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"Castle's" Nathan Fillion on what the recast of OLTL's Joey Buchanan needs to possess!

By Michael Fairman

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Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Last night On-Air On-Soaps was at the season three premiere of the ABC primetime series, Castle and caught up with its star Nathan Fillion to ask him what attributes the next actor that embodies the role of Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live needs to have, now that the soap has put out a “casting call” to find the next actor to play the key part.  Fillion played Joey from 1994-1997 and then made a brief return  in 2007.   Nathan offered insight into the role, the dwindling soap genre, and his love for his former castmates that he holds close to his heart to this day.

Fillion on what attributes the next actor to play Joey Buchanan needs to have:  “I just read that they were recasting.  You know,  so much has happened since I played Joey.  I think he even became a priest, I know, at one point.  I will say this, both for the character and for the actor playing the role; you have to be willing to learn.  That is the attitude I went into One Life to Live with and it served me very well. There is more than enough experience and amazing wonderful people on that television program. For a first job that was the most incredible experience I could ask for, that prepared me…. and I cannot even tell you…. and every day I use what I learned on that show.   Those people were so kind to me there; Erika Slezak (Viki) Robin Strasser (Dorian), Bob Woods (Bo), Jimmy (Max) and Kassie DePaiva (Blair), Phil Carey (Asa) and Clint Ritchie (Clint)… God rest their souls. I learned so much for those people and I am going to cry right now thinking about it.

Fillion on the amazing treat for fans of OLTL and his castmates when he returned for a few episodes in 2007  to reprise the role of Joey, after his stardom!  “Is it so amazing? I owe them so much and I know that all to well. I have never worked so hard and so much. In three years of working on a soap opera, I have probably logged more on-screen time than the rest of my career, except perhaps my last three years on Castle. That is a lot of on-air time. You have to be technically proficient, and you have to be able to act with distraction on soaps. There is a weakness in the soap genre, and that is not every show can be gold.  It’s an hour long a day and you can’t work it, work it, and work it, till it’s amazing.  You just don’t have the time for that.  There are not the man hours or the manpower.  There is a weakness in that sometimes you got to work together to take the best of what you have, and make into the best that you can possibly do,  And, sometimes it’s a matter of resources, We were in New York City in a small building saying, “OK. This set is the woods and it’s 15 by 25 feet… but this is the woods, buddy.” And that is all you got, and you gotta make it wok, and you gotta make it real and you have to let people indulge in the story, and in invest in the story.  You can’t just throw your arms up. I learned that and I learned that so incredibly well.”

Fillion’s thoughts on the dwindling soap opera genre.  “I certainly say that it is sad.  I certainly don’t want to be an end of era, and even just for young actor’s like me coming up, and what an intense and incredible experience it was, but just for the audience sakes, as well.  Obviously there are people out there who still enjoy them.   I remember when I got One Life to Live and then the O.J. Simpson trial started, and every network covered it every day and broke that chain of investment for the audience, and the ratings never recovered from that and it slowly, slowly  dwindled.  Do they need to be reinvented?  I don’t know.   I hope it’s not a dying breed, and I hope it does not go out.  Maybe the networks should pool their resources and make what few soap operas are left stronger, and rather than let them slowly die, infuse them with energy and money and invest… so that other people can invest.  And if it was not for One Life to Live, I would not be standing here at the premiere of season three of Castle, that is for sure.”

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I liked your interview with Nathan, Michael. It’s too bad that he can’t make a guest shot on OLTL. I do enjoy him on Castle. He has come a long way. If fans haven’t seen Nathan on his prime time show they should. He is very charming and funny as a writer of crime story’s and then helps police solve crimes. I’m glad you caught up with him, Michael……

Nathan – I was watching OLTL during the days you were on the show. I have one word for you – “gracious.” So many people turn their noses down at daytime television, but it is obviously a true learning experience for young actors. That you give credit to the “roots” for your career start certainly says something about you. I admire you tremendously and can’t wait for Season 3 of Castle. Thank you so much to you, Stana and the rest of the cast for your hard work. You bring a lot of fun to this crazy world.

Wow! What a love letter to the soaps. He has nice memories and doesn’t shy away from it.

General Hospital

Paige Herschell Exits ‘General Hospital’ as Jacinda Bracken

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As suspected, Jacinda Bracken got a one way ticket out of Port Charles, thus ending the run of Paige Herschell as the escort-turned-girlfriend of Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson). The story turn took place on the Tuesday, August 11 episode of General Hospital.

After Jacinda drugged Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) by spiking her iced coffee, and Michael finding Willow drugged out in front of their kids, Amelia and Wiley, he knew he had to break things off with her.

Michael gave Jacinda enough money to get out of town and start a new life for herself, because given these recent developments, Willow will use this against him to gain full custody of his children. In their final scenes, Michael and Jacinda said a heartfelt goodbye to one another.

Michael and Jacinda

Courtesy/ABC

THE HISTORY OF JACINDA BRACKEN

According to Soap Opera Digest, a GH rep confirmed that today marked Paige Herschell’s final appearance in the role and that her exit was indeed, storyline-dictated. Herschell had originally auditioned for the role of Blaze a few years back. That part went to Jacqueline Grace Lopez.

Later, Herschell was brought in for a short stint beginning in April 2025, as the escort hired by Nina (Cynthia Watros) and Portia (Brook Kerr) to paint Drew (Cameron Mathison) in a bad light. So with Nina and Portia supplying her with ketamine, she drugged Drew. Next, Jacinda was able to get the then congressman to do liquor shots off her body in front of everyone at the Savoy Nightclub. After Drew made a public spectacle of himself, Nina paid Jacinda to leave town and she wound up in Australia.

However, by September of 2025, Jacinda was back in town, where she agreed to pretend to be Michael’s girlfriend for appearances sake and to give him an alibi on the night Drew Cain was shot. The arrangement eventually turned into genuine feelings for one another.

Back in April of 2026, Paige celebrated her one-year anniversary with GH as Jacinda and posted on Instagram,”Holy smokes! It’s been one year since Jacinda was introduced on Genera Hospital. I’m so grateful to this show for the work! Thank you to the amazing fans and the awesome cast and crew! One year! Holy moly! Jacinda- you continue to surprise me.”  Fast-forward and now by August, Herschell has wrapped her run.

So, with the news of Jacinda’s departure on GH, are you glad Michael sent her packing. or were you hoping that Michael and Jacinda would wind up a bonafide couple that would go on for quite some time? Let us know via the comment section below.

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of Our Lives’ Exec Explains How They Fit John Oliver’s Guest Stint into Production When They Tape Almost a Year in Advance

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If you caught today’s Tuesday, August 11 episode of Days of Our Lives streaming on Peacock, you caught the debut of John Oliver in his Salem role as the chief water inspector in town named Devlin St. John.

The ‘Last Week Tonight’ host has been on a jaunt through the soaps over the past few months, first on General Hospital, where he played the WSB head named Z, to now the man who has got the goods on EJ DiMera.

In his first of three appearances (the remaining two stream August 12 and 14), Devlin meets up with Paulina Price (Jackée Harry), Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes), Rita Lesley (who takes a liking to Mr. St. Jonn), played by Maggie Carney, and EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel). When Oliver arrives on the scene there is the wig, the quipping dialog, and a few soap stares and such along the way.

Courtesy/Peacock

Days of Our Lives is the only American soap opera in production to tape so far advance, often 10 to 11 months, that it makes it difficult to get out of any storyline that is not clicking with the fans, or if the writers want to change course.

In addition, casting announcement of exciting returns or new characters while initially exciting, finds the viewers having to wait a very long time to see them on their screens. On the flip side, without this production model the soap opera, which will turn 61 in November, wouldn’t remain and that would be a serious blow to the fans, to the soap genre and all that it employs.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES EP KEN CORDAY ON THE PROCESS OF ADDING JOHN OLIVER INTO PREVIOUSLY TAPED EPISODES

When John Oliver made his pronouncement on his late night talk show back in March that he desired to be on a soap opera. DAYS executive producer, Ken Corday was going to make it happen. He explained to Vulture, how they were able weave in Oliver’s request and take him up on it, while making it look seamless into episodes taped so long ago.

Both Corday and co-executive producer and showrunner, Noel Maxam, intially went back and looked at previously taped episodes and story outlines to search for a potential story thread where they could place the character to be played by Oliver.

Corday shared, “We didn’t want to wait until next year for these shows to air, so we lifted (already produced) show and put him in. We basically had to shoehorn him into our schedule because we were so far ahead.” The longtime EP also expressed its challenges stating it, “was somewhat complex. It was basically, ‘We have to do this; let’s get it done.’ And we did. He was too good to pass up.”

THE CREATION OF DEVLIN ST. JOHN

In terms of the scripting and creation of Oliver’s character of Devlin St. John, it was a two-team effort. Corday explained that Oliver’s overall storyline was scripted by DAYS writers, but John Oliver’s team punched up some of the dialog.

“John and his producer had a lot of input in making the words fit the way he talks,” the EP recalled. “He’s (Oliver) very machine-gun in how he speaks, so that took a little work. But in the end, we both got what we wanted.”

In terms of the look of his DAYS character of the Salem chief water inspector, Oliver brought the wig he wears in his scenes to the set, and the DAYS hair and make-up team refined it for the cameras.

You can check out more behind the scenes moments of Oliver’s appearance on Days of Our Lives in the newly released video package from Access Hollywood that dropped last night below.

So, what did you think of John Oliver’s debut as Devlin St. John on today’s Days of Our Lives? Ken Corday sharing how the soap opera was able to shoehorn in Oliver’s scenes in previous shot episodes from months ago? Weigh-in via the comment section below. 

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Last Week Tonight’ Host John Oliver’s Role on ‘Days of Our Lives’ Revealed

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After a few months of speculation, it has finally been revealed who John Oliver will be playing when he kicks-off his three episode guest stint on Tuesday, August 11 on Peacock’s Days of Our Lives.

According to a rep for the soap opera, Oliver will be taking on the role of Salem’s Chief Water Inspector who opens an investigation into the local water supply.  As previously reported, Oliver will share scenes with EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) and Rita (Maggie Carney), and Mayor Paulina Price (Jackée Harry).

In addition, Soaps.com spoke with Dan Feuerriegel who shared that Oliver’s character name is none other than “Devlin St. John.” Feuerriegel also explained what the late night talk show wanted out of his Days of Our Lives experience noting, “He wanted the whole thing. From my recollection, he wanted a wig. He wanted a ridiculous name, and he wanted to slap or be slapped.” Feuerriegel then coyly admitted, “We did all the things. Everything you would think cliché in a soap, we did. I got slapped. I slapped.”

Jackée Harry previewed her scenes with Oliver to TV Insider, noting, “He is the water commissioner and coming to her with some scheme. He is trying to get one over on the city of Salem and she is not having it. And then he’s onto the next victim.”

Photo: Peacock

JOHN OLIVER’S TOUR OF SOAP DUTY CONCLUDES IN SALEM

After his initial entrance on Tuesday, look for Oliver on  the Wednesday, August 12 and Friday, August 14 of the soap streamer. Last month, John Oliver appeared on General Hospital in the role of the head of the WSB named Z for three episodes, as well which was more of a dramatic turn for the late night talk show host.

DAYS and GH both came calling after Oliver put the word out an episode of his HBO series back in March, that he is aiming to be on a soap! John shared, “To all the soap operas out there, let me say this: I’m officially offering myself to you. Write me a role, and I will be on your set so fast, it will make your head spin!”

Days of Our Lives executive producer, Ken Corday previously said in a statement, “When John Oliver said, ‘Call me, soaps, I’m available and willing to travel. I want to be a part of that world,’ our world, we had to heed the call!”

So, looking forward to tuning-in to see John Oliver as Salem’s Chief Water Inspector, Devlin St. John on this week on Days of Our Lives? Let us know via the comment section. But first, in case you missed it, check out this week’s Days of Our Lives promo below with Oliver as Devlin St. John  asking to see Mayor Paulina Price in its final moments.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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