Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Susan Seaforth Hayes Responds to Fan Uproar Over Her Daytime Emmy Lead Actress Nomination Snub
The beloved and iconic star of Days of our Lives, the legendary Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) has come forward with a heartfelt statement and showed just why she is one of the all-time classiest people we know, since fans have been in an uproar over her name not appearing alongside the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for the upcoming 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards come this October.
Susan’s assistant and friend, Amy Shaughnessy. took to X on Wednesday, following the announcement of the Lead Actress category and revealed that, yes, Susan did, in fact, submit her work for the Lead Actress category in a year which in real life saw her lose her longtime husband, Bill Hayes (Doug Williams) and then mourn the loss of Julie’s (and Susan’s) one and only on-screen in heartbreaking episodes and performances.
On Thursday, Hayes took to her social media account to express her sincere thanks to all the fans who were upset by her snub. Susan shared: “For everyone who was upset by the Emmy nominations, I am amazed and moved that so many cared that deeply about Susan Hayes and Julie, her other self.”
Photo: JPI
She went on to say, “The first Daytime Emmys happened live from the gorgeous plaza of Rockefeller Center in NYC. Bill Hayes sang, we presented, and MacDonald Carey (ex-Tom Horton, DAYS) won for ‘best person on daytime’ or some vague category that made us all feel splendid. Eventually, the categories became more specific; Lead Actor, Supporting, Younger, and now Emerging Actor (imagine Meryl Streep rising out of a cake!). Between my nominations, I have had the honor of co-hosting the show once with Beverlee McKinsey (ex-Iris, Another World/Texas; ex-Alexandra, Guiding Light) and in 2018 receiving a Lifetime Achievement Emmy that sits on our piano next to Billy’s. I have not been snubbed by all the judges of NATAS over time.”
Susan added, “From 1968–2025 I fit into all the categories, emerging, to supporting, to lead. Susan Lucci (ex-Erica, All My Children) was forever a leading lady, Susan/Julie reflected the more natural evolution of nature. She was fresh– then hot– cooled down– and for now, mellow. I have had the chance to stay a working actress for all those thousands of shows. Studying lines, going through the studio gate, being present with the creative cast and crew for one of the longest running dramas on American television.”
Photo: JPI
“Is she ‘entertaining?’ This is not the usual path of a soap opera leading lady. In that story of loss I was more than an actress, I was a wife. My husband deserved all I could give to show the reality of grief and loss,” expressed Hayes.” Perhaps the judges felt I wasn’t acting when for the camera, I got the news, kissed the body goodbye, and gave the eulogy. No matter, my truth was based on a love that was real for an audience that loved him, too. My reward in 2024 was that I honored Doug and Julie, members of a family millions have opened their hearts to I am hugely blessed and promise you all I will keep on keeping on.”
Previously, Shaughnessy said of Susan’s performance and omission from the nominees, “She filmed a death scene with a body double 3 months after lying next to her actual husband in a hospice bed and saying goodbye to him. We talked every morning during the week of filming about how to breathe, take breaks, and channel the real life emotions of grief and loss into her performance so she could reach fellow audience members who had lost loved ones.”
“NO one deserved a nomination this year more than Susan Seaforth Hayes for her absolutely brilliant performance processing and living through Bill Hayes’ and Doug Williams’ deaths, said Amy. “She did what most actors never have to do; she exposed her soul and shared her real life grief with the entire daytime audience. It was raw, real, and MORE than worthy of an Emmy nomination. Shame on you, Academy members, for not recognizing Susan Seaforth Hayes for her brave and exceptional performance.”
What are your thoughts on Susan not appearing in the list of six Lead Actress nominees for the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards? Were you touched by her sentiments on fan outcry? Let us know in the comment section.
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Susan you are a class act who not only deserved a nomination but the win! It has been years since the academy have actually cared about daytime tv. It’s an absolute shame and again an absolute disrespect for the genre .
Yes, she drove story for Doug’s passing/memorial episodes, but there’s a good argument to be made to submit her in supporting – where she’d be the odds-on favorite with the other nominees listed.
Regardless, she is forever a class act.
She has more class than some of the fans on here do.
Even for an organization that’s prone to getting so many things wrong, NATAS has really goofed on this one. I’ll admit, I assumed SSH had put herself in for Supporting Actress, but Lead wasn’t a stretch, and she should have been nominated, at least.
I wonder if other actresses on Days did not submit for Lead out of deference to Susan, and that’s how we ended up with nobody from Days nominated for Lead Actress. That would make it doubly appalling.
I haven’t had a lot of faith in NATAS since . . . well, ever, really, and I go back 50 years with soap-watching. But this one stuns me. Boneheaded by even NATAS’s low, low, low standards.
YUP! Gave up on the Daytime Emmys a long time ago.
To be fair about it, Susan already had to relive her actual husbands death for the cameras (since he was also her husband for the show). If she didn’t want to go through all that a third time, in the process of submitting those scenes for nomination, I really couldn’t blame her.
Though all things considered, she probably deserves the award for pulling those scenes off, under the circumstances.
Wow, maybe all know nobody held a candle to her last year, so they were intimidated, & left her out. We have all witnessed a lot of loss, but nobody had to lose their husband, then spend months also grieving a body double at work daily! We all felt her loss & cried. I probably would have done the scenes on auto pilot, but she blew my mind at the hardest weeks of her life, Real, & Reel.
Does anybody realize she and her husband put daytime on the map? They were on Newsweek I think not sure I was a junior high kid but Susan is a great person and I said good riddance a long time ago the same nominees the same crap.
Bill and Susan were on the January 12, 1976 edition of “Time” magazine in which the accompanying article proclaimed Days of our Lives as the most daring daytime drama. Time…⏳
That’s correct. It was Tony Geary & Genie Francis on Newsweek. People always get confused that was a Time cover.
Yep. “Sex and Suffering in the Afternoon.” I remember the article well; I’d been watching soaps about a year and could not believe they’d made the cover of a national magazine! Among other things, the article rated all the soaps with zero to four teardrops (might have been five), and only Days got the full four (or five), though as I recall, Another World and Young and Restless were right behind (with half a teardrop less). Classic quote from SSH regarding the interviewer’s observation that folks in Salem were, um, quite sexually active: “We are a bunch of horny devils.” (If she weren’t such a goddess anyway, SSH would be a soap treasure just for her wry commentary through the years. Circa 1993: James Reilly, on why he was writing Julie out of the show: “Julie’s stories have been told.” SSH: “Really? I must have slept through them.”)
Its a silly system. Its the same five or six actors favored actresses being nominated over and over again every year or two years even when their performances suck. The soap industry then tries to correct the crookedness by coming up with new award categories like best younger actor actress or best new emerging talent. This leads to other fiascos like the wrong actress winning or younger actor nominees over the age limit. The Oscars and Emmys look at hundreds of potential nominees in numerous categories. The daytime Emmys are dealing with only four soaps and realistically maybe a hundred potential nominees and they make it a joke. Kudos to Mrs. Hayes for exhibiting the class from her generation that this new iteration of the award show lacks.
Days Of Our Lives
Sydney Malekeh Joins the Cast of ‘Days of Our Lives’ in Mystery Role: Who Do You Think She’s Playing?
There’s a new gal coming to Salem, or is she new and a recast? That’s what inquiring minds from Days of Our Lives fans have been trying to figure out since the Peacock soap opera dropped an Instagram video heralding actress‘ Sydney Malekeh’s arrival in Salem.
The soap did confirm that viewers will first see Malekeh on the September 9 episode. In the video, Malekeh is seen going set to set from her dressing room and in to the halls of Days of Our Lives studios.
What we do know id that Sydney has been acting professionally for 6 years and had appeared on Grey’s Anatomy, Apple TV’s Shrinking and the HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Plenty of Malekeh’s DAYS castmates jumped into the comment thread with positive emojis symbols or written excitement including: Paul Telfer (Xander), Linsey Godfrey (Sarah), Sal Stowers (Lani), Conner Floyd (Chad), Eric Martsolf (Brady) and Christie Clark (Carrie) and more now that fans will finally see her on-air. Since Days of Our Lives tapes 10-11 months in advance, Sydney would have started taping the show sometime back in 2025.
DAYS fans think perhaps because the actress’ name is Sydney that she might be playing the grown-up daughter of Sami and EJ. That character hasn’t bee on the canvas since 2021.
So, who do you think Sydney Malekeh might be playing on Days of Our Lives? Drop your casting director thoughts via the comment section below.
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Days Of Our Lives
Peacock Hikes Subscription Rates for Fourth Time in Four Years; ‘Days of Our Lives’ Fans Sound Off
While recently the streaming service Peacock reported turning a profit for its first time since its infancy, now comes word that the company is raising their prices for all customers, and in some cases it stared today on August 18.
The news of the subscription rate increases marks the fourth time the NBCUniversal streaming platform has done so in four years. So, on August 18, Peacock is increasing the prices for new or returning subscribers and customers, while current subscribers will see the rate increase on or after September 17 depending on their billing cycle when they initially signed up.
Here is the new pricing to follow along: Peacock Premium (which includes ads) will be $12.99/month, up two dollars from $10.99; Peacock Premium Plus will be $19.99/month, up three dollars increase from $16.99; and the Peacock Select tier (which includes current and past seasons of NBC and Bravo shows but excludes movies, live sports and Peacock originals) will increase a dollar from $7.99 to $8.99/month.
Photo: JPI
SUBSCRIBERS CONTINUE TO PAY MORE ACROSS THE STREAMER LANDSCAPE
It was back in June that the streamer reported that aid subscribers were up to 48 million adding a 2 million net gain during Q2 in of 2026. The subscription price hikes are rampant now in the entertainment streaming industry where over the last two years for example, Netflix, HBO Max, Apple TV, Paramount+ have all raised their fees to consumers.
Peacock’s tier-levels feature not only Days of Our Lives, but reality hits such as The Traitors and Love Island USA, Bravo series, and a vault of Saturday Night Live, Law & Order, The Real Housewives franchise, and Below Deck episodes as well. Pecock Premium and Premium Plus subscribers have access to sports and live events, as well.
DAYS OF OUR LIVES SUBSCRIBERS HAD A FEW CHOICE WORDS FOR PEACOCK
As Days of Our Lives fans know, the soap opera moved from NBC to the streamer back in September of 2022 after 57 years on broadcast television. When the news hit X on the price increase, DAYS fans had a lot to say about it. Here are just a few of the comments below:
“I can’t believe Peacock and can’t come to a deal with Cordya to air old episodes of #Days. That alone would bring a ton of subscribers,” to If Peacock actually cared about #Days of Our Lives, gave the show the budget it needs for better sets, cameras, background actors and enough time to tell proper stories, I wouldn’t mind paying more. If the money actually showed on screen, the higher price would be worth it,” to “I will continue to pay for a Peacock subscription as long as #Days is on it, but did we know there was another price increase coming?” and more.
So, what do you think of the new price hike increase to watch Days of Our Lives and your other favorite shows and events on Peacock? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Veronica & Julian’ Feature Starring ‘Days of Our Lives’ Alums Nadia Bjorlin and Kyler Pettis Releases Key Art and More (Exclusive)
In the upcoming indie feature Veronica & Julian from director Otoja Abit, two former Days of Our Lives stars, Nadia Bjorlin (ex-Chloe Lane) and Kyler Pettis (ex-Theo Carver), headline the drama feature in this story of a May-December romance that faces challenges along the way.
Veronica & Julian centers on a confident and successful marketing executive (Bjorlin) who winds up falling for a younger aspiring architect (Pettis). From there, a journey of desire and self-discovery is set against the backdrop of present-day New York City.
The cast also includes: Blake Jenner (ex-Glee), Erin Cummings, Chrystee Pharris (ex-Simone Russell, Passions and Queens of Drama), Robert Lee Leng, Mark Famiglietti and Jennafer Newberry.
Photo:
LIVE CHAT WITH NADIA AND KYLER PLANNED
Now, Michael Fairman TV can share exclusively: the key poster art below, and that current plans that call for Veronica & Julian to be released and made available late this holiday season.
In addition, Nadia and Kyler will join us for a very special livestream conversation on the Michael Fairman Channel (Monday, Aug 24 – 3PM ET/Noon PT) to chat about their roles in the film, their time on Days of Our Lives, life post-soap opera, and much more. Fans can join the live chat and pose their questions to the actors as well.
Courtesy/Bright Leicht Content LLC
THE THEMES BEHIND VERONICA & JULIAN
Director Otoja Abit shared this statement on the feature film, “Veronica & Julian is about the right people who have a chance meeting at the wrong time. It’s a look at two people who don’t grow apart—they just grow up. This film is an authentic exploration of an imminent ending and how two people deeply in love got there. It aims to be quiet while telling a relatable story about modern-day relationships.”
Abit continued, “As a society, mainstream romantic films are often delivered through fantastical aspirations. I created this film believing that viewers who have experienced a breakup can relate to Veronica and Julian, depending on their perspective. They’re a couple navigating some of the most familiar obstacles in love: miscommunication, timing and pride.”
He concluded, “It’s a story about endings told through the small moments we often don’t recognize until they’re gone. With the support of the Panavision New Filmmaker Program, I approached the story with a deeper sense of visual control while maintaining the naturalism that defines each character.”
Photo: Bright Leicht Content LLC
NADIA AND KYLER GOT THEIR FIRST BIG BREAK IN SOAPS
As Days of Our Lives fans know, Bjorlin is best known for her long-running role as Chloe Lane. Nadia played the part from 1999-2023 with various runs in Salem. She is also known for her role as Lara in the Venice the Series since 2009. Nadia’s other TV and film credits include: A Murder Between Friends, NCIS, Two Broke Girls and more.
Pettis played Theo Carver on Days of Our Lives from 2015-2018 and earned himself a Daytime Emmy for his work in the now defunct Outstanding Younger Actor in a Daytime Drama Series back in 2019. His other TV credits include roles on: The Rookie, All American: Homecoming and Ray Donovan.
Veronica and Julian is written, produced and directed by Abit and produced through his Willful Productions alongside Kory Apton and Ian Phillips. Executive producers include: Nick Leicht, Gregory Sinche, Shelly Sinche, Torsten Sippel, Tim Freydberg, Ryan Schulke and Matthew Conlin.
So, intrigued to see Nadia and Kyler as a romantic couple in the film Veronica & Julian? Miss them on Days of Our Lives? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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