Days Of Our Lives
A Martinez Clarifies His Current Status With Days of our Lives!


Courtesy/AMartinez
Daytime Emmy winner A Martinez took to social media via his Twitter and facebook accounts to clarify his status with Days of our Lives where he has played Eduardo Hernandez. The actor who was on contract has now gone to recurring status by his own choice.
Martinez tweeted to fan reaction over the last several days of his on-screen story, “Much gratitude for all the Hernandez Love these last couple of days.”
He went on to say: “Wonderful work from everyone on the stage, and some lovely writing and direction as well. To clear up a couple of misapprehensions: Eduardo will return; and the character’s move to ‘recurring’ status was my wish. I love the family and love the show, but need the flexibility the change allows. There’s more to come, and a lot of it is extremely compelling.”
The former star of Santa Barbara is also part of the cast in Netflix upcoming fifth season of Longmire, which is set to premiere in September. He tweeted this week: “The feeling of it… #Longmire returns four weeks from tonight. If you haven’t yet found it, it’s waiting for you…”
So, glad to know there will be more of A as Eduardo on DAYS? Will you be checking out Longmire’s upcoming season? Comment below!
His character was not well-written…hopefully that will change…he is a good actor…but his characters family had gotten to be overbearing with too much focus on them and not written interestingly-need to take them in a different direction,,,also they seem to be in too much conflict over Edourdos return…he came back months ago and that seems to be all his story-move forward!!!
Spin, spin , spin…. there is no other way to react. DAYS has a HUGE problem. It is probably the worst show on the air. The writing is beyond boring. The acting focus is on children who couldn’t recite the lines in the elementary school production of “Hansel and Gretel”. The more experienced actors are reciting dribble and they hate it. You can see it in their eyes. So few of the actors have any passion. They are gonna give the viewers a gimmick with the return of the 3 villains. None of them will stay and none have any potential of story other than running from their crimes. Not one current story has any depth or interesting points. It’s actually painful to watch. I hate to see daytime television suffer any more losses. But sadly, with their new writing regime coming into play and the continual focus on terrible actors they are opening the door to getting the ax. Brace yourselves DAYS fans, if the slaughter to the show continues your next replacement will be the Sarah Palin talk show.
Mateo…as far as I’m concerned, DOOL has H-U-G-E PROBLEMS PERIOD!!!!! Oh…and as for ‘a Sarah Palin talk show’…EVEN WORSE!!!!! BEYOND B-L-E-C-H!!!!!!!!!!
Have a good one.
Agreed! I unfortunately end up FFing most of the show because I find so little that is interesting or compelling.
>The teen-scene is the worst and even the veteran actors can do nothing to make their scenes any better.
>The entire Jennifer-Is-A-Junky story is beyond stupid and over-done. Who becomes THAT addicted to pills after taking them for a couple weeks?
>I’m sick to death of Hope and her entire storyline. She’s awful with both Aiden & Rafe.
>The entire Hernandez family can leave Salem and they wouldn’t be missed…especially Mama!
I could go on and on! The unfortunate thing is, this show tapes SO far in advance that it takes literally months to right any wrongs. At least other soaps can get rid of characters that aren’t working within weeks.
Hope is a widow; her husband Bo died in her arms. She is allowed to romantic feelings for another man. I don’t like Aidan but I do like Rafe.
Agreed, SZima. I am married to a doctor….one does not become addicted, as you say, to pain killers in that short span of time. It sort of creeps up on you.
And, SZima, that is the crux of the matter….That is, we, the fans, are taken for granted, insulting our intelligence. Miss Jenny has gone through so much turbulance in her life….now, that, would have been more believable…EMOTIONAL PAIN!!
I also agree about Hope; and I must have said this ad nauseam!!!!!
As mary says, yes, Hope is a widow….but, past her prime; not of falling in love and finding happiness again, don’t get me wrong. She has every right to have a fulfilling relationship. However, she has not given herself breathing space between all these high mountains she’s climbing. That’s on the writers.
Hope is no Maid Marian; the sweet, innocent, young thing waiting for her savior……and, Rafe is not her hero, Robin Hood. Really?? She’s a grandmother. She is written as an empty-headed foolish woman who drools after younger men. She is probably chock-full-of osteoporosis due to a lifetime of acrobatic regimen all her life. She’s around my own mother’s age. I can’t imagine my mother, albeit spry, living such a galvanizing life. Again, it is offensive to portray perfectly sane women as such. This is not true to life, regardless of the fact that it’s a soap. Give me some SUBSTANCE. Something to which I can relate, once in a while.
I love Kristian Alfonso, but, the storylines should fit the role. I never saw Rafe and a relationship with Hope coming. She is like the kiss of death…..brings doom and glooms wherever she goes, leaving devastation in her wake.
Hope should settle down for a while and get her ducks in a row; then shoot them one by one and see what’s left. Instead of perpetuating a perilous life, she should clean and get her house in order (I mean that euphemistically, not literally…LOL)….., .including , straightening that boring, cry-me-a-river, blowing-in-the-wind daughter of hers.
“Pitch” perfect, Mateo. Good job!!
Good bye and good luck – hate to say it, but at least for me, his character adds absolutely nothing to the show –
I agree.
High five, Ted!!
@ mary.
I agree with you soooo much, mary. I have always said that Theo is the best. He is the only younger character I would keep on. What a gem.
He is awesome on Longmire
He really is. Such a good show and a great, complex role for him.
Great news if A’s character is hardly on, but it’d be better if he was gone for good. Days just needs Rafe and Gabriella.
Sorry to see him on re-occurring with DOOL but I love me some “Longmire” and he plays a great character.
Such a gifted actor with an understated, humble acting style. I have never disliked any character I have seen him portray. My favorite will always be Cruz Castillo.
me too ! he will always be cruz castillo to me . The cruz and eden love story from our very much missed santa barbara . Santa barbara was my first soap and was a huge part of my life . I was so surprised they didn’t bring cruz and eden back for the final episode . I later learnt they didn’t even bother to ask him back , i suppose the same thing happened to marcy walker . The acting of these two was just pure magic . It was the best soap ever made in my opinion .
Nickolas Marcy Walker quit acting and is working for a church. So I doubt she would have returned. The end of SB was the worst hatchet job ever done to any soap ever. A. is a terrific actor and given a chance he can bring it . BUT. I could never get use to the hair on his chin. Glad he will be returning.
Marcy walker was still very much in the acting buisness at the time . in 1991 she quit santa barbara to star in the cop show Palace Guard which flopped . in 1993 she joined Guiding light as reporter tangie hill . When that was done she returned to all my children as lisa colby the part she had played before joining santa barbara as eden and left i think in either 2005 or 2006 and it was at that point that she left acting and started working for a church . The end of Santa Barbara was indeed the worst hatchet job ever .
this man is gold
Ken Corday squandered and all the responsibility is “his”
Betty and Ted Corday’ dream
they should … never…. have fired Kassie DePaiva
Eduardo and Eve WERE gold
it just seems so obvious that REELING 6 months ahead… filming so far in advance
takes the spontaneity and energy out of the actors… who need that “live” feedback
the whole production is not working together
it’s like the blind leading the blind
or is it?
Ken Corday ???? !!!!! what the effing expletive are you doing
the decades plus of your parents livelihood is
Does Corday read these comments…if not maybe he should. He would realize how the teen crowd is so bad at acting and recast all of them. Also find a singer to replace Claire.Please !
I know, her singing sounds like a female Cat in labor –
What is WITH this show? Do the Producers NOT read the comments on Facebook or here or anywhere? Everyone pretty much concurs on the same issues – knock it off already with Claire’s singing, is she someone’s niece at the Production company or what – and as for the young actress who portrays Ciarra, well, either her acting skills are not up to par or the writing is just so lacking maybe even Meryl Streep couldn’t do much with it –
When Sonny returned, I thought, good maybe he can give Paul something to ponder but so far that hasn’t occurred. Why can’t Paul get involved with that younger guy who eyed him over and then let Sonny get surprisingly jealous? At least it would be SOMETHING – and something innovative – but no, no, they will probably stick with “Nicole is falling for Deimos but little does she know another woman is carrying his child” which is a plotline that has been used since 1937.
I like the actor who playing Theo.
I agree. I liked Eduardo and Eve and thought so much more could be done with the pair, especially following death of the daughter.
I didn’t think A was leaving. I thought it was obvious Ed would be back. They have to find out Dario is behind the threats and then Ed will return. I wish Dario would leave.
I agree! Please get rid of Dario ASAP!
I’ve never been a big A Martinez fan (I know, what’s wrong with me??) – but he has suffered the same fate that most new characters introduced since the last righting of the ship at Days – few of them have driven any story. Yes, I think introducing characters slowly and not throwing them front burner is a good choice overall – but look at all the characters that have come on in the last year and gone nowhere fast – Eduardo, Dario, Gabi, Summer, Phillip, Belle, Shawn. Yes, they’ve had stuff to do, but outside of whatever brought them to town in the first place, they’ve all just meandered from one casual story to the next, never having a real front burner story, never having a strong through line from A to C. Summer – comes in as part of Brady’s dream, turns out to be Maggie’s theiving thought to be dead daugther – and then she plays minor annoyance to Theresa with a few blasts from the past – and then she’s gone. Phillip comes in working with Deimos, quickly ends that association, frolics with Belle, decides to start a recording company, gets dumped by Belle – annnnd … he’s just around bouncing from sidekick to sidekick – which by the way, is the only thing Dario has done since coming back to Salem – he’s someon’s subservient partners in crime. And Gabi! Gabi! She comes back, discovers Will’s body, has a low key relationship with JJ – and C-story the whole time.
I don’t get the need to cast all these people if they are going to be little more than filler. I like seeing their faces but having them constantly in background stories that get played sparsely, is just as frustrating as having them off screen. And why aren’t they playing the obvious – Belle/Shawn/Phillip/Chloe with side spin off complications with Dario and Chad (tell me why they aren’t playing Chad/Belle more than they are? There’s potential there for something rather interesting until and after Abby gets back).
And WHY are they playing Ciara as much as they are. The actress is trying and I believe she is doing her best – but they have been giving her heavy material all year that she can’t handle. I’m not saying she can’t get there someday, but right now, she isn’t there and they keep giving her stories that needs a more expierenced actress to carry. The writers are doing her no favors by forcing her into these story situations that continuously show off how green she is.
The talent is on screen. The stories are just sitting there, waiting to be developed. Actors are waiting to be used correctly (whether that means bumping some up to front burner, or bumping some down to back burner until they can get a bit more seasoned). And don’t tell me that the six months is the reason they can’t respond – are the writers, the producers, the actors NOT there in the moment, seeing the same thing we are seeing? The sparks between characters that get ingored because this OTHER story is being told, the connections that are ingored or glossed over when characters should be crossing over in stories. Come on Days – you’ve got the building blocks – do something with them!
I can’t believe the “new” regime of writers starting next week is the same Dena Higley who has been fired 2 or 3 times already in the last 15 years on Days. She is about as new as bring Andre back the tenth time from the dead. They need to fire all these old hack writers and get new blood. And keeping Nicole in the same stories with different male characters is a joke. Ej, Brady, Daniel, and now Deimos. Come on. Always a pregancy and its never hers!! My finger is getting tired Fast Forwarding everyday.
I really concur with so much that is being said. Seems there is an audience, but no one is happy with how characters are being brought in, and then given center stage, not developed, then they are gone, and the storylines are flat. I understand that for a variety of reasons new characters have to be brought in and then may have to go whether because the actors have other commitments, their character or storyline is not working out, etc.), but there is so much coming and going, storylines all over the place, that you cannot really connect with the characters or the storylines so much any more. In the golden days of soaps, you had a core group of characters and storylines that were building and you invested in them and wanted to watch. I understand that you do need to introduce new characters and storylines periodically to keep all fresh and from getting stale, and some characters are going to have to go off, but with so much coming and going you can’t invest and you lose interest. They come and go to quickly. Pethaps, it is salary or production issues, but Days would be better off with a smaller core group who have the main storylines then you have some sub-characters and storylines periodically that revolve around the main storylines. Then if they see a new character or storyline is peaking interest, they could go in that direction, but now it is a revolving door of characters. You want viewers to connect with the characters and invest in the storylines, and that can’t happen with everyone coming and going. I often have said that there should be a soap opera about the behind the scenes of soap operas – seems that may be more interesting than the actual soap opera!
Agree that the teen stories and some of the casting is not working! For one, some of the stories are inappropriate for the age group. The singing way over emphasized & the style well not appealing to large groups. As for introducing new characters you cannot force feed them, over prop and insert them everywhere! They need slower integration with the rest of the cast and a take over only turns off viewers. A soap should be ensemble, having writers create a pet situation is like an infestation of a virus you want eradicated. As for Hope, yes she should have had a real mourning period. It was insulting that Bo dies and immediately Rafe is inserted everywhere. She is not a child and needed to mourn, to think about her children not just which man she should run with.
Days Of Our Lives
INTERVIEW: Jackie Cox Talks On Latest Return to DAYS, An Offer for Dimitri, and Life as a Performer In and Out of Drag

On the Monday, December 4th episode of Peacock’s Days of our Lives, Jackie Cox is back and hell hath no fury like a drag queen scorned! With revenge the order of the day on Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart), Darius Rose (Cox out of drag) arrives in Salem with a plan.
As Dimitri (Peter Porte) is about to turn himself into the authorities to save Leo’s skin, Darius gives Von Leuschner a talking to; letting him know that Leo deserves to rot away in prison, and so, to help Dimitri out of town, Darius has a tempting, and yet outlandish way to do just that!
Cox first appeared on Days of our Lives during the limited-series Beyond Salem in 2021 and then on to the mothership in 2022. The drag artist and Rupaul Drag Race alum took time out from his busy touring schedule of his holiday show, Jackie and Jan’s Jingle Jam (coming to a town near you), to speak with Michael Fairman TV all about his recent return to the long-running soap opera, playing ‘soapy’ versions of Jackie/Darius, and if there’s more story to come.
In addition, Jackie talks on the often misperceptions of the art of drag and drag performers, working with his DAYS co-stars since first appearing on the series including: Rikaart, Porte, Billy Flynn (Chad AKA Belinda Chinashop), and much more. Check out our chat with the incomparable Jackie below.

Photo: JPI
You get asked back to DAYS, once again. Were you shocked that you got the call to return?
JACKIE: You know, what’s so funny is ever since my appearance on Beyond Salem a couple years ago, the fans kind of picked up on this little connection with me and Leo. Which then, Ron Carlivati (head writer, Days of our Lives) kind of expanded into my storyline last year where I came and broke up Leo’s wedding with Dr. Craig Wesley (Kevin Spirtas). What’s amazing is the DAYS fans now think they have seen me in places in the story that I’m not. Like, I was one of the prime suspects for the murder of Abigail DiMera, or I’m somehow helping Leo with other things. (Laughs) The fans have amazing imaginations of their own. I think Ron and the team picked up on that a little bit and have kind of found different ways to work me back into the storyline, which is so cool. I’m there, even when I’m not. That’s so fun for me.

Photo: JPI
As viewers saw on Monday’s episode, you are not in scenes with Greg Rikaart but Peter Porte. Was that a surprise for you coming back to tape a new episode?
JACKIE: When they called me to come back, I thought I’d be working with Greg again as I have been very much a part of his storyline. However, it was really fun working with Peter, because we didn’t get to work together much on Beyond Salem, even though we were both there. It was fun to kind of like build a connection to Dimitri, because I think that’s such an interesting character.
Were you ever a fan of Days of our Lives before you were even on it?
JACKIE: I would pop in and out when I was a kid when I was homesick. My mom would let me watch a little bit. So, I remember the Stefano of it all, and Hope, and all of those storylines are still in my ether somewhere from when I was young. Coming into it now, and to see where the storylines have expanded into even more is great. The world is bigger now than maybe it was in the nineties. So, the fact that you have a drag queen dealing with an immigration problem, and getting back at her ex, I think is so wild to me. I couldn’t imagine that kind of a storyline happening back then, but it’s so cool to see now.
DAYS, at times, had shown a lot of forward-thinking to its audience that I don’t think you’d necessarily see on the other current soaps. The way they’ve had you, and other gay, or sexually-fluid characters or romances, or introduced drag into the storylines – all these things they had implemented along the way to make the soap, in its current form, a little more progressive leaning. They are also not on network TV anymore, but on a streaming platform, which gives this most likely an assist, as well.
JACKIE: What I love about it is, sometimes people just don’t think that we exist. You know what I mean? Maybe drag queens are something they just heard about and they don’t know what we are. I think what’s great is this character is me in my real life. I am Jackie Cox. I am a drag performer who goes around the country to different places and performs and stuff. So, for that to also be my character, it’s not like, “Why is she a drag queen?” It’s like, “Well, that’s just who she is.” I just happen to be there and I know that the daytime audience is so diverse. I love that they get to just see a little bit of my real life brought into Salem in this way. You can’t deny the fact I am Darius Rose and Jackie Cox.

Photo: JPI
It looks like Darius had a plan to ‘help’ Dimitri?
JACKIE: I don’t know if I’m as much helping Dimitri as if I have ulterior motives. I’m pretty frustrated with Leo. He is this charmer and he always gets what he wants. But I think at this point, I’ve had it with him and his schemes. He didn’t get that emerald. He didn’t give me the money from the Beyond Salem. He left me for Dr. Craig Wesley and I’m tired of it. I want to get back at him. Now that I find out he has this hot new little boyfriend, I know just how to do it because Dimitri better watch out, because he has not yet dealt with Jackie Cox yet. I have quite the persuasive offer you’ll see during the episode, and in the performances. I do think you see Dimitri really consider me and consider what I have to offer, which is to steal him a way, and help him escape to Canada with me.
We see you as Darius and Jackie in the episode, but there is a reason for that.
JACKIE: Yes! What’s fun for the audience is, I think, is there’s this tease during the episode, which is, “How are we going to get Dimitri out of here?” So, we take a page from the old drag book of tricks, which is walk right out the front door and let them look right at you, because drag is an amazing disguise. I think that Dimitri should have, could have chosen to be a fabulous drag queen and leave with me, and we could run across the Canadian border together and done cabarets in Montreal! (Laughs).

Photo: JPI
So, this is what Jackie/Darius wants to pull off in the episode?
JACKIE: Oh yeah, and also me, in my real life, (Laughs) I wouldn’t mind doing a cabaret in Montreal. That sounds like a good life to me. I think coming to Dimitri with this offer, which is: “Come with me across the border. Let’s get away from Leo. You haven’t been hurt by him the way I have, but I know you will be.” I think for the Darius side of me, you get to see a little bit of the softer side, in a sense. I really am hurt by Leo and the things that he’s done to me, and had been keeping me from – getting a green card in this fantasy version of my life. I really want to get back at him. What I love about Peter as an actor is, as we were working through this scene, we were able to find all these other levels. I kind of build this little connection through our episode of maybe I’m offering him something that he hasn’t even thought of before, a different kind of life where he’s not this Almanian crook, but maybe he can be a free gay man, maybe drag queen in Canada with me. That’s what’s on the table and the audience sees that. Unfortunately, he doesn’t choose me at the end, but that’s not going to stop me from putting on a fabulous look and walking outta there, anyway.
So then as he leaves, is Darius hurt by all of this?
JACKIE: I’m a little hurt. I don’t think my revenge cup is full at the end of this episode. There’s still a burning little desire for me to get back at Leo by the end of this and maybe a desire for me to just get back into Salem and see if I can find Dimitri again. Let me tell you honey, looking at Peter Porte is not very hard and maybe there’s more men in Salem for me … yet. (Laughs)

Photo: JPI
Ya never know! What was your takeaway from previously working with Greg Rikaart? Had you known Greg before taping Beyond Salem?
JACKIE: No. Greg and I met right then, and it was so much fun. Right away in those first couple of moments, we decided we needed to up this whole backstory, like just the two of us, and then it ended up on the show: that we were from New York, and we were in cahoots together, and then apparently we got married. and all this kind of subtext we worked in. For Greg and my character on DAYS, it was not about us being hot and heavy with each other. It was more about seeing each other as partners in crime very much from the beginning. So, that’s where the hurt for me comes in. I thought Leo was my main ride or die, but clearly he is not.

Photo: JPI
Ron Carlivati has a penchant for writing these types of campy stories. Did you speak with him at any point, and talk about the fact that you would like to do more appearances on DAYS?
JACKIE. Ron did just come to my Christmas show in New York a couple weeks ago. We had a little chat. I can’t say much, but I didn’t die at the end of this. So, there’s always room to come back! There’s always room for more Jackie.

Photo: JingleJam
Do you find there’s lot of misconceptions about drag queens and people that perform in drag? Do you think there’s an underlying misunderstanding of it within our culture?
JACKIE: There are a lot of misconceptions. A great example of it for me was last year when I came to Craig and Leo’s wedding. Once I got out of drag, Craig, wasn’t sure how to address me. I just was very clear with the pronouns I prefer out of drag. That was just something that was a matter-of-fact conversation that could happen between any two people. I think sometimes, everyone is scared of what they don’t know or they don’t understand, or are afraid of having a conversation that they think is going to be really horrible. I think the average person, no matter who you are, no matter what side of the political spectrum you are, no matter what gender or sexual orientation you are, everyone just wants to get along in general and have a decent experience walking around the world. I think if you see people like me and my character who’s a drag queen, who’s younger than for example, Dr. Craig Wesley’s character, having just a quick little conversation and then we move on … it’s not a big ‘falling on the sword’ moment. There’s nothing horrible happening. Drag can be a performance. It doesn’t actually matter who you are. Drag is just an expression, and if you love it, great. And if you don’t, you don’t have to come to my show. It’s okay.

Photo: JPI
What did you think about Belinda Chinashop (Billy Flynn), Sonny Delight (Zach Tinker) and Amanda Bottom (Chandler Massey) in the drag show scenes in Beyond Salem? Did you give the guys any pointers, or were you just stunned at how good they were?
JACKIE: We had just shot my drag stuff with them before, and they were like, “We’re doing this later this week.” I was like, “You guys will be fine. Don’t you worry.” They had amazing makeup artists come in and help them, which was great. I think that’s the biggest part. Billy Flynn told me, it was so fun for him to get to do it. I love that. Next time I come to Salem, I think there needs to be a reason for me to get Belinda Chinashop back out of the trunk.

Photo: JPI
You went to college at UCLA in their theatre department, didn’t you?
JACKIE: Sure did. I went to UCLA with Blake Berris (Everett). Blake and I were in the same theater program together and he booked DAYS I think right after college or while we were in college. It was amazing. He started so young. Now, we’re on this show together! How funny! We were like, “Oh my, God. This is amazing.” Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Blake when I was there this time this time. Hopefully, the timing works out next time. I don’t think Ron Carlivati even knows that we went to school together.
Were you determined once you left UCLA to become a successful performer? What trajectory were you on at that point?
JACKIE: I went to UCLA and I really focused in on theater because I love theater so much. I didn’t actually really do much film or TV, even though it’s the school of theater, film and television. I loved the theatre. Then, after school I moved to New York because that’s where theater is. I got to New York and I realized that the theater industry was not for me, at least at that time. This was 15 years ago or so. It wasn’t quite as progressive, even in the theater industry, as it is today. I mean, to be on Broadway, you kind of had to be this big strapping hunk back then. I didn’t really find a place for me there. I did find it in New York with drag, and that really unlocked something in me. I kind of started building this career as Jackie Cox. I’ve been doing drag now for 13 years. So, for me to come back around to what I maybe kind of started doing in the first place is very interesting. We will see what happens.

Photo: JPI
Now, would you want to take on more roles as yourself, as Darius?
JACKIE: That’s the thing. These days, writers are actually writing material that really connects to who I am. I really want to play more characters, bringing myself to the role is something that’s important to me. So, whether it’s drag, whether it’s a character, whether it’s incorporating some of my Middle Eastern heritage in there, those are all things that I want to bring to life, whether it’s in or out of drag. It’s all on the table. It’s definitely something where I still want it to have that authenticity, to have that reason where it’s me, the actor, not just someone who hasn’t lived it.
So, if you end up with an expanded role of Days of our Lives, would you take it?
JACKIE: Are you kidding? In a heartbeat! My only question to myself and to the writers out there is, am I still going to be me … or is it revealed that I’m not actually Jackie Cox, and that I’m just some delusional fan who thinks I am? (Laughs)

Photo: JPI
In closing, how is Jackie when she walks out the door after this episode?
JACKIE: Jackie walks out the door with a renewed sense of purpose, a burning desire to eventually get back at Leo, and maybe a new friend in Salem. Those are the things that I walk out that door with, for sure.
So, did you enjoy seeing Jackie Cox back on Days of our Lives? Should the soap opera continue to weave Jackie/Darius back into the storylines with Dimitri and Leo and company? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
Days Of Our Lives
Days of our Lives Peter Porte Stars in ‘Yuletide the Knot’ Holiday Movie on UPtv

Sunday, December 3rd, Peter Porte (Dimitri, Days of our Lives) stars in a holiday rom-com on UPtv, entitled Yuletide the Knot. Not only is Porte the romantic male lead, but he is also one of the producers of the movie.
Yuletide the Knot premieres tonight at 7 pm ET. Porte stars opposite Mary Antonini who take on the role of Rachel. Also appearing are Kelly Jakle, Kelsey Scott and Melissa Peterman.
In story, Rachel, a small-town wedding planner (Antonini), is tasked with planning a Christmas ceremony for an influencer couple. But her big plans hit a major snag when she is partnered with the bride’s manager, Logan (Porte), who is actually her first love and high school sweetheart. Will Logan and Rachel soon be kissing again under the mistletoe?

Photo: UPtv
Taking to his Instagram to share some background on the movie, Porte revealed: “I got the script in 2019 and was excited to come on board as an actor as well as producer. After months of planning, we were headed to Colorado with truckloads of Christmas decor and a start date of March 13… 2020. Three years, countless pivots, pulled favors, and a pandemic later, my tenacious and wildly talented cast and crew made and sold a movie and I couldn’t be more proud. Let’s all get in the holiday spirit together!”
To locate UPtv stations in your area click here, or you can stream the holiday movie on UP Faith & Family here.
Watch the preview for Yuletide the Knot below.
Now let us know, will you be checking out this holiday rom-com featuring Peter Porte? Let us know via the comment section.
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Dallas
Lifetime’s ‘Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas’ Brings Epic Food Fight and “Slapfest Coup de Grâce”

Get ready for the feuding soap opera divas, when five actresses known for their signature primetime and daytime roles are brought together in Lifetime’s new holiday film, Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas.
Saturday night, December 2nd on Lifetime (8pm ET/7PM CT) marks the highly-anticipated holiday movie premiere featuring: Donna Mills (ex-Knots Landing), Nicolette Sheridan (ex-Knots Landing), Morgan Fairchild (ex-Falcon Crest et al), Linda Gray (ex-Dallas) and Loni Anderson (ex-WKRP in Cincinnati).
Here’s what we do know! In story, five alums from the long-running soap, The Great Lakes reunite for a live Christmas finale. Uh-oh! Now take a look at the backstory of the colorful cast of characters (pay special attention to the clever twists on the actresses names!)

Photo: Lifetime
LAUREN EWING (Linda Gray) “Everyone thinks I’m so damn good all the time,” confesses the junk food-loving Lauren of her second act as a lifestyle guru. “I don’t know how Gwenyth Paltrow does it!”
DANA CUNNINGHAM (Donna Mills) Now a sitcom mom, she’s yet to make amends to ex-bestie Juliette after abruptly leaving the soap back in the day. Not that she hasn’t tried: “When I thought the world was going to end in Y2K,” Dana says, “I reached out to her, and she never called me back.”
LILY MARLOWE (Loni Anderson) After replacing Dana on ‘Great Lakes’, Lily never again found a role to win her acclaim. “What do I have to show for (my career)? An arc on For the People – Shonda Rhimes’ only flop!”
JULIETTE MATHESON (Nicollette Sheridan) “She left me for L.A.,” the party girl turned fashion mogul recalls of Dana’s betrayal. Will their feud derail the entire event?
MARGEAUX ROBERTS (Morgan Fairchild) “Fasten your face-lifts, ladies, it’s gonna be a bumpy weekend!” The sassy grande dame of ‘Great Lakes’ sees the Juliette-Dana beef as the perfect escape from her own domestic drama.

Photo: Lifetime
Now, making this all the more hysterical is the director of The Great Lakes reunion special, which makes the five women live under the same roof, is its former child star Alex, who has gotten his ex-girlfriend, Nell to direct the finale. Meanwhile, in the subplot. the ‘Ladies of the ’80s’ come up with a plan to get Alex and Nell back together.
As with any good soap opera, there is a major food fight. Linda Gray shared with USA Today ,”The food fight was one take. And it was fabulous.” And of course, their is a bitch-fest slap-fest. Morgan Fairchild revealed, “Oh honey, we all got ours in. Mine was a simple, ‘How dare you?’ with a slap. But I was hoping for a punch.”

Photo: Lauren Dukoff/Lifetime
The movie’s EP, Larry Thompson, who is a Hollywood manager and has Donna Mills as a client, said that the entire scene peaks with the”slapfest coup de grâce.” What is that exactly? That is when Donna Mills pushes Nicollette Sheridan into a pool in a nod to Dynasty’s Lily bond battle between Dynasty’s Alexis (Joan Collins) and Krystle (Linda Evans).
In case you missed it previously, check out the trailer for Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas below, also starring Patrika Darbo, Alec Mapa, Mills real-life daughter, Chloe Mills, and Christopher Atkins with theme song by Tiffany.
Now let us know, will you be tuning in to the movie for a premise that should delight many a longtime soap fan? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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