Days of Our Lives’ Mary Beth Evans’ Touching Birthday Video Message to Stephen Nichols: ‘You Are One of the True Loves of My Life’

Stephen Nichols/Mary Beth Evans days steve kayla gallery jp

Credit: John Paschal/JPI

So many years working together has led to special memories and much love.

One half of Days of Our Lives supercouple, Stayla, Mary Beth Evans (Kayla) posted a very special video on her Instagram for her co-star and dear friend Stephen Nichols (Steve). Today marks the actor’s 70th birthday and Evans began her post by sending birthday wishes and expressed, “You are one of the true loves of my life. 35 years of friendship…. how lucky are we! Have a great day and remember the best is yet to come.”

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With Evans’ voice in the background, “I have been thinking about you all week, in fact, all month, knowing that your birthday was coming up,” the actress shared a montage featuring many memorable Salem moments from years gone by. She went on to recall how lucky she was that the Days of Our Lives casting director had called her in to read for Kayla, a role she’s played since 1986, “and that the powers that be hooked me up with you — the bad boy.”

More: Stephen Nichols shares romantic Stayla memories

Evans admitted, “You’re not so bad. You’re a loving, sweet, kind, generous person and I adore you.” She closed out the message by saying how blessed she feels to have had the opportunity to work with Nichols all these years, “Your wife is lucky” — and we have to agree, we feel blessed as well having watched their love grow and blossom through thick and thin, no matter what obstacles were thrown their way.

More: Days BFFs’ Hallmark mystery premiere this weekend

We’d also like to send Nichols our very best on his birthday! Join us now by taking a trip back through time and reliving many of Steve and Kayla’s adventures in our photo gallery below.

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Steve and Kayla's Yacht wedding on Days of our Lives

Jack, Kayla and Steve on Days of our Lives

1/12

Early on in Steve and Kayla’s romance, Kayla’s family disapproved of Steve, who they felt was dangerous. At the same time, Jack Deveraux was enamored with Kayla, but she didn’t return the feelings. Eventually, Kayla married Jack, though her heart belonged to Steve, and she stalled at consummating the marriage. Steve meanwhile learned Jack was his long lost brother Billy Johnson, who had been given up for adoption shortly after birth. When Jack learned Kayla and Steve had been secretly meeting behind his back, he became enraged and raped Kayla.

2/12

After Jack’s adopted father Harper Deveraux was the Riverfront Knifer. He attacked prostitutes on the docks and attacked Kayla, who lost her hearing and ability to speak. She had surgery to recover hear hearing but was left unable to speak and there was no medical reason. Jack, seeing how he and his family had hurt Kayla and the stress likely was why she couldn’t speak, finally granted her a divorce. Steve later surprised Kayla with her dream wedding, during which her voice miraculously returned.

3/12

While honeymooning in the Orient, Steve and Kayla came across a deaf American boy named Benji who was abandoned at a monastery. They secured permission to take him home to Salem and search for his parents. Eventually, they were led to his mother Ellen Hawk, who had left Benji with the monks to protect him from his evil father. Pretty quickly after that, Ellen turned up dead on the pier. Benji then began spotting his grandfather Orion, a martial arts expert, around town. Steve and Kayla grew to love Benji but had to give him over to his grandfather to keep him safe. Benji’s father was none other than Stefano DiMera, who had been looking for his son.

Steve's first wife Marina Toscano played by Hunter Tylo on Days of our Lives

4/12

Steve and Kayla were stunned when Marnina Toscano, played by Bold & Beautiful’s Hunter Tylo, arrived in Salem. She was Steve’s believed dead first wife, which invalidated Steve and Kayla’s marriage. To make things worse, Kayla was pregnant by then. Marina not only wanted Steve back, but she also wanted him to help her uncover a hidden family treasure. The treasure in part was her mother’s diary, which contained a shocking family secret. When Marina turned up dead, and doctored video footage implicated Kayla, and Kayla was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison.

Steve works to spring Kayla from jail on Days of our Lives

5/12

Steve was sure that Kayla was innocent and wanted to prove it. By this time Jack and Steve became close, and Jack wanted to help him. Jack had also befriended Marina’s sister, Isabella Toscano, who also offered her help. Isabella didn’t know it at the time, but she had killed her own sister and blocked out the memory. Victor Kiriakis framed Kayla because he knew the secret from her mother’s diary. Isabella was his daughter from an affair years ago with her mother.

Kayla gives birth to Stephanie in prison.

Steve and Kayla hunt for Stephanie on Days

Steve and Kayla act out Emily and Gideon's love story on Days of our Lives

9/12

Steve and Kayla moved into an old mansion in town, and upon cleaning out the attic, discovered an old diary. It was the tale of a southern woman named Emily who fell in love with a Union soldier named Gideon during the Civil War. As they read the story, Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans played the parts of Gideon and Emily. Theirs was a forbidden love. Emily would become pregnant, and believing Gideon had died in the war, named their son Gideon after his father when he was born. Fortunately, a year later Gideon was revealed alive and he reunited with Emily. The family relocated to the mansion in Salem and lived out the rest of the days of their lives.

Steve goes undercover on Days of our Lives

10/12

One of Steve’s childhood friends was Dr. Marcus Hunter. The two grew up in orphanages together. When a Reverand Taylor brought his traveling church revival to town, Marcus became haunted by memories of his parent’s death when he was a child. He was convinced the Reverand was involved. Steve agreed to go undercover with Marcus at the revival, along with Kayla and Shane. Marcus repaired Steve’s eye and gave him a glass eye, and Steve bleached his hair. He took on the name Brother Lucas to infiltrate the camp and discovered the Reverand along with others were responsible for a racially motivated church bombing years ago that killed Marcus’ parents. To protect his reputation, he planted another bomb to take everyone out. Shane was believed to have been killed in the explosion. The blast caused Steve’s orbit to crack, and he was forced to once again put on the patch when his socket couldn’t be repaired.

11/12

After helping take down the Reverand Taylor, Steve decided to become a Salem PD officer. When working the beat at the docks one night he noted something suspicious going on with Bo’s boat, The Fancyface. He investigated when suddenly the boat blew up. The bomb meant for Bo and was set by Lawrence Alamain, who was a rival of Bo’s because Bo was involved with his ex Carly Manning. Bo also blamed Lawrence’s illegal oil activities for his son Shawn D losing his hearing. Steve survived, but at the hospital, Lawrence had his IV injected with drugs leading to his death. After the funeral, Lawrence had his mean switch out Steve’s casket with an empty one.

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