This month, Days of our Lives is celebrating their 60th anniversary having premiered back on November 8, 1965. Its current longest-running cast member is Susan Seaforth Hayes, who was the fourth recast to play the role of Julie Olson back in 1968, but the one that sticked! Now, she will be coming up on her 57th year in the role come December.

Susan visited the Michael Fairman Channel where she reflected on a myriad of subjects tied to the 60th celebration, plus her own real-life/TV-life love story with the late Bill Hayes as soap opera’s first super couple, Doug and Julie Williams.

It’s been a tough couple of years for Seaforth Hayes. First, losing her beloved Bill back in January 2024 at 98-years old, and earlier this year, losing her dear friend and former DAYS co-star, Denise Alexander at 84 (ex-Susan Martin, DAYS, ex-Lesley, GH). She reflects on those unforgettable relationships during our discussion.

Photo: NBC

For the 60th anniversary week of episodes, that recently streamed on DAYS home on Peacock, it centered on the dedication of the Tom Horton (MacDonald Carey) Free Clinic, which brought back together Hortons, past and present for the gala, which included the returns of her on-screen grandson, Lamon Archey (Eli Grant) and TV brother, Stephen Schnetzer (Steve) and more.

TV GRANDSON

In a very touching moment during our chat, the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, explained how highly she regards, Archey, including a gift he presented her with following the death of Bill Hayes. Susan explained, “Lamon is so beautiful. So, that’s the physical side. I got to know him, and always enjoyed doing our scenes together, because we had a couple of good storylines together to play. Then, Billy passed. Lamon gave me a wind chime that says, ‘Every time this plays, remember me,’ for Billy and it hangs in my garden. And whenever I go by it, I thank him again. I’m always happy to see him back on the show with Sal Stowers (Lani), who is also just walking and talking goddess of beauty charm and talent. I love that couple. I love that they’re on the show.”

Photo: JPI

With countless storylines over nearly six decades, Susan recalls several to us including Julie’s facial burns and disfigurement written by her mother, Elizabeth Harrower, who at one-time was the head writer of Days of our Lives, and the classic Addie/Doug/Julie triangle where Doug wound up marrying Julie’s mother, played by Patricia Barry, and having a child with her, none other than Hope Williams (Kristian Alfonso). Yet, there is still something else Susan says she would love to play.

THELMA & LOUISE SOAP STYLE

“I enjoy working with Deidre Hall (Marlena). We’ve become very close friends,” shares Seaforth Hayes. “I would like to see these two ladies of a certain age and of a wide range of experience to go off and have an adventure, where something goes wrong. I loved the film, Thelma & Louise (which starred Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon). I loved that story of people who are driven by outside events, who are aspiring to something more, aspiring to something else. Even at this time in our lives.”

Photo: JPI

Susan continued, “I think that’s the secret of any character. Yes, they’re in a plot. Yes, they’re in a set, and yes, they have a family, but do they have dreams? Do they have aspirations? Do they have hopes of something you can’t quite see that they’re driven to go after? So, I would love to see Julie and Marlena go off and have an adventure, and if Steven Schnetzer turned up and it was all his fault, that would be perfect!”

Now below, check out our full conversation with the Days of our Lives legend, Susan Seaforth Hayes, who tells us fascinating behind the scenes stories plus working with another TV icon, Dick Van Dyke (ex-Timothy Robicheaux) and more.

Would you like to see a Thelma & Louise style adventure story for Julie and Marlena? Were you touched by Susan’s sentiments in the interview on Lamon Archey, Bill Hayes and Denise Alexander? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

You know what they say, often soap opera actors are like members of a baseball team; where at times, it feel like they were traded to another one of your favorite daytime dramas as new characters or recasts to fill key a spot. That analogy is kind of what went down for Conner Floyd.

After getting his soap opera start on The Young and the Restless back in 2021 as Phillip ‘Chance’ Chancellor IV, it was a role he played on-screen until late July of this year when Chance was fatally shot by Cane’s assistant, Carter. But here’s the twist! Conner was already hired to be the new Chad DiMera on Days of our Lives replacing Billy Flynn who took on the role of Cane Ashby on The Young and the Restless. In a “only in the soaps” moment, when Floyd taped his final scenes on Y&R, he died in the arms of Flynn, his DAYS predecessor!

Michael Fairman TV caught with Conner on the red carpet at the 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards to see how things are going over at his new digs in Salem and Days of our Lives, how he feels now about exiting Y&R as Chance in the manner that he did, and just how long we have to wait with DAYS schedule of taping over nine months ahead of streaming new episodes on Peacock for his debut!

Photo: JPI

“Over at DAYS, it’s going great,” rejoiced Flynn. “I kind of meshed in the program without a beat. Been learning everybody’s names. Haven’t got it wrong yet, but don’t test me on it,” joked Conner on his new castmates. “Everyone’s been very welcoming. It’s been great to fill these shoes. Got big shoes to fill by the way (because of Billy Flynn).”

AND THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Conner shared, he didn’t feel that out of place when coming to the set of Days of our Lives, because of Billy Flynn’s mentorship,”I got a month of spark notes from Billy, and where to go, how things work, who to hang out with, you know, stuff like that. So it was really nice and helpful.”

Sharing how his experience coming on to the top-rated soap opera, The Young and the Restless compared to his shift to DAYS, Floyd explained, “Going into Y&R was a lot harder than going into DAYS just because I kind of knew the lay of the land already. But, I also know Greg Rikaart (Leo, DAYS) from way back on Y&R, and so he’s been kind of my chauffeur around days these days.”

Photo: JPI

The big question for any newcomer to Days of our Lives, have you met and talked with soap icon, Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams)? “I have got to see her a little bit. She’s a legend,” admitted Floyd. “It’s been great to pick her brain and kind of get her sense on everything. I’m making my rounds with the cast and so far it’s been great.”

TAKING A BULLET ON DAYTIME

Floyd was all for the way his exit on The Young and the Restless went down, when Chance was shot and killed by Carter (Vincent Stalba) and landed in the arms of Cane (Billy Flynn). But does anyone dying in soap operas ever mean they are truly ‘dead-dead’? Conner weighed-in. “I loved it. I wanted there to be more blood, more gore, actually, but you know its daytime. But, that was a great week. It was awesome to work with everybody. We had a bunch of cool guys in the scene, which was fun. #RIP Chance, but never say never, man. It’s daytime!”

Courtesy/CBS

And as the story goes, Floyd met Days of our Lives Daytime Emmy-winning casting director, Marnie Saitta on a plane, and she remembered him when the role of Chad became available. “I’m very into serendipitous stuff,” shared Conner. “Just look at the fact that I got to work with Billy before all this played out. I met Marnie Saitta on a plane and that’s how this all kind of came into fruition. It feels like it’s part of the plan, you know what I mean?”

FROM CHANCE TO CHAD

Sinking his teeth into the role of Chad previously played by Casey Deidrick and Billy Flynn and comparing him to Detective Chance Chancellor, Conner reflected, “I love Chad. It’s a really, really fun character. It’s completely different from Chance, which is nice. I’m trying to find my own spin on it, you know, a little different from Billy.”

Photo: JPI

But what about the wait! While Conner is taping at DAYS as Chad, we are still watching Billy Flynn in the role!  Floyd confirmed his Salem debut, “April of 2026! Nine months ahead. It’s a trip,” exclaimed Floyd. “I thought Y&R was stressful. Just because I’d go to do a scene, I’d leave and I’d be like, ‘I don’t know what the hell I just did (as we work so fast)’. But then, I’d get to see it on-air in like a month.”

As for the transition from Genoa City to Salem and working within the world of soap opera, Floyd expressed, “It’s like going to college or high school. You spend four years there, you make your friends and then you gotta peace out. But I like change. I like the challenge. So it was nice to step into a new environment, and not get too comfortable.”

Watch our interview with Conner Floyd from the red carpet at the 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards below. For more red carpet conversations on the Michael Fairman Channel click here.

Now, let us know, what do you think of waiting until April of 2026 to see Conner as the new Chad on Days of our Lives? Do you miss him as Chance on Y&R? Do you think down the line they could resurrect Chance as well? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

Get ready for a sugar rush, a little romance and a whodunit when a Pie to Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery premieres on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday, June 22nd (8pm ET/7pm CT) starring Alison Sweeney as Hannah and Victor Webster as Chad.

As soap fans know, both Alison and Victor have a Days of our Lives soap pedigree since Alison has been playing Sami Brady on and off since 1993, and Webster played a young Nicholas Alamain from 1999-2000.

Ahead of the premiere, Michael Fairman TV caught up with Victor Webster to talk about what to expect in his fourth ‘Hannah Swensen’ movie, which includes a Tango, a date, and a murder mystery centering around Hannah’s mother, Delores, played by another soap vet, Barbara Niven (ex-Liz Coleman Reynolds, One Life to Live, 2002-2003).

Photo: Hallmark Media

FROM PROSECUTING ATTORNEY, TO DANCER, TO SUITOR

Throughout his film and television career, Webster admits his role in the ‘Hannah Swensen’ mysteries is a departure for him, “I’ve never played a prosecuting attorney. I’ve never played somebody that is very, very by the book. It’s very opposite of me. I kind of like to live a little more loosey- goosey,” admits Victor. “It’s been fun to say ‘no’ to Hannah. She tries to basically bribe Chad with treats all the time, and usually people do whatever she wants because they get an apple turnover or a nice peanut butter chocolate chip cookie or whatever it is. My character is just saying ‘no’. There’s this wonderful energy between us because she’s not used to people saying ‘no’ to her goodies.”

Photo: Hallmark Media

Leading up the premiere, a publicity photo of Hannah and Chad in a Tango dip surfaced. Webster explains, “Well, we did a little tango action, so we kind of had to go undercover to get some information about something. Hannah wanted to go to a Tango class to watch and see if she can get any information. Chad’s like, ‘Who watches a Tango class?’ So, I’ve got a very fancy red satin shirt in my closet that hasn’t been used since, you know, 1997. So, Chad pulls it out and says, “Let’s go to the Tango class together!” Victor added, “It’s a whole choreographed routine that ends with an amazing little dip, and it was directed by Crystal Lowe. She shot so many different angles, so it should, look really, really good. Then, we had this fantastic dance instructor Milena, who really taught us this cool, little Tango fun sexy thing that we got to do.”

Photo: Hallmark Channel

As to the mystery in Pie to Die For, Webster explains how amazing his co-stars were with Alison’s script, “There’s definitely a leading lady competition going on when Delores becomes a suspect in the murder. Alison wrote a great part for her, and then Barbara just takes it and runs with it. That’s what I love about this. I call it like a franchise of movies that has a lot of comedy in it. We get to improv a lot and we don’t have to run everything by Alison. She’s such a professional. She’s right there with me. She’s got an amazing sense of humor. So, if I screw up a line, and even if I don’t know that I screwed it up and it’s unintentional, Alison will respond to the line that I said, and not just the line that she wrote for herself.”

Photo: HallmarkMedia

Pie to Die For teases that Chad and Hannah grow closer, but do they? Webster weighed-in, “There might be truth to that rumor. In the last movie, Hannah sees Chad performing in the courthouse, dressed up in a suit and sees his commanding presence, and doing this opening monologue to the jurors. I think she really likes that, and then in this one, we actually go out on our first date.”

REPLACING CAMERON MATHISON IN THE FRANCHISE

Victor Webster is now seemingly entrenched in the ‘Hannah Swensen’ and Hallmark franchise; having taken over the leading man spot from General Hospital’s Cameron Mathison (Drew) two years ago. When he was approached to star opposite Sweeney, he recalled how he checked-in with Mathison before signing on the dotted line. “I just got the offer and they’re like, ‘Hey, do you want to come do this?’ And I was like, ‘Wait! I thought Cameron was doing that?’ They then told me Cameron is leaving to go do other things. I was like, ‘Hold, please.'”

Photo: Hallmark Media

Next, Webster shared ,”So, I sent Cameron a text that read, ‘Hey, brother. I know business is business, but out of respect, I just want you to know they called me and asked me if I’d be interested in stepping in to these new ‘Hannah Swensen’ movies. I know you’re leaving. I don’t want to feel like I’m stepping on your toes, or there’s any bad blood, or anything like that.’ Cameron was the ultimate gentleman. He was like, ‘Hey, you are going to have such a blast. There’s such a great group of people. I’m going to do my own thing somewhere else.’ He goes, ‘I wish you nothing but success.” He gave me his blessing one hundred percent and he was just fantastic about it. Then, knowing that I was going to work with Ali again, that was super exciting. And then, reading the scripts and seeing this type of character and the fun that could be had, and the comedy that was in it, it just felt like a no-brainer, and I said, ‘yes.'”

Photo: JPI

DAYS OF OUR LIVES AND NICHOLAS ALAMAIN

Daytime fans first met Victor when he played Nicholas Alamain on Days of our Lives in the late 90s. During our chat, he recalled his time on the iconic soap opera and working with the likes of: Lauren Koslow, John Aniston, Krista Allen, Joe Mascolo, and Louise Sorel and shares his remembrances on the late Drake Hogestyn.

Photo: JPI

“Louise Sorel (Vivian) is the best. Lauren Koslow (Kate) was my love interest and Krista Allen (ex-Billie), but then Louise and Krista both left the show and so I was just swinging in the wind. They didn’t know what to do,” Webster revealed. “So, I still had my storyline with Lauren Koslow, but I was no longer on contract. I went to recurring and I started working on a show called The Lot. It’s about a 1940s film studio and behind the scenes of it.  I would come in on Saturdays and shoot my scenes at DAYS. The last Saturday that I worked with Lauren, we did 75 pages of dialogue which was five shows in five hours.”

Photo: JPI

But just as everyone eventually comes back for a short arc or run to DAYS, Victor wouldn’t rule it out if the opportunity were to arise for Nicholas Alamain to return to Salem, “I would come back and do a handful of episodes. I think that would be fun. I think it would be great if Days of our Lives was aware of mine and Alison’s on-screen relationship on Hallmark and then they did a crossover where we got to work together. I would go back and play Nicholas and she would be Sami. I think would be a lot of fun.”

Photo: JPI

Victor also offered his condolences for the late great Drake Hogestyn (ex-John Black) who passed away from pancreatic cancer back in September of 2024, while his DAYS character was killed-off earlier this month followed by the emotional memorial episodes in John’s honor. “He was such a cool dude. The greatest. Drake left quite a mark on a lot of people,” shared Webster. “There was no ego about the guy. He was just one of guys and somebody you could definitely look up to. You go to for advice and talk to him. His passing is really sad.”

So, will you be watching Victor Webster and Alison Sweeney in ‘Pie to Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery’ Sunday on Hallmark Channel? Would you like to see DAYS bring back the character of Nicholas Alamain? Let us know in the comment section, but first check out the Michael Fairman Channel’s interview with Victor below, followed by a preview for ‘Pie to Die For.’