fenmore. When last seen, Fen had dropped the news on his parents that he no longer planned to follow in dad Michael’s footsteps by becoming a lawyer and was instead going to pursue a music career.

More: Which other past favorites will Beyond Salem feature?

As for Smith, he announced in late July that if the show were to ask, he would not return. “Every character, even if that character dies, comes back at some point,” he said, seeming to acknowledge the inevitability of both Sonny’s return and the part being recast.

Having relocated to Florida with wife Alyssa Tabit, the actor admitted that he had been struggling with “having one foot in the future and one foot in the past.”

No word yet on when Beyond Salem will be launched on the streaming platform. What we do know is that the storyline will find several of Days‘ most popular characters — including Ben and Ciara, John and Marlena, and Lani and Eli — involved in the search for stolen gems.

As we wait for more news on Beyond Salem, why not check out this photo gallery of the actors who, like Smith, have recently departed Days of Our Lives.

Now there’s an Instastory that’s really worth telling! On July 30, General Hospital leading lady Kirsten Storms — who as you know has been temporarily sidelined while she recovers from brain surgery — posted a photo of herself on the soap’s set with the caption “Maxie’s back!”

You may recall that it was back in June that the actress disclosed that she’d had to go under the knife. “I had a very large cyst that had split into two,” she explained to her followers at the time. “The doctor said it was so full, the pressure was very noticeable when they opened up my skull.”

More: So that’s where Peter’s portrayer has been!

Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that Maxie would be leaving Port Charles for a little while, thus reducing her chances of blowing the plot that she and Brook Lynn hatched to keep baby Louise safe from her “late” father, Peter, by passing her off as Valentin’s daughter. (Got all that?) 

What Maxie didn’t know when she began weaving that particular web, though, was that the erstwhile Henrik no longer posed a threat — he’d taken a tumble down a flight of stairs that would’ve impressed even Homer Simpson. (D’oh!) Now, however, it’s beginning to look like maybe the villain is neither really nor most sincerely dead. In other words, Maxie could be coming home to her worst nightmare!

While you count down to Storms’ reappearance as Maxie, catch up on all of the soap’s recent exits via our handy-dandy, photo-filled scorecard.

The much-anticipated time has come for Finn and Steffy to tie the knot, and though Carter has been known to be the official Forrester wedding officiate, given his recent hot affair with Eric’s wife Quinn, his services won’t be needed at the mansion! In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest, it’s reported that Petri Hawkins-Byrd will step in as the officiant who marries Finn and Steffy during the week of August 2.

Though this is Hawkins-Byrd’s first soap opera appearance, fans of the arbitration-based reality court show Judge Judy will recognize him as the show’s bailiff. It’ll be interesting to see if his character will be able to control himself, should anyone interrupt the nuptials, since he’s used to keeping America’s popular courtroom in order at all times!

Steffy and Finn recently welcomed their first child together, little Hayes Forrester-Finnegan. Their son was named to honor Steffy’s mother Taylor with a hyphenated last name to tie-in his parents.

Speaking of parents… Steffy has been pretty open with Finn about wanting to meet his family, and though he clearly has been keeping a secret surrounding his dad and mom, we will get to meet them very soon (and learn their secret!) when soap vet Ted King and Days of Our Lives alum Naomi Matsuda join the cast as Jack and Li Finnegan.

Those who have watched Steffy and Finn’s journey know it was love at first sight for the damsel in distress and the good doctor. Soaps.com invites fans to take a look back through their romance in our gallery filled with photos of the couple.

— Amy Mistretta

We have great news for all of you Stitch fans out there. Soap Opera Digest is reporting that Sean Carrigan’s Ben will be staying in Genoa City “beyond his limited run.” The actor created the role in 2013 and recently returned in June after a four-year hiatus.

More: Daytime vet set to debut on Bold & Beautiful

As viewers know, Stitch recently accepted a job as Chief of Surgery at Genoa City Memorial. When Abby heard the news, she offered to take him house hunting and they ended up finding an apartment in town. This extended stay will likely play into another storyline — the mystery surrounding Mariah’s disappearance.

A few weeks back, Mariah took off and claimed via text it was a sudden business trip, but Abby and Tessa received news from Jack that he hadn’t been aware of such plans. With Mariah carrying Abby’s baby, the mother-to-be has been worried sick, as has Tessa. And even though they are still receiving text messages from Mariah, who claimed she needed a little time away, their worry hasn’t subsided — and now Stitch has offered to help track her down.

Which brings us to a theory — or two — that has been circulating… Could Stitch be the one who kidnapped Mariah because she’s carrying Abby’s baby? Or could his son Max be behind the disappearance? For those who aren’t aware, Max, who is said to be currently hospitalized in a psychiatric facility from the effects of a brain tumor, caused Abby to miscarry her and Stitch’s child when they were married in 2016.

It’s safe to say things are about to get very interesting as the details to Mariah’s disappearance begin to unravel!

Are you happy Stitch is staying in Genoa City? Are there other characters you would like to see return? We have a few in mind! Take a look at our gallery featuring photos of characters that we miss and would love to see come back to town — if only for a little while.

— Amy Mistretta

Last month, Soaps.com reported that Finn’s parents were on their way to Los Angeles to meet their soon-to-be grandson. Now that baby Hayes is here, we can confirm that daytime veteran Ted King will make his The Bold and the Beautiful debut as Finn’s father Jack Finnegan on Friday, July 30, as reported by Soap Opera Digest.

King is no stranger to daytime, having had roles on One Life to Live, General Hospital, Loving, The City and Another World, and will surely be an added bonus among the Bold & Beautiful cast. Though it’s unknown how long he’ll appear on the canvas, Entertainment Weekly first teased that viewers will learn about Finn’s parents extremely dramatic backstory.

For now, Finn and Steffy have been enjoying their new little boy, Hayes Forrester Finnegan — and have already had their fair share of drama surrounding Liam’s incarceration and all of the events leading up to it. Finn recently made it very clear that he didn’t want to wait a moment longer and presented his fiancée with wedding rings — and a proposal to get married as soon as possible.

Hopefully they will have a little more time to bask in their happiness before a bomb is dropped surrounding Finn’s parents and the past they shared. Expect to see Finn’s mom Li, played by Days of our Lives alum Naomi Matsuda (ex-Tori Narita), arrive shortly after Jack on Monday, August 2.

Until we wait for the next shoe to drop, take a walk back in time with us through our gallery featuring photos of Finn and Steffy’s romance.

— Amy Mistretta

General Hospital fans will be seeing less of Maxie in Port Charles in the coming weeks. Soap Opera Digest is reporting that the character’s recent trip out of town will be for “an undisclosed length of time” while Kirsten Storms temporarily steps away from the ABC soap opera to recovery from brain surgery.

Back in June, we alerted readers that Storms had undergone surgery on the lower part of her brain, including the removal and drainage of a very large cyst, which thankfully was not cancerous. The actress revealed the details “before the Internet [went] crazy-wild with rumors.”

While Storms has been recuperating, the onscreen drama has been in full swing surrounding Peter’s disappearance and Maxie and Brook Lynn’s plot to keep baby Louise safe by disguising her as the Quartermaine’s child with Valentin. Maxie has snuck in a few visits here and there but this past week, she said goodbye to her daughter before leaving town on Monday, July 19.

Maxie may be gone for a bit, but Anna is still on the hunt to find out what happened to Peter — and Finn and Liz are working overtime with worry about who’s going to uncover the fact that Finn accidently killed the bad boy and Liz helped to cover it up. At this point, it might be a good idea to get Jason on board to help keep the secret safe because before you know it, someone’s going to find out the truth.

We wish Storms a speedy recovery! Until we see Maxie again, take a look at how she started out as a mean girl only to try to be a better person, the one Nathan fell in love with, in Soaps.com’s gallery of General Hospital characters who went from villainous to… well, at least somewhat less villainous.

— Amy Mistretta

If a picture says a thousand words, the one that Kyle Lowder shared in a July 21 Instagram story said over and over again, “I’m returning to Days of Our Lives.” At least that’s how many a fan interpreted the image, in which Rex’s portrayer is seen in what appears to be the NBC soap’s hair and makeup room.

Further fueling the speculation? His “Back to work” caption.

Viewers will recall that Lowder last appeared on the show in the spring of 2021, when Kristen whipped up a Sarah mask in which she seduced Rex. Why? That was hella complicated. Kristen wanted Xander to catch fiancée Sarah in bed with her ex in order to facilitate a breakup that would allow her to keep the real Sarah from blabbing that the Susan who was traipsing around Salem wasn’t really Susan at all but Kristen.

Got all that? Got any of it? It was Kristen at her most extra.

If Rex is indeed returning to Days of Our Lives, his comeback will no doubt be tied to Sarah’s disappearance. Perhaps he’s discovered her whereabouts and is keeping them to himself in order to keep her to himself — a move that would inevitably blow up in his face just in time for her to discover that, in her absence, Xander has gotten a lot closer to Gwen.

While you’re here, check out a photo gallery of all of the other stars who are returning/have recently returned to Days of Our Lives.

Things in Salem are about to be “movin’ on up!” Legendary actress, Marla Gibbs, most recognized for her role as Florence on the family sitcom The Jeffersons, has been the latest big name to be cast on Days of Our Lives as Paulina’s mother, Olivia Price. Look for her to appear beginning on Tuesday, August 17, as first reported by Soap Opera Digest.

Incidentally, this will be a television reunion for Gibbs and Paulina’s portrayer Jackée Harry. The actresses spent years together on the series 227. The 90-year-old Gibbs, who has over 100 credits to her resume, including playing Aunt Irma on NBC’s Passions, recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

More: Kyle Lowder back to Days

So, what brings Mama Price to Salem? Well, if we had to guess, she might not be too happy about the turn of events that has taken place, which include Paulina deceiving Chanel, Abe and Lani with her sneaky plans to destroy the Horton Square, even though she’s tried to make things right, or… it could be for a number of other reasons. Are they estranged with troubles of their own to face? Would her mother have approved of Paulina’s initial plans for Price Town?

More: Backstreet boy cast on Days

Like you, we’ll have to wait and see. In any case, having this iconic actress join the NBC soap opera will be a real treat!

While we wait for Gibbs’ big debut, Soaps.com invites readers to take a look through our gallery featuring an updated list of characters, past and present, who have walked through Salem’s revolving door with their returns.

— Amy Mistretta