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Chandler Massey Talks Freddie Smith, How He Would Have Handled His DAYS Exit Differently & What He Learned From Playing Will Horton!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/After Buzz

Courtesy/After Buzz

On Sunday, three-time Daytime Emmy winner and former Days of our Lives star Chandler Massey (Ex-Will Horton) was featured on an all-new episode of After Buzz TV Spotlight On with Dishin DAYS co-hosts: Tony Moore, Mark. J. Freeman and James Lott Jr.

During the entertaining interview, Chandler was asked a myriad of questions including: working with some of his former DAYS co-stars.  When asked how he felt about working with Freddie Smith (Sonny), Chandler replied: “Freddie’s got this thing where I have never seen him push ever, which is go great and is so rare, because he kind of just lives it.  Freddie kind of just lives the role and so it was so great to work with him.”   When the hosts revealed to Chandler that this week is Freddie’s last on-screen episode, Chandler in a bittersweet moment remarked, “That’s sad.”

Later, when asked what he learned the most from playing the role of Will Horton, Chandler related: “I grew to care about marriage equality, because before I was largely ignorant.   I didn’t really know, so I didn’t really care.  Then, I got to learn so much playing this character, and I thought, “You know what? There’s something going on that needs to be addressed and that needs to be fixed.”   So it changed me that way.  It made me a better person, honestly.

When asked to clarify the events that went down when the powers-that-be realized that Chandler was not signing a new contract, and then replaced him with Guy Wilson as Will, Chandler explained what he learned from the whole experience: “Tell your employer what you are planning to do about your contract, before you tell everybody else.  So after the Emmys in 2012, I got asked the question what was I planning to do when my contract was up.  I said I was going back to school which was my plan.  I originally should have approached them (DAYS) first and tell them what I was going to do,  but I was just short-sighted.  I should have really told them (DAYS) what I was planning to do.  Of course, they want to carry the character on, because it’s a really important character and the stories around him are very important.  I feel like I blind-sided them accidentally by doing that, and so I really didn’t leave them with any choice except to bring in somebody else, and that was kind of the nature of it.  It was very sudden and I didn’t know until that day.   That’s how they like to do things and they run a tight-ship, and keep information close to the vest, because it creates less distractions.  It allowed me to work up until my last day without somebody over my shoulder waiting in the wings.”

Watch Chandler after the jump on After Buzz!  Then let us know what you thought about Chandler’s comments on how he would have handled letting the DAYS brass know he was not planning on staying with the show, thoughts on working with Freddie Smith, and what he learned from his time as Will Horton and more!

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In the interview, Chandler says that he never thought to ask his people how he should handle the press, especially if the question came up.

It seems to me that wasn’t his responsibility. It was the responsibility of his agent or PR person whoever they may be to prep him and all their clients. Had they done their job maybe he would have worked all the way to the end.

I might be off on the timing, but the way i add it up, Chandler could have been the Will to marry Sonny. Then they could have gone off on a honeymoon, and when they got back then Guy Wilson would be the new Will.

No one will ever forget Chandler!! Great interview .. and miss him so much.. come back to the show Chandler , Days has never been the same without you!

hey Eddie, I think it was best for DAYS to have Guy Wilson as Will marry Sonny, especially for the use of flashbacks, and it made more sense to incorporate and utilize Guy Wilson into the role of Will, as it seems that Guy is going to remain in story going forward. 🙂 Rumors of Guy’s departure don’t seem to be true according to Guy’s recent tweet.

It’s great seeing Chandler Massey again. I really hope he can return as Will soon. I know he’s been in college but I’m still hoping.

If the show didn’t fire him right away out of spite we probably would have gotten a better recast since they had to do it so quick.

definitely… here, here to your 2nd paragraph

it would have made all the difference in the realm of carrying this epic tour de force

They didn’t fire him out of spite. It’s dollars and cents….it always is.

They put out a casting call for a recast Will.
They found Guy.
They liked Guy.
They hired Guy.
They didn’t want to pay two people when only one was going to play the part.

Simple.

I like CM too and didn’t want him to go at all, but fans need to see the bigger picture here. It’s not some vendetta against the actor.

Thank you for being a voice of reason.

Wow- what a fun interview- thanks for posting. I really miss Chandler- I wish he’d return to a Days.

It was a wonderful interview. He was humble and classy like always.

This is the first we’re hearing from CM in 2 years.

I’m so happy to hear him taking responsibility for his part in what went down with his exit. Fans were in such an uproar that DAYS did what they did, but I’m glad at least he sees that he tied their hands into it. They couldn’t just let the character go after CM would leave, and when they found a replacement as quickly as they did, they couldn’t pay 2 actors.

He was a great Will. A sensitive, caring and mature Will. He had some amazing stories in his years at DAYS from catching EJami in the act, his coming out, Arianna, and the entire Nick blackmail plot. That all mattered and counted for something. I wish him well as he follows his new path. I’m sure GH will snatch him up once he becomes a free agent again.

Sounds to me like he was conflicted with leaving the role of Will, but that in the end, it was something he needed to do in order to pursue his education. Honestly, while I did like Chandler as Will, he felt too comfortable in the role and when you’re watching a character, I never want you to appear comfortable in the role. And I feel as if he made the right decision in leaving at the end of his contract, and I wish him well on his future endeavors in whatever he does.

I miss him so much. Guy has been a major fail.

Chandler could not have pulled off this Bitchy, grasping, ambitious, scheming version ofWill. Guy Wilson plays the hell out of it though. This is Sami 2.0!

I think Chandler Massey will be playing Will when Freddie Smith returns for a couple episodes.

That would be wonderful.

When I think back to the episodes in the months before they unceremoniously ejected Chandler Massey, I keep thinking “missed opportunity.” There were so many interesting and meaningful stories related to aspects of Sonny/Will’s relationship which easily could have been explored. Yet, the writers filled Massey’s last few months with pure drivel.

If the writers were stumped as to how to write such stories, all they had to do was consult with the very same people who gave them realistic information from which they melded Will’s coming out story. Even if the writers might be forced by the show’s target demographic to water-down and vanilla-ify such stories (as they did with Will’s coming out story), almost anything would have been more meaningful than the material on which they needlessly wasted Massey’s talent.

Frankly, the best-written material in Will’s coming out story seemed to be the scenes showing how it affected his grandmothers and mother — in an obvious sop to the show’s target audience (e.g. “I can’t believe my grandmother is my best friend.”) The writers easily could have continued along the same lines to show how grandmothers and mothers would/should react the events certain to arise from a grandchild or child growing into a more fully realized gay person.

The best dialogue lines in Will’s coming out story seemed to be a veritable guide-book instructing the grandmothers/mothers of the audience exactly what to say (or not to say) when confronted with this same situation in their own lines. The show easily could have continued presenting Will’s story along such lines, if that’s what it took to get good material out there. Instead, they gave Chandler very little significant to do in those last six months or so.

Missed opportunity.

Whilst I fully u der stand the greater-good of continuing with Guy as NuWill; they could’ve at least chosen someone semi attractive to play Will to jeep realism up… There were always dorks physically between Freddie and Chandker playing on-screen livers. However, there us ZERO natural chemistry between Guy and Freddue, it seems so forced every scene. “WilSon” would’ve been better possibly using a different character to play Will opposite Sonny, because his look and portrayal of a supposed fresh-faced Will just doesn’t cut it, when he wears the same screwed up facial expression in every single scene! Sorry… Not a Guy fan for the role of Will.

I really miss Chandler Massey as Will. Guy Wilson has destroyed the role. Guy Wilson has zero charisma and his acting is stilted and phony.

Chandler is doing the right thing by sticking to a script, including scripted answers, for this interview, but scripted is what it is. A friend of mine met him, Casey, Blake, Camilla, and Brendon shortly after Chandler was fired – and he was fired. If you look at the timeline an interview appeared in one of the soap mags the end of one week in which Chandler sort of laughed off the idea of going, to the point where you could bet money he wasn’t going anywhere. His answer to that question at the time was that he had mentioned he wanted to go back to school but that nothing had been decided about his status with the show. The following Friday – Aug.23 – he was canned. Oddly enough, Chandler was the kindest one of the five and even Camilla came out and actually said the words, that what Days did to him was wrong. As we have all seen since, letting Chandler go was a VERY BIG mistake.

Can someone explain to me what chandler meant when he was talking about Freddie. What he mean when he said he had to pour some out for the homies and also when he said he had never seen Freddie push. SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER!
Thanks X

Chandler was a great actor in days of our live. And he was super hot at the same time. We miss u chandler. Mwah

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53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Presenters Announced

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Daytime Emmy Presenters

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Thursday, the lineup of presenters for 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards taking place on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.

The ceremony will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.

Scheduled to present from the current soaps are: Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, General Hospital), Delon de Metz (Zende, The Bold and the Beautiful), James Preston (Nick, The Bay), Paul Telfer (Xander, Days of our Lives), Tamara Tunie (Anita, Beyond the Gates) and Susan Walters (Diane, The Young and the Restless).

Genie Francis

Photo: NATAS

In addition soap alums, Crystal Chappell, Lesli Kay, Joe Lando, Eva LaRue, who is also a nominee this year,  A Martinez, Juliet Mills, and Alicia Leigh Willis, will also be on hand to present.

The ceremony which celebrates nominated lifestyle programs and dramas will also include presenters: Eva zu Beck (Superskilled with Eva zu Beck), Danielle Chang (Lucky Chow), Sunny Hostin (The View), Derek Hough (Extra), Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table), Star Jones (Divorce Court), Michael Jr. (Stand Up and Do Something), Judge Greg Mathis (Mathis Court with Judge Mathis), Keke Palmer (Glam Through the Ages), Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight), and Andrew Zimmern (Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen).

The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards will bring together an exciting mix of presenters representing the full spectrum of daytime television,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of NATAS. “From familiar faces in daytime drama to the personalities and creative voices behind talk shows and lifestyle programming, this year’s lineup reflects the breadth of talent that makes daytime so special. We look forward to celebrating the people who continue to shape the genre.”

Matthew Hoffman (Love Island USA, Cheap A$$ Beach Houses) will serve as the ceremony’s Voice of God, bringing his signature comedic narration to the evening’s celebrations. As previously announced, Lifetime Achievement honoree Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by her husband, Jonathan Frakes.

So, what do you think about the list of presenters for the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards? Let us know who you are looking forward to seeing via the comment section below.

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‘Days of our Lives’ Reveals Kyle Pryor Cast as Dominic Marino

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Kyle Pryor

For months now, Days of our Lives has teased the character of Dominic Marino. In recent weeks, viewers learned that Marino is on the down low working with Sami Brady’s (Alison Sweeney) apparent fiancé ‘Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and that he is the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)!

Up until now, the Peacock streaming soap opera has never revealed his face, but that all seemed to change on the Tuesday, October 2o episode of DAYS. In story, Dante met Sami’s parents for the first time, Roman (Josh Taylor) and Marlena.

He shows them a photo of Dominic, which he happened to have on his own phone and even commented he kind of looked like he could be Marlena’s son. The photo, which has quickly made it around Soap Twitter/X, revealed that British-born actor Kyle Pryor is the man in the photo and eagle-eyed viewers actually located said photo on Pryor’s Instagram.

Dominix

Photo: Peacock

Deadline revealed Pryor started taping at the end of 2025 and will first be seen in the role, on air Monday, November 2.  In addition, Days will celebrate its 61st Anniversary with two special episodes featuring Dominic’s arrival, as well the returns of Tony and Anna DiMera, played respectively by Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley, on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.

Those in the know, are are that Pryor previously held series regular roles on Australia’s Home and Away, and the UK’s Hollyoaks and guest starred on Emmerdale. In an ironic twist, Pryor appeared in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand which is the same action series his apparent TV brother, Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), once appeared in before coming to DAYS.

So excited to see Kyle Pryor take on the role of Dominic Marino as Days of our Lives sets its anniversary story to kick-off with is arrival in Salem? Share your thoughts in the comment section. And in case you missed our latest conversation with Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera) he weighs-in on how Dominic’s appearance will shake things up in Salem. You can check that out below.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives’ Conner Floyd Talks Dominic Marino Mystery, Chad and Belle, and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Exclusive)

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Conner Floyd

Fasten your seat belts Days of our Lives fans, as the mystery of Dominic Marino continues to unravel on all-new episodes of the Peacock streaming soap opera. Last week, Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) learned that he may have a half-brother, who may be the biological child of his father, the late Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), giving him great pause, because he knows Stefano had kidnapped Marlena for four years back in the late 80s and early 90s.

Chad has already been hunting down clues with his current girlfriend Belle Black (Martha Madison) in Italy and Salem, which revealed a photo of a young boy with Stefano with the date 1992 on the back of it, hidden inside Stefano’s chess set. So, what’s next?

Conner Floyd chatted on the Michael Fairman Channel in a new virtual interview released on Sunday, October 18, where he spoke on what the new addition to the DiMera family could do to the already dangerous sibling rivalries, the state of Chad’s relationship with Belle and much more.

EJ and Chad

Photo: JPI

DIMERA RIVALRY

After finding out from EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) that Dominic Marino could be the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano and Marlena, Conner Floyd explained, “I think it blows Chad’s mind a little bit. I think there’s a lot of things working there with old Chad. Obviously, bringing in another DiMera could cause some noise and the whole situation with Marlena’s a little awkward as well because he’s dating Belle, so this could cause a little tiff there. I think his head’s spinning and he does not know what to expect, but I also think he kind of expects that from Stefano, for sure.”

As to how this will change and color Chad’s relationship with EJ, Floyd responded, “Chad knows EJ’s not happy about it and I think he’s going to be real upset if this gets in his way of doing what he wants to do with the DiMera legacy and all that. However, for Chad, I think he’s just going to keep a sharp eye, see what this guy’s about, see if he’s here to cause some trouble or here to be a friend and kinda play it by ear.”

Belle and Chad

Photo: JPI

BELLE OF MY HEART

With Chad and Belle already being sleuths, Floyd says, you can look for the duo to continue getting to the truth. “I think Chad and Belle are committed to this. They’re going full National Treasure, Nicolas Cage,” says Conner. “They’re going to follow the clues. They’re going to get some answers.”

Since beginning in the role of Chad in June of 2025 and debuting on-screen back in April of 2026, the former Y&R star (where he played Chance Chancellor), says it was Madison who helped him get comfortable in his new surroundings.

“Martha is phenomenal. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to get tagged up with when I started here, just because she knows everybody,” shares Floyd. “She knows where to go, who to talk to. She’ll get the tea if you want, and so it was kind of cool. Martha took me under her wing, showed me the ropes. She’s a sweetheart.  I love working with her too. She’s a great actress.”

But, is Chad in love with Belle after such a tortured past with his beloved Abigail Deveraux DiMera? Floyd thinks so! “I think he’s into it. They’re such good friends and they have such a rich history. I think he’s in for the ride. You know, it’s one of those things you probably overlook at first and then they reconnected, and it feels easy and they’re going on these fun adventures.”

MAKING CHAD HIS OWN

Conner had the arduous task of being the successor to Billy Flynn in the role of Chad.. Flynn had played the part for 12 years before deciding to exit and head to Y&R. So, how did Conner approach learning the ins and out of Chad? Floyd shared, “I really dove into Chad when I first got this job. I liked that he kind of walks this tightrope of DiMera and not DiMera, you know. He want to so honor his family roots and really do something for the DiMera family, but he doesn’t want to fall into that trap that all the other DiMera have found themselves in. Chad is a DiMera at heart. He’s got those demons, but he’s just trying to keep them contained.”

Susan Seaforth Hayes

Photo: JPI

ICONIC

When Floyd got to DAYS, it was none other than Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) who most surprised him in the most delightful way, given that he knew Hayes was a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and the current longest-running cast member on the canvas.

“I love working with Susan Hayes! I love her. She’s a sweetheart. Susan is one of the nicest people there. I just thought she was cool and it’s Susan Hayes, you know?  We’ve had a lot of scenes together, which is nice,” explained Conner.

“We’ll go to her dressing room, we’ll run our scenes, and then we’ll spend about an hour just talking about life and she’ll tell me about a book she’s reading. She’s such a history buff, which blows my mind. She’ll start dropping all these historical facts on me. I learn something new by the time I walk out of her dressing room every time!”

Now below, check out the full conversation with Conner Floyd via the Michael Fairman Channel.

Weigh-in: Do you like Chad and Belle as couple? Do you think Chad will get to the bottom of the Dominic Marino mystery? If so, do you think Dominic is truly Stefano and Marlena’s son … and what about Rita (Maggie Carney) in all this? Let us know your theories in the comment section.

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