Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Casting Two New Roles! Who Would You Suggest To Play Them?
NBC’s Days of our Lives is casting two new roles: one is a contract role, and one is recurring, with the possibility to go to series regular!
The first is for the part of “Maya”, who is described as a 25-30 year old, gorgeous, African-American female. She is a confident, dedicated professional with a sensitive side. The character would be scheduled for first tape dates in late November/early December, which means she would likely be seen in mid year of 2015! The role is contract.
The second role is that of “Mateo” who said to be a handsome, and part or fully Hispanic male in the age range of 25-35 years old. The character is supposed to be charming and honest, which makes the women melt at his feet. He’s got courage, which creates a an exciting aura. “Mateo” is the role that starts recurring, but could go to a contract role.
OK, soap fans, put on your casting director hats! Who would you suggest to play the roles of Maya and Mateo? Who would you like to see on the NBC soap opera from daytime or primetime television that might be the perfect fit? Weigh-in below!
Instead of GH getting Y&R actors, its Days turn…the actress who plays Hilliary is gorgeous so she would be perfect in the role of ‘Maya’…an old flame of Bens perhaps?…could Mateo be really Dario, Rafes bro?…charming and honest doesnt fit him but maybe he’s a changed(different actor…lol) man?
Your suggestions are perfect, jimh…much better than mine. Y&R’s Hillary’s talents are wasted there,. This actress has so much potential which is not being explored on Y&R.
Also, Mateo, as Rafe’s brother makes a lot of sense….unless he’s another one of Stefano’s long, lost, prodigal sons. Stefano and Sonny (GH) must compare notes.lol
I wonder if this new female character will be related to Maxine…or like the poster below suggested, a niece for Abe…either way works for me!!!
DOOL needs some new blood. I feel like the clock is ticking, knowing that EJ, Sami and Kristen will soon be off the canvas. Currently, there are no characters the have any rooting value, with the exception of Hope and Aidan. There are so many stories that are NOT working. Unfortunately, the show tapes so far in advance, it is frightening to think that the ratings could tank before something happens. The writers need to make the villainess characters have more depth. The character of Eve is a disaster. Theresa is still making me cringe. The amount of time spent with day players talking to major characters is not moving the story along. Dies the show really think the audience cares about Ben talking to Tee? I am also feeling like Paige is being forced down our throat. I want characters with depth, not being a bitch just for the sake of being one. Let the audience know why Eve still holds a grudge against Jennifer. The whole Frankie/Jen/Eve story of 20+ years ago is not believable.
I’m hoping that “Maya” is related to Abe… he does have a brother & sister out there so maybe this is a niece. No idea who I would suggests to play her. Maybe the girl that played Cassandra on the AMC reboot. I’m wondering if Mateo is going to be Rafe’s brother Dario– Rafe needs family on canvas. I liked the guy who played Dario fine enough. Most of the actors & actresses I really want to see back on daytime are not in that age range.
The guy that played Connie’s son on GH has been recurring on Graceland, so not sure that Days is his speed anymore, but he would make a good Mateo.
Good deduction, Reagan, albeit what I said above may also apply…lol.
Interesting. Could Mateo be another Hernandez (or a possible Dario recast?). I wouldn’t mind it. As far as I’m concerned, Rafe is the best thing Days has going for it right now, and I wouldn’t mind another Hernandez family member in town.
I wonder if this is a Dario recast? Not sure who could play either role, but wish it were some Bradies or Hortons coming on instead. I wouldn’t mind an extension of the Hernandez family if they would recast Gabi and bring on the mom by casting Saundra Santiago (ex-Carmen, GL, ex-Carlotta, OLTL).
Yeah for the Hortons & Brady’s to have been such staples in the show’s history, the presence of both families — especially the Brady family– is almost non existent. The ethnic casting is much needed for Days. I do wish though that Melissa Archer had been cast as a Brady or Horton instead of another new character.
How about Maya from B&B!?
Off-hand, I would say, Ella Thomas or Tiffany Hines as Maya.
I would love to see Enrique Iglesias as Mateo, but, he is not Hispanic. Iglesias is a Spaniard; European/Caucasian .
Galen Gering is not Hispanic neither are the other actors who played Hernandez family members.
That’s true, but they specifically ask for an Hispanic actor…perhaps tptb want a sexy, mysterious hispanic accent?
inglesias mom is filipino, so he’s hardly caucasain/wasp!
I did not know that. My bad.mi thought he was 100% Spaniard.mthanks, Aria.
More new characters? It seems like DAYS has been on a casting spree lately. And the role of Maya sounds suspiciously similar to the character Maya Avant, on The Bold and the Beautiful, who is also African-American and around the same age. Coincidence? Probably. I just hope these aren’t needless characters because DAYS’ cast is already pretty large, and unless they’re bring characters from the past back, or with already established ties to characters in Salem right now, I don’t see the point for them. Hopefully they’ll find some good actors for these roles, though, like Melissa Archer (Serena).
I can’t help you here. I was hoping to read that the casting call called for a woman between the age of fifty and sixty-five with a lilting East Coast accent–a woman who manages to be both intimidating and rather adorable when angry, well educated, and well suited to serve as the reigning matriarch of a wealthy family.
I will give you three guesses as to whom I would suggest and the first two don’t count.
Erika Slezak…duh!…and we have a WINNER!…lol Please Days…she’d be the perfect Laura since Susan Flannery…there is even a good resembalance!
For the role of Maya I’d like to see the young woman who played Destiny on the Prospect Park rendition of One Life to Live, Laura Harrier. She seemed to have a lot of potential.
I’d like to suggest the very pretty gal who played Angie and Jessie’s daughter Cassandra on the Prospect Park version of ALL MY CHILDREN, she also had quite a bit of acting potential.
I am glad that DAYS is trying to add some Ethnic diversity to their cast, I think it’s important to include everybody.
Laura Harrier for Maya.
How about Karla Mosley for Maya? 😉
Eric Veldez
Instead of new characters, how about bringing back some older ones with ties to the canvas? Resurrect Madison (Sarah Joy Brown) and bring back Taylor (Natalia Livingston) to the series. And then recast Sarah Horton, and bring on some familiarity and family ties to the canvas. I’d love to see Lindsey Hartley reprise Arianna, too. Though, she’d want to go to GH.
Melissa Archer shouldv’e played Sarah…not that new character Serena…unless she will be Sarah with a split personality named Serena…doubt Days would suprise us but im still hoping!!!
Daphne Duplaix
Ignacio Serachio (not sure of the spelling) , formerly of Y&R and GH, would be good. So would Jordi Vilasuso from GL and AMC. I also agree that Erik Valdez might be an interesting choice. Or DOOL could go with a talented newbie to soaps.
Actress SAL STOWERS who played Angie and Jesse’s kidnapped daughter on the Prospect Park version of ALL MY CHILDREN would be a perfect addition to the cast of DAYS OF OUR LIVES. She really did an impressive job in the role of Cassandra.
Brook Kerr (ex- Whitney, Passions) and Jordi Vilasuso (Ex- Griffin, AMC)
Oh, yeah! Brooke would be perfect.
I’m excited to see more African Americans being cast on DAYS. I’d love it if Maya was related to Abe or Maxine. There was also a casting out a while ago for Shauna who was also an African American. Maybe they could also bring Celeste back with Tanya Boyd reprising the role. Celeste was always strange but very fun to watch on screen. If we’re lucky the writers might not mess this up
Love all the female choices. Samantha Logan is also a good choice.
If you’re talking about the Samantha Logan I think you’re talking, who appeared on GH, then she is way too young for this role.
For the role, I would suggest Shannon Kane (former Natalia-AMC) if she is interested.
Yeah you’re right, 17 years old can’t pull of playing 25-30, but 25-30 year olds can pull of playing 15-17. Shannon Kane is an excellent choice.
I’m honestly not optimistic AT ALL when it comes to Days casting African Americans. Remember Cameron?! They did absolutely nothing with him. And as long as I’ve been watching this show, I think they’ve put out a casting call for a new African American actress almost every year and I have yet to see one role actually be cast. Meanwhile, they currently have Alex Shipp who plays Mary Beth, the girl is really good in my opinion, but instead of putting her on contract, and making her the foil for JJ and Paige, and making her a relative of Maxine’s (who everyone seems to like and want more for), she is still being utilized as a side character.
As for the Hispanic character, if it is Rafe’s brother, I wish they would just bring back the original Dario, Francisco San Martin. He wasn’t a bad actor, he had a lot of charisma, and was way more interesting then his older brother. YET, we’re stuck with the boring mess as a leading man.
I agree– Mary Beth should have been tied to Maxine. I actually liked Dario w/ Melanie a lot more than the forced relationship of Daniel & Jennifer… not that those two are a good comparison.
You’re so right about the yearly contract casting call for “AA Female” fitting that description, but one never shows up. I wonder what all the fake out is about? Once Sami & EJ leave, so will I.
I think Maya could be played I don’t know her name but the one playing Nurse Hatheway on The Young and the restless.
I would love to see Jessica Leccia back on any soap again. Solid actress.
One more thing DOOL doesn’t know how to write for black characters b/c they see color instead of the character. Its been their problem every single time. The world is filled with bi-racial couples but the writers at Days are just stymied by the thought od blacks and whites being romantically involved or that black people can have personalities and livesthat are equally as interesting as caucasian or hispanic counterparts. IMO.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of our Lives’ Rachel Boyd on the Return of Sophia Choi as She Makes Her Way To Salem: ‘I Wanted Her to Come Back Stronger Than Ever’
Next week on all-new episodes of Days of our Lives, the Peacock streaming soap opera will pick right back up from where Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) has tracked down a very much alive, Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) in a diner in Kentucky. But what will happen when Sophia returns to her old stomping grounds of Salem?
In official spoilers for the week of October 12-16, look for Kristen to make a deal with the woman she supposedly killed, and by week’s end for the once-conniving Sophia to make her way back to Salem. Meanwhile, in a new interview with TV Insider heralding her return, Rachel Boyd, who did a tremendous job with Sophia’s original exit story, explains how she thinks this version of Sophia will be different than the last.
The exit story had Sophia setting out to kill Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) by a demand made by Kristen DiMera. Sophia failed to end Johny’s life and Kristen lured Sophia to the bridge and clunked her over the head with a rock and pushed her over the rails to the steely waters below.
Photo: Corday Productions
Sophia’s body was never found, but she was declared dead. At the time, Boyd thought Sophia might be ‘dead-dead’ but in soap opera’s and especially Days of our Lives, nobody really ever truly dies!
WHAT’S DIFFERENT WITH SOPHIA CHOI COME FALL OF 2026?
Reflecting on her first run, which featured many an emotional scene, Rachel recalled: “As crazy as some storylines can be, working on a soap opera is truly a boot camp in acting because you’re given one take and you have to tackle really hard circumstances.”
Those dramatic circumstances included: “Giving birth in my bedroom alone, penning a suicide note, or even attempting to murder someone by blowing him up are all things a younger version of myself would be so intimidated by,” expressed Boyd. “But I learned that preparation is everything and as long as I do the hard work before I show up to set, then I am capable of it.”
Rachel ended her first run back in December of 2025, but due to DAYS tape schedule, the character of Sophia “died” five months ago on episodes on Peacock. Once she returned to the set for her second-go round, it was all systems go. “It was more like being thrown into the deep end, which honestly worked for me. I enjoy working under pressure and with momentum.”
The actress hopes viewers will see the internal change with the character as things move forward. “I knew I wanted her to feel distinctly different,” she explained. “I’ve always tried to keep the character constantly evolving and changing as she experiences new things and responds to trauma. But now that the audience hasn’t seen her for months, I had a great opportunity to fill in those blanks for myself and come back in a whole new way.”
DAYS fans should really began to notice the change on next week’s episodes. “I wanted her to come back stronger than ever,” admits Boyd. “Now that she’s survived a near-death experience and kept herself alive and hidden for six months, this version of Sophia is going to be much more independent and a fighter. I can’t say exactly what is going to happen, but as long as Sophia’s alive, chaos will follow!”
So, are you glad that Rachel Boyd is back as Days of our Lives Sophia Choi? What do you think she will do once she gets back to Salem? Turn a new leaf or be back to her scheming ways? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Breaking News
2026 Daytime Emmys Gold & Silver Circle Inductees: Francesca James, Patrika Darbo and Meredith Vieira Among Those Being Honored
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced on Thursday, October 8, the 2026 Gold & Silver Circle Inductees who will be celebrated at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, October 30.
This year’s honor roll features industry professionals that have made contributions across daytime television, including daytime dramas, talk shows, comedy, and more.
The Gold inductees include: Meredith Vieira (former c0-host of The View, journalist and EP and CEO, Meredith Vieira Productions),Patrika Darbo (ex-Nancy, Days of our Lives and Shirley, The Bold and the Beautiful, soon to be seen reprising her role of Shirley on Y&R), three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Francesca James (ex-Kitty/Kelly, All My Children, and ex-Marcy Wade, One Life to Live, plus director and/or producer at All My Children, General Hospital, Loving, Santa Barbara et al), and finally Byron Allen (Founder, Chairman & CEO Allen Media Group).
It should be noted that Vieira made guest appearances on both All My Children and General Hospital throughout her career. On GH, she played madam Bree Flanders in 2003 and 2012. She also appeared as a wedding planner on All My Children back in 2001.
Photo: NATAS
The Silver inductees are: Stephen Brown (VP Programming and Development, Fox Television Stations) and Rubin Ervin (Announcer/Warm-Up Host for Family Feud, The Bachelor and more).The Gold and Silver Circle Society Inductees are deemed by NATAS as “exceptional professionals who have performed distinguished service within the television industry, setting standards for achievement, mentoring, leadership and professional accolades for 50 or 25 years, respectively. They represent the best and brightest in the industry.”
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS shared, “This year’s Gold & Silver honorees are recognized for their continued exceptional contributions to our television industry. We are proud to honor a class of honorees from diverse career paths across many daytime genres. Their impact is evident in programming every day, inspiring generations and enriching the lives of countless viewers.”
MORE ON THE 53RD ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMYS
NATAS previously announced that soap opera icon Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during this year’s ceremonies.
The 2026 Daytime Emmys will be held at the historic Hollywood Palladium and will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.
The annual awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be a single ceremony in 2026, produced by NATAS Productions. Adam Sharp and Lara Gates are executive producers, with Leon Knoles returning to direct for a fifth straight year. Rachel Schwartz serves as Head of Daytime, and the firm of Lutz & Carr, LLP, provides accounting services for the competition.
So, what do you think of this year’s Gold & Silver Inductees? Happy to see some of the names that will be recognized on October 30? Who in the future who has had enduring contributions to daytime television or the soap opera genre, would you like to see receive these honors in years to come? Let us know via the comment section below.
This week on Days of our Lives, Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti) surprises Sydney DiMera (Sydney Malakeh) when he arrives in Salem, while the woman he loves Sami Brady is over in Italy, Viewers are becoming quite suspicious of Dante, who seemed to be in collusion with Dominic Marino, leading us to try to surmise just what are Dante’s true intentions to coming to Salem? To meet Sami’s family, or so he says?
Meanwhile, Sami Brady has spoken! In a new video that dropped on Wednesday October 7 on the official Days of our Lives Instagram account, Alison Sweeney appears for what is being called as Sami Brady’s Confessions from Italy or Salem Confessionals!
In character, Sweeney talks to camera explaining Sami’s perspective on her engagement to Dante, and how she feels about him coming to Salem without her to meet the Brady clan. Sami says, “This is such a crazy time. I’m engaged, but I’m not ready to be older. It’s just been my reputation in the past. I’ve always been in such a hurry to sort of like, get it done because it hasn’t always worked out. I’m engaged to a wonderful man named Dante. He’s Italian. He’s dreamy and fabulous. I’m enjoying all of it, like the whole thing. Being engaged, being in love, dating, it’s a new thing for me.”
Photo: Corday Productions
DANTE’S ARRIVAL IN SALEM
Sweeney as Sami continues to explain and rationalize, “Dante, hired my daughter, Sydney, to work for him, which has been amazing. She actually likes him. She’s approved of this relationship, which I’m very happy about. But I will be honest, I’m a little nervous because my fiancé is going to meet my family in Salem without me. I think that’s a good idea. I’m nervous because my family, you know, knows a lot about me. But, I have told Dante everything. I mean, okay, not like literally everything, but a lot of. No, not a lot. Some, you know, enough and he doesn’t want to know the rest.”
All in all, it seems like Sami thinks she has found happiness with the guy, but she made be in for rude awakening as she brings up her manipulative past with the loves of Sami’s life. “He’s (Dante) happy and he loves me and I’m not like that anymore, so it’s fine,” explains Sami. “But I’m just saying that things might come up, um, because my family doesn’t forget either. I’m nervous for them to just like him. I’m nervous for them to be happy for me. I want them to be happy for me, and for us ,and for them to see that this is different for me. I understand why they don’t believe that. I understand why they would be, you know, suspicious of my intentions.”
Photo: Days Peacock IG
IT’S LOVE FOR SAMI
Sami shares she has fallen hard for Dante! “All I can say is I’m in love. It’s amazing. I recommend it. I really hope that Dante wins over my family, and they can all be happy for me. I do hope to get married sometime and celebrate that with my family. That’s what I want. That’s honestly actually what I’ve always wanted and now I think it’s really gonna happen.”
As previously reported, Alison Sweeney will be back on-screen come June of 2027 on the Peacock streaming soap opera, when Sami returns in story along with Christie Clark (Carrie Brady), Chandler Massey (Will Horton) and Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton).
So, what did you think of Sami’s confessions from Italy? Do you think Sami will be duped by Dante? Will their love conquer all, or is Dante even in love with Sami? Stay tuned.
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