Days Of Our Lives
DAYS John-Paul Lavoisier Talks on Philip’s Return and Upcoming Love Story, His Co-Stars, Final Scene with TV Dad, John Aniston, and If Ever a OLTL Reboot 3.0 Were in the Making
On Days of our Lives, Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) recently arrived back in Salem, and this time he wants to take over the Titan empire permanently and run it the way he thinks his late father, Victor Kiriakis (the late John Aniston) would, plus have the legacy that he sees as his birthright. This has puts him at immediate odds with his half-brother, Xander (Paul Telfer), and the story has taken off from there.
John-Paul Lavoisier re-emerged on the DAYS canvas last month reprising the role of Philip for a third time. The former One Life to Live alum (where he played Rex Balsom from 2002-2012), first played Philip from 2015–2016, then returned for a brief run in 2023, and now is back on the Peacock streaming soap opera for a much longer run in 2024 and into 2025, and possibly beyond.
In a new sit-down conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Lavoisier opened up about Philip’s machinations, his upcoming love story, his memories of working with his TV dad, John Aniston, and co-star, Drake Hogestyn (John Black) who passed away back in September of this year from pancreatic cancer.
Photo: JPI
In addition, Lavoisier gives his thoughts on his DAYS co-stars from: Paul Telfer, Linsey Godfrey (Sarah), Lauren Koslow (Kate), Louise Sorel (Vivian), Abigail Klein (Stephanie) and more. Of course, any interview with Lavoisier would not be complete with discussing his time in Llanview, wrapping up Rex’s final moments and if he would be on-board for a One Life to Live reboot 3.0.
JP recalls working with the TV legend John Aniston who passed away on November 11, 2022 at the age of 89. “Anytime he invited me to come to his room to run lines, it was good,” he shared. “It’s chaotic in the hair and makeup room and in the hallways and things like that. But anytime I was gifted the time to be in his (dressing) room, and just sitting there talking man to man, telling stories with a closed door, and then we get to our lines, was good. John’s the greatest. He felt like my dad. You can’t hate John Aniston. So, any anger that Philip would ever have towards Victor, that was acting.”
Blindsided by the news when he learned of Aniston’s passing while at a social gathering, JP expressed, “Unfortunately, I was in a room with 200 people, and a stranger told me. I was speechless. It was just shocking. It just punched me in the face. I went home and I thought about it a lot. Then, of course, I was like, ‘What’s the show going to do?’ There’s such a big gap between writing and filming and shooting and all that, and airing all this stuff. But, I’m so lucky. We meet a lot of people in this life. He really is one on that short list of, ‘I’m so glad I got to know him, at least for a little bit.’ I’m just so happy with the memories.”
Photo: JPI
In an emotional moment, Lavoisier recalled his final scenes with Aniston. “The last time I worked with John (was a scene where) Philip is saying goodbye to Victor. I’ll probably get a little teary (telling this). We were having a heart to heart in a doorway and we hugged. I remember for some reason, we had to hold the hug much longer than you would normally hold a hug ever on set, and that was the final time that I saw him. The scene was something along the lines of, “I love you. I love you, too. You’ll always be my son. Thanks, dad.’ It was kind of a nice closing instead of just like seeing somebody and saying ‘Bye.'”
Photo: JPI
Lavoisier also shared memories of his time knowing Drake Hogestyn, which paralleled the experiences of so many of his co-stars. “When I had come back for Victor’s memorial, there was a scene where actors were rehearsing in the Brady Pub, and Drake looked up and he walked past everybody and came over to me and said, “Hey man. Thanks for coming and playing with us again’. He shook me and gave me like a bro hug. That was my last interaction with him. It was cool because I hadn’t been here in a while and he made me feel welcome.”
Photo: JPI
As for how Philip views Xander and if he would like there to be some kind of brotherly love, JP answered, “I think Philip wants it there to be. It’s a Ying and a Yang. I think that if Philip could wave a magic wand, he would wish Xander would be a little more like him and levelheaded. In a perfect world, Philip would like Xander, genuinely. But for the sake of story, hopefully not!”
Photo: JPI
Coming up in the new year, it has been teased that Philip and Stephanie will reignite their former relationship and seemingly fall back in love. JP shared, “When I learned about the past that Philip had with Stephanie (in the way I portray it) I decided that Stephanie is the one that Philip really wants to be with, like ‘I really have the hots for this one. I really want to make this one work again.’ And I mean, to put it bluntly, like ‘I want us to have babies.’ That was the decision that John-Paul made for Philip going into our stuff.”
Photo: JPI
According to JP, working with TV ‘mom’, Louise Sorel, has been one of the greatest experiences he has had thus far on DAYS. He shared what happened when Sorel and him met for the first time. “We had never really spoken. And long story short, we have so much in common. I didn’t know that she was a New Yorker. We know a lot of the same people in real life. My second favorite all-time show is The Golden Girls, and her (late) husband, (Herb Edelman) was on the show, which I had no idea. Louise is one of my favorite kinds of human beings to spend time with. We ran our lines over and over, and it was just so pleasant and wonderful. When she told me where she lived, my mind immediately went to Robin Strasser (ex-Dorian, OLTL, ex-Vivian, DAYS) because Robin kind of lived in that area. So, when Louise told me where she lived, I went, ‘Do you know Robin Strasser?’ Swear to God, and we went from there, and then there you go.”
Photo: JPI
In January of 2012, One Life to Live aired its final episodes on ABC, and, in story, Rex and his family, wife, Gigi (Farah Fath), and son Shane (Austin Williams), decided to move to London, thus ending Lavoisier’s 10-year run on the ABC soap opera. JP opened up on if he felt closure for him and the character that made him soap-famous. “I will say in hindsight, now I’m satisfied, I’m fulfilled. I’m good with closing that book. However, if there wasvolume two, I would absolutely be intrigued. l’ll tell you, a table read with 25 of the One Life to Live people, I would be grinning from ear-to-ear. It would be so fun. We wouldn’t be able to get through, like sitting around and you just have all the memories coming back.”
Photo: JPI
As to what DAYS fans should look forward to with Philip’s story as the months roll on, Lavoisier previewed, “I would say it’s going to be quite exciting, and it doesn’t stop. It keeps going, and going, and going …”
Check out our full conversation with John-Paul Lavoisier below.
Now let us know, are you enjoying JP back as Philip? Do you hope he takes down everyone in his path and Philip takes over Titan for a long time? Are you here for a Philip/Stephanie redux romance? Would you like to see a One Life to Live reboot somehow, somewhere? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
I’ve never watched him on Days, but I so enjoyed him as Rex on One Life To Live! One gorgeous guy! I miss One Live so much- my all time favorite!
I like him on both shows. But don’t want him to take over Titan and don’t want him with Steph. I’m a Zander and Alex fan Love those two. Only watch the show because of them
I like Steph n Alex and Phil is ok but not being an ass and taking over the family business it’s Zander let it alone let him be Kate problem
Philip needs to Go don’t care for him. End Body & Soul. And Step & Alex get back together. Joy also needs to go and Clyde
I like Phillip for the most part but not the crooked, a**hat Phillip. I do not want him with Stephanie, she needs to be with Alex! I wish he wouldn’t be so smarmy. Let Xander have the company, you had your turn and screwed it up, do something else.
I will miss doig, Roman, and John. GOOD GUYS. They have been on Days.Of.Our lives for decades, will be Soley missed.
Glad Hope is returning wish Eli would stay and his wife. Hope Alex get with.tjw new.girl andchanel.and Johnny stay.together and.chamel not.find out.what Johnny did.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
Days Of Our Lives
Al Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
It’s been a bittersweet time for Al Calderon. The talented actor/singer/songwriter has watched from his vantage point to roles he loved so much come to their conclusion for different reasons.
In a heartfelt message posted to his Instagram story on Saturday, Calderon took a moment to share how grateful he was for the opportunity to play Javi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives, and nurse Nico Silva this year on NBC’s second season of Brilliant Minds. Currently, Brilliant Minds has two more episodes that will air on June 24 and the series finale on July 1.
Calderon expressed, “As I sit here reflecting on this lovely Saturday afternoon over the last two years of my life, I have two major chapters closing that have been part of my life every day for the last two years. We have Brilliant Minds. Our last episodes are wrapping up, and then my last scenes aired yesterday as me as Javi on Days of Our Lives.
Photo: JPI
“I’m just unbelievably grateful for the chance and the opportunity to be a part of something so much larger than me,” continued Al. “I (will) love Days of Our Lives forever, my family. Thank you for supporting me and supporting my decision to take the leap of faith and believe in myself and, and tell other stories. You know, it’s never goodbye. It’s always ‘see you later’ to me and just leaving with love and leading with love.”
Al concluded with a special mention to some very important people, the fans: “Thank you to the fans and the support from everyone, the lovely messages. So this next chapter, hopefully it’s not a dragon, hopefully it’s a gold coin.”
Photo: NBC
Calderon’s journey on-screen on Days of Our Lives began in October of 2024 and concluded this month. In one of his last appearances Javi was asking a favor from Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) before bumping into his ex, Leo (Greg Rikaart). In story, Javi has a new romance with Gus (Michael Ocampo), while fighting his feelings for Leo. The role of Javi will be played starting on June 30 by Jacob Martinez who takes over the role.
NBC decided to cancel the Brilliant Minds, after it split up the airing of its second season which began in the fall of September of 2025 and the back-half started airing after a long break this past May. Calderon joined the medical drama staring Zachary Quinto for the new season, which sadly was its last.
So, will you miss Al on Days of Our Lives and Brilliant Minds as his time on-screen has come to an end? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
Next week, Days of Our Lives welcomes back fan favorites Colton Little (Andrew Donovan) and Christopher Sean (Paul Narita) when they reprise their roles for an upcoming special episode which contains Deidre Hall’s 50th anniversary as Marlena Evans.
Circle Monday, June 22 when the married couple comes back to Salem. Paul is the son of Marlena’s beloved and late husband, John Black (Drake Hogestyn). Andrew is the son of iconic couple Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy) and Kimberly Brady (Patsy Pease).
According to the official Days of Our Lives spoilers for the week of June 22-26, Andrew scolds Cat (AnnaLynne McCord). Let’s remember Andrew is ISA. Meanwhile while Marlena thinks back on her fifty years in Salem, Paul arrives back in town.
Photo: JPI
ANDREW AND PAUL
Christopher Sean began playing Paul Narita back in 2014. He has come and gone from the show over the last decade. He was last on-screen back in November of 2025, when Paul arrived back in Salem for the dedication of the Tom Horton Free Clinic as part of the Days of Our Lives 60th anniversary celebration.
Colton Little, first began playing the all grown-up Andrew Donovan in 2022 on the Peacock limited series, Beyond Salem: Chapter 2. Little eventually moved to the mothership and Days of Our Lives in 2023. He was last seen on the soap opera back in March of this year in scenes with Peter Porte (Dimitri Von Leuschner) and Greg Rikaart (Leo Stark).
In story, Andrew and Paul tied the knot in front of family and friends on June 24, 2025, which followed the heartbreaking funeral of Paul’s father, John Black, who had passed away several weeks earlier from injuries sustained in an explosion.
Photo: JAnchondoIG
Michael Fairman TV also confirmed the romance exclusively of Colton Little with former General Hospital actor, Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco Rios) at the end of December of 2025.
Anchondo shared at that time, “I reached out to him (Colton) when I got the job on GH. We knew of each other through mutual friends; so I knew of him for a long time. I started asking Colton about what his experience was like on soaps and asked about SAG health insurance, etc. We met up one night and were hooked from then on.”
So, are you excited to see Andrew and Paul back on your screens? Share your thoughts and if you would like to see them stay longer in Salem in the future, with a story all of their own via the comment section. But first, check out the just released promo for the action on Days of Our Lives entitled “Conspiracy” below featuring Christopher and Colton.
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