Days of Our Lives’ James Reynolds and Sal Stowers Sound Off on the Plot Shock That Shattered Lani and Abe: ‘I Was Not Happy’
The NBC soap’s co-stars have a deep bond on-screen and off.
Lani’s and Abe’s hearts were broken when they learned they aren’t biologically related on Days of Our Lives. However, in touching scenes from last week, they vowed to remain family no matter what. Now, in an interview on the DOOL App, Lani’s portrayer, Sal Stowers, revealed she was just as devasted as her character to learn of the twist.
Stowers was joined by James Reynolds (Abe) on the app to answer a couple of questions about the tight bond they share on and off-screen. While Stowers recalled their first ever scenes being at the Salem PD, she couldn’t remember her and Reynolds’ first meeting. “But we love each other,” she said. “That’s all you need to know.”
The co-stars apparently love each other so much, that learning their characters aren’t blood-related seemed to affect Stowers just as much as it did her character.
When asked how they felt upon learning Abe wasn’t Lani’s biological father, Reynolds let Stowers take the lead on answering because, “Her reaction was one I appreciated very, very much.”
“I was not happy,” Stowers said matter of factly to her Days co-star. “Honestly, I was kinda pissed off. I was not happy to find out that you weren’t Lani’s real father. I have such an emotional connection to you… [she choked up] and it just made me really sad.”
More: Eight powerhouse actors who could play Lani’s biodad
Reynolds rubbed Stowers back, as she continued, “And I just felt like Abe is just a big part of Lani and why she’s here in Salem. I mean, her whole adulthood and like everything she has accomplished and grown into is, a lot of it is because of Abe. And I think, me, Sal, my ego was just like… ‘No! He is my dad and I was brought here for you.’”
As for Reynolds, he admitted his reaction wasn’t quite as visceral because he’s been through so many stories over the years. However, he pointed out, “It’s not over yet. For one thing, the relationship is going to be as strong or stronger than it is at the moment.”
Noting that family is a huge part of Days of Our Lives, he admitted, “My big concern as the paterfamilias of the Carver family, is that the family is down one person and how does that play out in the future?”
More: Is this how Philip’s behavior will be explained?
No matter what happens next, Stowers knows their job is to bring stories to life, and Lani and Abe’s story is one that does happen in reality. So, she had to look at as, “Tell the story, it’s a beautiful story and it’s gonna touch your hearts.”
What do you think about Abe and Lani’s new relationship dynamic? What will happen next for the Carvers? Share your thoughts in the comments and then look through our photo gallery reliving over five decades of Days of Our Lives.
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<p>… and for decades, these were the two that it took: the late Frances Reid and MacDonald Carey as Alice and Tom Horton.</p>
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<p>Never mind how it ended <em>and</em> ended <em>and</em> ended again between these two; this is the way we like to remember Hope Williams (Kristian Alfonso) and Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) — as happy as they were on the day of their first wedding.</p>
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<p>… or was it just the early days in the romance of Carrie Brady (Christie Clark) and Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon)? Nothing, it seemed, could come between them. Nothing <em>except</em>…</p>
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<p>New Austin — Austin Peck — same old chemistry. Whew.</p>
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<p>In 1966, Diane Hunter (Coleen Gray) did her best to assure daughter Susan (Denise Alexander) that bows were <em>sure</em> to come back in fashion. One day. Maybe.</p>
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<p>All Lucas Roberts (Bryan R. Dattilo) is missing in this late-1990s portrait is the other members of his dreamy boy band.</p>
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<p>Nothing could stand in the way of Joshua Fallon (Scott Palmer) marrying Jessica Fallon (Jean Bruce Scott). Well, unless you count her relationship with the Salem Strangler and her alternate personality.</p>
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<p>In 1992, Robert Kelker-Kelly wasn’t just a new beau for Dr. Carly Manning (Crystal Chappell), he was a new Bo Brady for us all.</p>
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<p>Eh, it was really more of a crowd for a jealous Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson), girlfriend Abigail Deveraux (then Kate Mansi) and her true love, Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn), in 2015.</p>
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<p>Looking back, gamblin’ man Neil Curtis (Joe Gallison) and sad songstress Liz Chandler (Gloria Loring) probably would’ve been better off as strangers.</p>
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<p>If only the late, great Joseph Mascolo’s Stefano DiMera could rise yet again…</p>
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<p>In the mid-1970s, David Banning (Richard Guthrie) and Valerie Grant (then Tina Andrews) — aka Eli Grant’s parents — became <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ first interracial couple.</p>
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<p>In 2004, Mickey Horton (the late John Ingle) was torn between naughty Bonnie Lockhart (Judi Evans) and nice wife Maggie (Suzanne Rogers).</p>
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<p>Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna) and Bo (Kelker-Kelly here) were as fond of one another as <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/real-life-soap-scandals-photos/" target="_blank">their portrayers infamously weren’t</a>.</p>
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<p>Sister Mary Moira was but <em>one</em> of the secondary characters that former headwriter James E. Reilly created for <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ original Kristen DiMera, Eileen Davidson.</p>
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<p>Nothin’ to see here. Just Hope and Bo (Reckell again) sharing a warm moment while chilling in 1996.</p>
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<p>In 2003, somebody just needed to tell Belle Black (Kirsten Storms; now Maxie, <em>General Hospital</em>), Cassie Brady (Alexis Thorpe), Rex Brady (Eric Winter) and Mimi Lockhart (Farah Faith) that the camera was over here. Over <em>here</em>, kids.</p>
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<p>There’s really no other way to describe the tortured relationship between Carly and Lawrence Alamain (Michael Sabatino, who married his leading lady in 1997).</p>
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<p>Well, at least Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) was happy anytime she and Austin (Peck here) were together. He, on the other hand, was generally ambivalent. At <em>best</em>. Maybe it shows?</p>
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<p>Despite his checkered past and despite how brightly her halo glowed, Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer Horton (Melissa Reeves) discovered that they were perfect for one another.</p>
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<p>They say that when couples have been together for a while, they start to look alike. Or is it <em>dress</em> alike? Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes) and husband Doug (real-life spouse Bill Hayes) might be able to shed some light on this subject.</p>
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<p>For some reason, EJ DiMera (James Scott) and sometime missus Sami looked as if we were interrupting them during this 2006 bedroom shoot. We’ll just let ourselves out…</p>
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<p>John Black (Drake Hogestyn) turns his bedroom eyes up to “seduce.”</p>
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<p>In 1986, sometime stripper Pete Jannings (Michael Leon) married Melissa Horton (Lisa Trusel) in a double-wedding ceremony with her adoptive parents, Mickey (then the late John Clarke) and Maggie.</p>
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<p>Shawn Brady (then Jason Cook) and Belle (then Storms) were just whippersnappers when they fell in love.</p>
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<p>Hey, how come when Shawn and Belle grew up — and began being played by Brandon Beemer and Martha Madison — they remained just as pretty as they always were? That hardly seems fair.</p>
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<p>Lucas would stop at nothing to prove to people that there was nothing up his sleeve. Including eschewing sleeves altogether.</p>
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<p>Sure, they were troublemakers to the core, but Vivian Alamain (Louise Sorel) and Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston) certainly showed us a devil of a good time.</p>
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<p>In an early publicity shot, Reid strikes such a pensive pose, you’d swear she was auditioning for <em>Dark Shadows</em>.</p>
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<p>In 2015, Chad, Stefano and Tony — or was that André (Thaao Penghlis, either way)? — managed to fit three generatuons of DiMeras into one frame.</p>
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<p>We get why the Bradys — Shawn (the late Frank Parker) and Caroline (the late Peggy McCay) — would be together in this 1996 promotional photo. But sweet Maggie and the dastardly Stefano? Mystifying.</p>
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<p>Tom tried to reach Susan, but her troubles were usually so great, even his wise words couldn’t help. She was probably daydreaming about her old bows. “They’re coming back in style,” she told herself.</p>
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<p>Abe Carver (James Reynolds) made the last days of lost love Lexie (Renée Jones) ones that she — and “oui” — would always remember.</p>
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<p>Unless you know Mark Valley, who spelled usual portrayer Ashford in the role from 1994-97. Then OK, you <em>might</em> know Jack. (Don’t get us started on Steve Wilder, though.)</p>
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<p>Doug gave only the subtlest of signs to gold digger Lee DuMonde (the late Brenda Benet) that was he was <em>slightly</em> more into Julie. Do ya think she noticed?</p>
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<p>There would be no pulling focus from Lucas in 1999. Not at <em>this</em> photo shoot, anyhow.</p>
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet Alfonso may have left the building, but we’ll always have our memories of her iconic character. And also amazing images like this one. What <em>was</em> up there? Cobweb? Good lighting? We can’t help but wonder.</p>
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<p>Given the history between Sami, Austin (Peck here, as if you didn’t know), Lucas and Carrie, this <em>had</em> to be one of the more fraught double dates in history.</p>
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<p>When John married Isabella Toscano (Staci Greason) in 1992, he thought that it was for keeps. If only, pal. If only.</p>
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<p>If this wasn’t Jack and Jennifer’s engagement photo, it should’ve been. For real, yo.</p>
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<p>As this 2013 scene shot suggests, mercurial Kristen (original flavor Davidson) had a tendency to go off half-cocked.</p>
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<p>So frosty a presence is Vivian that she gives herself the chills even in a sweater. Now <em>that’s</em> cold.</p>
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<p>Austin (Peck again) and half-sibling rival Lucas never failed to make a splash when they tried dipping into the same dating pool a, um, <em>toe</em>.</p>
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<p>After solving the Salem Stalker case, Roman Brady (then Wayne Northrop) made a missus of Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) in 1983.</p>
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<p>In the early 1990s, Kelker-Kelly’s do-gooder had it bad for both Hope and Billie. Can ya blame him?</p>
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<p>By 2018, Ben had totally sold <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ audience on his feelings for Ciara Brady (Victoria Konefal).</p>
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<p>Unbeknownst to them, back in 2001, Philip Kiriakis (Jay Kenneth Johnson), Chloe Lane (Nadia Bjorlin), Shawn Brady (Cook) and Belle (Storms) were <em>actually</em> looking at seaweed; they’d been in the sun for a long time.</p>
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<p>In 1995, Marlena ran afoul of a demon that was even more troublesome than Kristen. Maybe you heard a little something about it?</p>
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<p>Foolishly, the first doctor who treated Marlena for possession had just prescribed Visine.</p>
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<p>In the grip of an otherworldly fiend, Marlena seemed seriously opposed to letting John — or <em>anyone</em> — borrow her office supplies.</p>
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<p>We’d love to say that we didn’t know what possessed her. But c’mon, we knew. We <em>all</em> knew.</p>
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<p>In the end, Kristen (still Davidson) didn’t have a prayer of holding onto John.</p>
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<p>“Her!” cried Kristen. “There are too many pictures of her and her damn possession in this photo album!” Fine. We’ll move on.</p>
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<p>Nope. This is just about normal for Doug and Julie. They dance cheek to cheek even when standing still.</p>
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<p>Dr. Mike Horton (Roark Critchlow) did the near-impossible: He made us forget that we always thought that Austin was endgame for Carrie.</p>
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