Days of Our Lives’ Stephen Nichols Reflects On a Devastating Loss: ‘I Still Can’t Believe She’s Gone’
Saturday, December 11th, 2021
“I can only say, ‘Don’t wait. Do this now,’” advised the actor. “‘Cherish every moment with your loved ones before they are gone.’”
A year after the death of his sister at age 71, Stephen Nichols had her on his mind and in his heart. He always does, really. Taking to social media, the Days of Our Lives leading man said that “I have found more acceptance, but still can’t believe she’s gone.
“In the year since Penny’s passing, I’ve been able to reflect, on a deeper level, on just how much she meant to me and how she impacted my life,” he went on. “In fact, Penny saved my life when we were small children.”
In a way, she still is. She’s given her brother perspective, a new appreciation for how fleeting life is — and he wanted to share it with his followers. “I can only say, ‘Don’t wait. Do this now,’” Nichols wrote. “‘Cherish every moment with your loved ones before they are gone.'”
Even now, Penny continues to have a profound effect on Steve’s portrayer. “I miss her terribly, and because I’m always thinking of her, she is with me every day, teaching me,” he explained. “I am taking the best of who she was and learning to be a better person.”
More: Days of Our Lives star’s holiday photos
In closing, Nichols expressed the gratitude that had been plain to see in every word he wrote. “Penny, you are in my heart always and forever. Thank you.”
On your way to call or visit your own loved ones, stop off at the below photo gallery, a collection of images of soap stars and their beloved real-life sisters.
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
1/42
<p><em>General Hospital</em>’s Tabyana Ali (Trina) had her sister Morgan Mozee — and mom Jacqueline Ford — in tow while celebrating her 21st birthday. The lucky girl had a <em>Breakfast at Tiffany’s</em> theme party on January 29, 2023 at the Castaway in Burbank, California.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
2/42
<p><em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> star Heather Tom (Katie) appears with her sister, fellow actress Nicholle Tom, at the 2017 CBS soap’s Christmas party. Sharing the same eyes and smile, Heather is three years older than her little sis.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
3/42
<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> fans know her as sassy Salemite Gabi Hernandez, but to her family she’s Camila Banus. In this 2012 photo, the actress and her sister are pictured at the ACME Comedy club in Hollywood.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
4/42
<p>This <em>Young & Restless</em> superstar took his sister to one of daytime’s hottest events. Greg Rikaart (Kevin) and Keri are all smiles at the 2004 Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
5/42
<p>Annika Noelle, <em>Bold & Beautiful’s</em> Hope Logan, invited her sis Krista along as her Emmy plus-one. The blonde beauties put their heads together for this cute 2019 shot. </p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
6/42
<p>Kirsten Storms currently plays Maxie on <em>General Hospital</em>, but back in the day she appeared as Belle Black on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>. In 2004, younger sister Gretchen visited Storms on the NBC set, which was likely familiar to her since she also appeared on the soap as Rachel Wilcox in 1999.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
7/42
<p>We can definatley see the resemblance between Jordi Vilasuso (<em>Young & Restless</em>’ Rey) and his sister Marianne. Here they are pictured at the 2003 Daytime Emmys at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
8/42
<p>In 2017, John McCook (Eric) attended his co-star Rena Sofer’s fan event to benefit Paw Parent Animal Rescue. However, he didn’t go alone… Yep, that’s his sister squeezed between the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> on-screen couple.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
9/42
<p><em>Young & Restless</em> actress Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) has referred to her sister Janine as “<a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/597136/young-restless-michelle-stafford-siblings-day-kids-photo/" target="_blank">a true warrior</a>” for having faced, fought and beaten cancer. Here are the sisters at the show’s 2005 cocktail party at the Hudson Hotel in New York. </p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
10/42
<p>She’s known to soap fans as <em>Days of Our Lives’</em> Sarah, but she also played on <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> too. Back during her CBS soap days, Linsey Godfrey took her sister Magen to help her select jewelry from Martin Katz in Beverly Hills to wear to the Daytime Emmy Awards.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
11/42
<p><em>Young & Restless</em> star Christian LeBlanc (Michael) took his sister as a plus-one to a special party. In 2006, the CBS soap opera celebrated its 33rd anniversary at the Geisha House in Hollywood.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
12/42
<p><em>Days of Our Lives’</em> Bryan Dattilo (Lucas) hung out with his older sis Kristin at the Tapas and Tequila Birthday Bash Isla Cantina in West Hollywood. If Kristin looks familiar to you, much like her younger bro, she’s an actor too.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
13/42
<p>Now, here’s a cute photo of Ashley Jones (Bridget) with her sister Jordan. The actress welcomed her sis on the set of <em>Bold & beautiful</em> back in 2005.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
14/42
<p><em>Days of Our Lives’</em> Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe) and her sister Camilla attended a <em>Flaunt Magazine</em> premiere party in 2005. The event was to help launch the Antik Denim Signature store on Melrose in Hollywood.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
15/42
<p>It’s not every day your brother brings you to a hot daytime event. That was the case in 2018 when <em>Young & Restless’</em> Tristan Lake Leabu (Reed) brought his sister along to the 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
16/42
<p>Emily O Brien (<em>Days of Our Lives’</em> Gwen) started her daytime career on <em>Young & Restless</em>. In 2009, she brought her sister Rachael to the Daytime Emmy Awards post party, hosted by some of her fellow castmates, in the Haas Building in Los Angeles.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
17/42
<p>Fans may remember Kayla Ewell as <em>Bold & Beautiful’s</em> ex-Caitlin, but did you know she’s <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-bold-and-the-beautiful/news/576541/bold-beautiful-tanner-novlan-birthday-message-wife-kayla-ewell/" target="_blank">married to current <em>B&B</em> star Tanner Novlan</a> (Finn)? Her sister Jenica paid her a visit on the set of the CBS soap back in 2004.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
18/42
<p><em>Young & Restless’</em> Eva La Rue (ex-Celeste) and sister Lara attended <em>Feedback Magazine’s</em> Last Party of the Summer. The 2006 event took place in Beverly Hills.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
19/42
<p>The late, great <em>Young & Restless</em> actress Jeanne Cooper (ex-Katherine) brought her sister Evelyn to a very special event in 2012. Here they are pictured at a Barnes and Noble book signing for Cooper’s memoir <em>Not Young, Still Restless.</em></p>
Image: Colin Knight/JPI
20/42
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful, Young & Restless</em> and <em>General Hospital</em> alum Sean Kanan (Deacon; AJ) and his sister Robin share a striking resemblance. Here they are back in 2004 on the Daytime Emmy Awards red carpet.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
21/42
<p>Soap hopper Ricky Paull Goldin last appeared in daytime on <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> as Jesse in 2013 and played Jake on <em>All My Children</em> for three years prior. However, he brought sister Kate to the 30th Daytime Emmy Awards at Radio City Music Hall in 2003 during his run as Gus on <em>Guiding Light</em>.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
22/42
<p><em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> alum Reign Edwards took her sister out for a walk — literally — for a good cause. Here are the girls stopping for the camera at a past Light the Night Walk to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
23/42
<p>We had to do a double-take when looking at <em>Days of Our Lives’</em> Louise Sorel (ex-Vivian) and her sister Mishka. The two attended a 2004 cocktail reception at The Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
24/42
<p>Best known for playing <em>General Hospital’s</em> faithful bartender Coleman, Blake Gibbons was all smiles when in the presence of his sister. The two took time out for the camera during the ABC soap’s 2014 Fan Club Weekend.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
25/42
<p>We sure can see the resemblance in these two siblings. <em>Days of Our Lives</em> alum Christopher Sean’s (ex-Paul) sister accompanied him to former castmate Jen Lilley’s (ex-Theresa) Soap for Kids 2014 event at the Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
26/42
<p><em>General Hospital</em> alum Lilly Melgar (ex-Lily) brought her sister along to a hosting event in 2010. The former daytime actress was the host for ACME Saturday Night at its comedy theater.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
27/42
<p>There are some perks to being a daytime actress around Emmy time. Rachel Melvin, who played <em>Days of Our Lives’</em> Chelsea, took her sister to one of the Daytime Emmy gift suites in 2008 in Beverly Hills.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
28/42
<p>Former <em>Young & Restless</em> sweetheart Lyndsy Fonseca (ex-Colleen) left daytime behind in 2005 and went on to star in numerous primetime shows and films. Though she didn’t have a part in it, Fonseca and her sister Hannah Leigh attended the premiere for <em>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</em> in 2013.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
29/42
<p>Patrick Muldoon (<em>Days of Our Lives</em>, ex-Austin) and his sister Shaina attended an extravagant fashion event together in 2004. Here they are at The Launch of Marciano party hosted by <em>Vanity Fair</em> in Los Angeles.</p>
Image: Miranda Shen/JPI
30/42
<p><em>Passions</em> star McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan) smiled with her sister Suzanne at a 4th of July celebration. The event took place at the Radford Studios in 2004.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
31/42
<p>Kimberly Matula (ex-Hope) brought her sister Kristin along to a big soapy event! In 2012, <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> celebrated its 25th Anniversary at the Perch restaurant in Los Angeles.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
32/42
<p><em>Passions</em> alum Juliet Mills (Tabitha) is a wee-bit older than her sister Hayley Mills, best known for playing twins in the 1961 classic <em>The Parent Trap</em>. In 2006, Hayley stopped in at the set of the NBC soap to see her big sis at the Radford Studios.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
33/42
<p>In 2021, fans got their first peek at <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/comings-and-goings/595356/young-restless-jacob-aaron-gaines-cast-moses-winters-neil-son/" target="_blank">a grown-up Moses Winters</a> on <em>Young & Restless</em> — son of the late Neil Winters and Sofia Dupre. Here’s a photo of Sofia’s portrayer Julia Pace Mitchell and her sister Shawn at the P.S. Arts Express Yourself 2010 event.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
34/42
<p>What girl wouldn’t love to be on either side of this handsome <em>General Hospital</em> alum?! Sisters Janeen and Alaina accompanied their brother John Stamos (ex-Blackie) when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
35/42
<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> alum Farah Fath (ex-Mimi) and her sister hit the town for a movie in 2006. It wasn’t just any showing, but rather a screening of <em>Social Security Guard</em>, which featured numerous stars from the NBC soap.</p>
Image: Brian Lowe/JPI
36/42
<p>Heidi Mueller played <em>Passions’</em> Kay for five years in the early 2000s. She and her sister Karla were spotted at a daytime party in 2004 at the White Lotus restaurant in Hollywood.</p>
Image: Brandon Charles/JPI
37/42
<p>Who could forget the comical <em>One Life to Live</em> character Roxy played by funny lady Ilene Kristen? The actress brought her sister Karen Schatz to the Love Out Loud AIDS fundraiser event in 2007.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
38/42
<p>Jillian Clare, who once played <em>Days of Our Lives’</em> Abigail, appeared with her sister Jamie Smith at a screening for <em>To the Beat: Back 2 School</em>. Incidentally, Clare directed the 2020 film, which featured fellow <em>Days</em> stars Eric Martsolf (Brady) and Martha Madison (Belle), to name a few.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
39/42
<p>Not only did former <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> actress Bobbie Eakes (ex-Macy) go to a concert with her sisters, she was the star of the show! Eakes is pictured in 2013 with sisters Shelly and Sharon at her Turn the Page concert in Palm Springs, California.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
40/42
<p>Eva Longoria didn’t bring just one sister out for a special event, she brought three! Pictured here are sisters Elizabeth, Emilia and Esmeralda to help celebrate the former <em>Young & Restless</em> actress (ex-Isabella) who was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
41/42
