Kim Coles
The Living Single vet returned to the small screen in a big way as Nurse Whitley.
Days of Our Lives’ Comebacks: All the Actors Who Are Returning and/or Have Recently Returned [PHOTOS]
-
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI -
Peter Porte
Image Credit: © XJJohnson/jpistudios.com The Young & Restless alum signed a contract to bring back Dimitri just in time to heat up the summer of 2023 in Salem.
-
Colton Little and Christopher Sean
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI As spring got ready to be sprung in 2023, all dressed up with someplace to go — Salem — were the head turners who play Andrew and Paul.
-
Robert Scott Wilson
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Turned out, when Victoria Konefal came back as Ciara, her leading man was going to be pulling double duty as not only Alex but Ben. Wonder if then anyone will notice how much the characters resemble one another.
-
Steve Burton
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI At least some of March’s madness was destined to be inspired by the Emmy winner, who was set to reprise his role of Harris on the 20th.
-
Miranda Wilson
Image Credit: Peacock screenshot That late-winter chill viewers felt as February brrreezed into March wasn’t only to do with the weather. Megan’s portrayer was back in action to bring the villainess’ chilling plot to fruition.
-
Blake Berris
Image Credit: Peacock screenshot Like a bad penny, Nick turned back up in the hereafter and gave Marlena, Kate and Kayla — as well as viewers — a hell of a shock.
-
Chrishell Stause
Image Credit: Howard Wise/JPI As Marlena, Kate and Kayla began their new lives — well, afterlives, anyway — headed there way was a blast from the past: Jordan. Something tells us it’s gonna take her more than a few Hail Marys to get past the pearly gates.
-
Stacy Haiduk
Image Credit: Peacock screenshot Aw, hell! No sooner had Susan turned up in heaven than it was revealed that the character we were really seeing had more in common with devilish Kristen than her sister!
-
Cady McClain
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI After pulling her life back together in New York with big brother Mike, Jennifer’s returning from rehab to spend the holidays with the Horton clan.
-
Lamon Archey
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI What would the holidays be without cute kids to dote on? Thankfully, Julie wouldn’t have to find out since grandson Eli is returning to Salem at the end of December to let her bask in the “Christmas presence” of his and Lani’s twins.
-
Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI At the soap’s Day of Days event in the fall of 2022, Bo and Hope’s portrayers revealed that they were returning to their iconic roles. They weren’t the only comeback kids, either…
-
Victoria Konefal
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Days of Our Lives’ winter preview gave us an early Christmas present: the news that Ciara would soon be among Salem’s lot again.
-
Steve Burton
Image Credit: John Paschal/JPI In November 2022, NBC disclosed that it had rehired the Emmy winner as Harris Michaels, the character he originated back in 1988 and played again in Chapter 2 of Beyond Salem.
-
Roark Critchlow
Image Credit: Peacock screenshot After more than two decades away from Salem — not counting a quick visit in 2010 — the fan fave, who succeeded Michael T. Weiss as Mike, finally retraced his steps and headed home in the fall of 2022.
-
Kyle Lowder
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI With not only Kayla but Marlena and Kate ailing thanks to Orpheus, the need for Dr. Rex on the canvas was obvious as the summer came to an end.
-
Lucas Adams
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI If Rex couldn’t save Steve’s “Sweetness,” maybe his son Tripp could. ’Cause yep, his portrayer was making a comeback, too. And he wasn’t alone.
-
Tanner Stine
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI James Lastovic’s replacement, who made his debut in Beyond Salem, Chapter 2, was slated to bring Joey, aka Tripp’s half brother and Steve and Kayla’s son, to the mother ship in the fall.
-
Victoria Grace
Image Credit: Peacock screenshot The soap newcomer — as well as the best thing to hit daytime in ages! — made such an impression as Li’s sister, Wendy, in Beyond Salem, Chapter 2, that she was brought back for the show’s permanent move to Peacock.
-
Marci Miller
Image Credit: Peacock screenshot You’ve heard of a kiss before dying, right? Well, Days of Our Lives’ preview promo for the fall of 2022 included a kiss after dying for ill-fated Abigail, whose widower Chad was said to have figured out who killed her.
-
Chandler Massey
Image Credit: NBC screenshot Here, Sonny demonstrates the incredulous look that we’d have worn, if less handsomely, had hubby Will not made tracks back to Salem after his better half was stabbed in the back in a non-metaphorical way.
-
Heather Lindell
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI It was hardly the first time that Jan had “gone overboard.” But when she made a splash off the side of Ben and Ciara’s boat, we thought maybe she’d stay sunk. We thought wrong.
-
Kyle Lowder
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI When opportunity knocked phoned in the summer of 2022, the actor answered — and was revealed to be returning as Rex in especially creative fashion. (See how here.)
-
Robert Scott Wilson
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPi No shackles were needed to keep Ben’s portrayer in Salem. Not as far as we know, anyway! After “Cin” set sail, the actor simply dropped anchor and took on the new role of Alexander Kiriakis.
-
Eileen Davidson
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI No, Days of Our Lives didn’t get a new leading man. That’s just the Emmy winner who originated the role of Kristen getting into another (chest) hairy situation as Susan’s brother, Thomas, in Beyond Salem, Chapter 2.
-
Andrew Masset
Image Credit: Peacock screenshot Like a bad penny, he just keeps turning up. In Chapter 2 of Beyond Salem, ill-fated villain Larry Welch was given the power to once again meddle in Bo and Hope’s affairs.
-
Josh Taylor
OK, so technically, the actor didn’t leave Days of Our Lives as Roman. But he did return via Beyond Salem as, confusingly, his original character on the show — Chris Kositchek.
-
Miranda Wilson
Image Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images Apparently, Megan takes after Daddy Dearest Stefano. In Chapter 2 of Beyond Salem, viewers discovered that Hope’s onetime rival for Bo was alive and, well, as scheming as ever.
-
Chandler Massey and Zach Tinker
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI If there was one upside to Leo’s revenge plot, it was that it promised to reunite “WilSon” on screen. Now if only the show would let us keep them!
-
Bryan Dattilo
Image Credit: Chris Haston/NBC Through the revolving door the Days of Our Lives vet was set to pass once again over the summer of 2022. Could Sami, with whom Lucas left Salem, be far behind?
-
Kristian Alfonso and Peter Reckell
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI If it had been April Fool’s Day, we wouldn’t have believed that the news was real. But since it was April 18, 2022, that Days of Our Lives announced that Hope and Bo’s portrayers were returning for Beyond Salem: Chapter 2, we simply cheered.
-
Greg Vaughan
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Eric fans prayers were answered in the spring of 2022 when it was revealed that only was he headed home to Salem but a major change of direction was in store for Nicole’s true love. (Read all about it here.)
-
Alison Sweeney
Image Credit: NBC Though the Days of Our Lives superstar has made it clear that she has no intention of returning full-time as Sami, a February 2022 Instastory hinted that she had at least been back on the set, stirring the pot as her incorrigible character. We’re guessing about the “stirring the pot” part, but c’mon, when has the scheme queen not?
-
Matthew Ashford and Melissa Reeves
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI No way would Jack miss buddy Xander’s wedding to Gwen. So he and Jennifer, despite her history with the bride, made tracks back to Salem for a ceremony that was sure to leave people saying, “I do… not believe this is really happening.”
-
Jackie Cox
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI After making her Days of Our Lives debut on Beyond Salem, the onetime RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant — and ace impersonator of Lisa Rinna (Billie) — was invited to appear on the NBC soap itself in spring 2022.
-
Heather Lindell
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI You don’t need the glasses, Jan, we already know you’re as “shady” as they come. And when the bad penny turned up anew, she wasn’t alone — she was carrying Shawn’s baby. D’oh!
-
Zach Tinker
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Don’t look so glum. The Young & Restless alum (ex-Fen) made such a big impression as a recast Sonny on Peacock’s Beyond Salem that when Will’s handsome hubby was needed on the main show again, it knew just the actor to call.
-
Kevin Spirtas and Patrika Darbo
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Days of Our Lives didn’t just bring the actors back as Chloe’s parents in 2022, it brought them back for a polarizing storyline in which Craig was forced to break it to wife Nancy that he was gay. But wait, there was more!
-
Greg Rikaart
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI No sooner had Craig revealed that he was in love with the Young & Restless star’s scheming Leo than half the canvas — Chad included, obviously — began going to extremes to break them up.
-
Linsey Godfrey
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Masks. Alternate personalities. Baby talk. Heavens to Brady, there was nothing that wasn’t thrown at the fan favorite when at last Sarah’s portrayer was returned to the playing field in 2022.
-
James Read
Image Credit: Howard Wise/JPI What could be worse than being thrown behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit? Being thrown behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit with your own “killer” as your cellmate! So EJ was poised to learn when Clyde’s portrayer returned in winter 2022 to make the jailhouse rock.
-
Eileen Davidson
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Days of Our Lives’ original Kristen had already returned for Beyond Salem, but that in no way, shape or form prepared us for the “What the hell?!?”-ness of the devil transforming into the old version of the character, not Stacy Haiduk’s, in order to tempt John during its 2021 reign of terror.
-
Melissa Reeves
Image Credit: John Paschal/JPI More than a year after the soap mainstay left Days of Our Lives — bequeathing her long-running role of Jennifer to Cady McClain, who subsequently won a Daytime Emmy for her work — it was announced that she’d be home in Salem for the holidays.
-
Stacy Haiduk
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Trick or treat, indeed! Though it was Eileen Davidson who had played Kristen in Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem, it was the troublemaker’s subsequent portrayer — one of daytime’s most underrated actors, if you ask us — who’d be reprising the role as Halloween 2021 drew near. Hope the vixen remembered to pack her extensive mask collection!
-
Greg Vaughan
Image Credit: John Paschal/JPI As May 2021 drew to a close, viewers gasped at Days of Our Lives’ latest promo, which revealed that the Emmy winner would be reprising his role of Eric — and just in time to learn that bride Nicole had already broken their wedding vows, too!
-
Jaime Lyn Bauer
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI The daytime vet (perhaps best known for her run as vixenish Lorie on The Young and the Restless) kicked off 2021 by announcing that she’d soon be back on Days of Our Lives, where she’d last played Jennifer’s mom, Laura, in 2018.
-
Victoria Konefal
Image Credit: Howard Wise/JPI When the fan fave left Days of Our Lives as the “late” Ciara, she made it clear that she hoped to work again with her castmates down the road. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that she’d be popping in at Christmastime in 2020 so that her character could offer “widower” Ben — and, in a way, all of us — a bit of holiday cheer.
-
Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley
Image Credit: NBC screenshot That same promo — seriously, that thing was jam-packed with spoilers — previewed a return to Salem for the indefatigable scheme team of Tony and Anna, who seemed to know more about Gwen than the rest of us. At the very least more than Abby!
-
Chandler Massey
Image Credit: John Paschal/JPI That same promo video teased a happy homecoming for the legacy character played by this three-time Emmy winner. But would Will be visiting Salem with better half Sonny? That question remained unanswered. Credit where credit is due: The show even builds cliffhangers into its ads!
-
James Lastovic
Image Credit: NBC screenshot Days of Our Lives’ promo for winter 2020 revealed that Steve and Kayla’s son would be receiving a Get Out of Jail Free Card for Christmas: Since Ava wasn’t dead, Joey obviously hadn’t murdered her!
-
Vanessa Williams
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI In late October of 2020, the Melrose Place alum revealed via social media that she had returned to work at Days of Our Lives — and just in time for Valerie to be on hand for the birth of her grandbabies, too.
-
George DelHoyo
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Just in time for Halloween, the veteran actor was slated to return the villainous Orpheus to the canvas (along with James Read as Clyde and William Utay as Rolf). Call us paranoid, but something tells us that Salem’s own Evil League of Evil isn’t getting together again to carve pumpkins and hand out candy.
-
Tamara Braun
Image Credit: John Paschal/JPI Only the good die young. So it was a safe bet that when this Emmy winner returned as manipulative Ava Vitali, as was announced in early September, the character was gonna have a pulse. And also an agenda. (She is manipulative!)
-
William Utay
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI “Here comes trouble,” you can just hear all of Salem grumble whenever the veteran actor brings back mad scientist Dr. Rolf, as he was set to do in September. Then again, you can also hear viewers going, “This is gonna be fun!”
-
Casey Moss
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI According to Days of our Lives’ fall-preview video, JJ Deveraux is getting out of Africa and returning home. Fingers crossed he forgets to pack the hangdog expression with which he’d stuck his handsome mug for so long!
-
Heather Lindell
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI All aboard the crazy train! After Lindell reprised her memorable role of loco-en-la-cabeza Jan Spears in Days of our Lives’ Last Blast Reunion digital series in early 2020, it was announced that she’d be bringing our favorite nut (other than cashew) back to Salem.
-
Stacy Haiduk
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Thrilled as we were to hear that Days of our Lives was getting another visit from the actress, a favorite since her run as The Young and the Restless’ Patty and Emily, a part of us wanted to just say, “But… but can’t we keep her?” Whether Kristen’s gone off the deep end or is toeing the line, we’re crazy about her.
-
Lucas Adams
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Who knew that Tripp’s full name was actually Return Tripp? We sure didn’t — not until it was announced that his portrayer was bringing Steve’s son back to Salem. The question then became… hmm, which gal was going to make his pulse race? (Read our educated guesses here.)
-
Eric Martsolf
Image Credit: Howard Wise/JPI After being off the Days of our Lives canvas for two months — wait, did it only feel like two years?!? — Brady’s portrayer was scheduled to make his return to Salem in late August. We, in turn, were scheduled to set our DVRs. Well, double-set them; we’d never miss an episode!
-
Alison Sweeney (Again!)
Image Credit: Image: NBC Universal Inc. We’re always in favor of our soaps doing long-term planning — and even more so when that long-term planning involves a visit from an actress as beloved as Sami’s portrayer that’s going to extend through most of the following year! We predict that, by the time her mischief-making character is done, there won’t be a pot in Salem that hasn’t been stirred!
-
Galen Gering
Image Credit: John Paschal/JPI “Are we being punked?” We couldn’t help but ask when, right after it was announced that Camila Banus was returning before Gabi had even left Salem, the news broke that Rafe’s portrayer was also homeward bound. Oh, and to be clear, anytime a soap wants to punk us by bringing back actors that we’d miss if they left and stayed gone, that’s 100-percent fine by us!
-
Camila Banus
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Now that’s the kinda exit we can get behind! Even before the actress had aired for the last time as Gabi Hernandez, the news broke that when Days of our Lives resumed production in September, she’d be back on the set as if she’d never even left. Perfect.
-
Suzanne Rogers
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Days of our Lives without Maggie Kiriakis is like an hourglass without sand. So we were awfully relieved to learn that Rogers, a cast member since 1973 (yet not the soap’s longest-running cast member), would be back in action in late summer.
-
True O’Brien
Image Credit: Image: Jill Johnson/JPI Apparently, death becomes her. Though the ingenue was killed off Days of our Lives five years ago, when Paige Larson learned in the worst way possible what Ben’s favorite fashion accessory was, she reappeared, at least briefly, in August.
-
A Martinez
Image Credit: Sean Smith/JPI Ain’t no stinkin’ prison cell that can hold Eduardo Hernandez for long — and we couldn’t happier! His kids, on the other hand… eh, they may wish those bars had been reinforced. When Dad returned to Salem in late August, it was, as his portrayer put it, to “blow up the lives of two of his children, harder and colder about it than when last we saw him.” Yikes.
-
Marci Miller
Image Credit: John Paschal/JPI At least some of the sting was taken out of Kate Mansi’s departure as Abigail DiMera by the news that Miller — who’d already replaced her once before in the role — would be stepping back in. So we knew ahead of time that we were getting a recast that we’d like!
-
Jay Kenneth Johnson
Image Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC Nearly a decade after he last played Philip Kiriakis, the fan favorite took part in Days of our Lives’ Last Blast Reunion digital series, then signed on to reprise his role on the actual show. Hmm… who’s thinking that Philip’s homecoming might just have something to do with Chloe’s?
-
Nadia Bjorlin
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Just like a singer’s last song in concert isn’t really their final one unless it’s the second or third encore, Bjorlin’s exit in 2019 wasn’t really so much a departure as it was a “Hold my beer, I’ll be right back.” Luckily for the actress, her return as erstwhile Ghoul Girl Chloe Lane coincided with what Soaps.com predicted just might be “her biggest storyline ever.”
-
Melissa Reeves
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Technically, Reeves was never gone-gone; Jennifer Deveraux was just off the canvas for a few weeks in the summer of 2020 while she accompanied daughter Abigail to Florida for post-drugging treatment. Nonetheless, the actress and new grandmother was back in the thick of things on screen as of early August.
-
Chrishell Stause and James Read
Image Credit: Howard Wise/JPI As Ben and Ciara’s nuptials approached, he saw a familiar face in a nightmare — that of his twisted sister, Jordan Ridgeway. (If only the show hadn’t killed off her portrayer; she’s the concentrate from which good soap is mixed!) After Eve set in motion her batty revenge plot, Read was brought in to offer bride Ciara potentially valuable intel as father-in-law Clyde Weston.
-
Kassie DePaiva
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Ben Weston wasn’t exactly thrilled to have Eve Donovan back — and just in time for her to crash (and also kaboom!) his wedding to Ciara Brady, too. But the rest of us were delighted to see the actress, who since slipping into Charlotte Ross’ old role in 2014, has made it so her own that we hope by now she’s cut out the tags.
-
Remington Hoffman
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Apparently, Days of our Lives’ powers that be were as intrigued by Li Shin as viewers were. A couple of months after Hoffman made his first appearance — and that lasting impression — as the handsome DiMera Enterprises executive, he was brought back to ensure that we’d never be… ahem… “bored” meeting.
-
Judi Evans
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI If anyone was as crushed as Justin Kiriakis when Adrienne died, it was us. What? You, too? Yeah, loving Adrienne is pretty universal. That being the case, you don’t have to imagine, you totally understand the relief and excitement that we felt when her portrayer was reintroduced to Salem’s lot, albeit as Adrienne’s mischievous lookalike, Bonnie Lockhart.
-
Ivan G’Vera
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Seeing the former Days of our Lives regular back in action as Vivian’s devoted manservant, Ivan Marais, was a revelation. The gravitas that he now possesses didn’t just make us wish he’d plant roots in Salem, it made us think he’d make a fine stand-in for the biggest, baddest Big Bad in all of daytime history.
-
Louise Sorel
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Although the veteran actress’ return engagement as a vengeful Vivian Alamain was entirely too short for our liking, we’re comforted by two things: 1. It set right the mistake that was made when her iconic character was recast. And 2. since Vivian’s latest “death” was as exaggerated as most of Salem’s, we’re all but guaranteed that she’ll be back again.
-
Alison Sweeney
Image Credit: Howard Wise/JPI Is Sami Brady ever really gone from Days of our Lives? Sure, her portrayer leaves occasionally — sometimes for far longer stretches than we’d like (no matter how big a sigh of relief Salem breathes!). But we always know that, like a bad penny, the scheme queen will turn up again, and when she does, she’ll take the cake… if only to force on sister-in-law Nicole an unwanted facial.
-
Bryan Dattilo
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Make room for Daddy! Shortly after a pregnant Allie Horton showed up in Salem, pop Lucas followed suit, in so doing filling a void not only in the show but in our hearts. So fingers crossed that this time around the actor, a Days of our Lives cast member off and on since 1993, is back for the long haul.
-
Brandon Beemer and Martha Madison
Image Credit: XJ Johnson/JPI Usually, Hong Kong feels like it might as well be a world away. But Claire’s release from Bayview made it seem like it was just around the corner. Quicker than you could say, “Oh, crap! Do you think it’s safe for our daughter to be roaming the streets again?” Beemer and Madison had been folded back into the canvas as Shawn and Belle Brady, the couple kicking themselves the hardest for not having invested in flameless-candle stock years ago!
