Days Of Our Lives
DAYS POLL: Which Actor Are You Most Upset About Exiting The Show?
Over the past few weeks, Days of our Lives fans were devastated hearing the news of several upcoming departures.
The NBC soap opera does tape so far in advance that many will still be airing through September of this year; while Casey Moss’ last episode as JJ aired this past week.
With Galen Gering (Rafe) leaving as well as Freddie Smith (Sonny) and Chandler Massey (Wll), we wanted to know; which actors are you most upset about leaving the series?
Vote below in our most recent DAYS poll and then let us know why you cast your vote that way via the comment section
These directors suck, I have watched days FOREVA & a day unbelievable how u PPL made such a disaster of this show….
I agree.
The real culprits are TPTB at NBC who decide how much money DOOL gets each month.
I agree they need me
So true!!! I’ve watched DOOL for 36 years and it’s changed so much & not for the better. Constantly lose great actors and actresses & the scenes are so unbelievable anymore. No one stays together and just jump from one bad to the other. Nothing great like it used to be!! So sad……
Yup days once beloved is now utter dribble and the actors who try to justify just look opportunistic and lacking
I’m really upset and so disappointed in Days for letter go Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey. They are the only reason I’m watching the show so when they leave so do I. I’m also upset that they aren’t getting the romantic and bed room scenes like the straight couples. Also I think they don’t want to write for the gays anymore there is so much story to tell with Wilson. I just don’t get it.
Shame on you Ron.
Ron is a writer. He writes stories. He does not make decisions about budgets and hiring/firing of actors. That is done by the Executive Producers, one of which has been rumored to dislike the Will and Sonny coupling and blocking them from having good stories written for them. You can draw your own conclusions as to why he does not like them. I have a pretty good idea.
I heard that one. Boy am I got under the collar. And until that writer leaves sonny and Will won’t return.
gotta agree with Jim, Ron the head writer has destroyed the show, made it palatable for 7somethings, unfortunately, he has a contract and the stars don’t.
Reron leaving is just about the only player they can can, without disappointing the viewers.
Think about how many characters could live again without the ill gotten cartoonists salary in the budget.
I think there will be a lot of fans leaving after September, going by the reaction i have seen.
I’m ok with this. They were not strong characters and they were no fun to watch. DAYS has several other characters that need to go too (or need to be re-invented). Carlivati is doing some interesting work re-building stagnated characters. I guess the show has to pick and choose. That being said, it’s really not ok that the only gay characters on the show are being cut. Same at GH and Y&R. I wish all the actors well. I hope they find better parts!
Days needs power couples and to attract other facets off viewers. They had a story that took a long time to build plus, they are the only gay couple in Salem. At a time we need to preach unity and acceptance, WILSON is needed in Salem. This is a slap in the face to the LGBTQ community that supported Freddie, Chandler and Guy all these years
I agree with you 100%, Ted.
I know they have to come and go. But Sonny and Will are the best couple they have right now. So why couldn’t they give them a good story line that keeps them together. They don’t have to always be split up!
I couldn’t agree with you more.
Agree 100%. Wilson has been cheated. I will not be watching after September. As for Casey, how will they explain JJ’s abrupt departure? He was a huge part of the kinda but not really of taking Gabi down…don’t get me started on her actions right now, but now poof he’s just gone? Makes no sense…like much of this show anymore.
While as a viewer I am most upset to lose Chandler Massey & Freddie Smith, I am also disappointed to lose Casey Moss. It is a shame. He is an excellent actor. I would like to point out that Casey Moss without a doubt was robbed of that Emmy in 2018. He 100% deserved the win. I think the last 6 years has shown that the powers that be behind the scenes, are just throwing wet spaghetti noodles against the wall to see what sticks. Making yet another mistake they do no realize, and will not understand how to remedy down the road.
Amen, Taylor. And proof of that is still out there since the winner went on to HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER and… let’s just say his inadequacies are REALLY highlighted there. I don’t get these Emmy voters in those categories.
I totally agree with you Taylor S. I am extremely upset to lose Casey Moss! He is an excellent actor who played his part tremendously! I was sad when they killed off Haley as they were a sweet couple. I also love Sonny and Will together as a couple…. I will miss them all including Rafe. I feel the Directors are going in the wrong direction…
I cannot wrap my head around all those great people we enjoy are being thrown away. This is so sad …I now see Days of our Lives being removed from daytime TV……because of all this weirdness going on with the show. I feel sorry for you all that you have made these choices. I hope you realize sooner than later what you have done to all the fans.
I’m upset that Galen Gering has been let go. I love Rafe and I hope he comes back . He’s a great actor and days made a mistake at letting him go .
Galen Gering is a real favorite and cannot understand them letting him go.
All of them no one should leave days.
I must take issue with this poll Chandler and Freddie are individuals and I think lumping them together is not fair. I feel DOOL needs to break up some of their couples in order to create new stories. I think Chandler is a good actor and feel his recent story away from Freddie has been refreshing. I am not knocking Freddie he has also turned in some powerful performances as well but to me they work better apart and Chandler plays the more complex character.
You have a valid point. I would disagree that as a couple they should be broken up indefinitely. They have always had solid friendship chemistry to fall back on. Rather I think the issue is keeping characters stuck in a bubble of interactions with the same characters over and over, having the same scenes over and over. Honestly, I see it with all of the characters and it appears to be due to this head writer’s lead.
I’m upset that all of them are leaving the show,but most of all I’m very upset Freddie and Chandler are leaving. Hope they will be back someday soon.
me to
Freddie—- such a hearbreak to see him go. And, most definitely Chandler!! Sad!!
i hope Sonny finds out about Maggie and that Bonnie Lockhardt died during Rolfs mind switch game with Adrienne who isout there thinking she is Bonnie…JJ is a curse..two girls he dated ended up dead-he hasnt good chemistry with anyone he is paired with…too bad it didnt work with Hailey..at least Days tried to be a bit more diverse adding asian characters but we didnt see her mom when Hailey died…you think Melinda would want revenge against Kristen!!!
Oh, Jimmy, I’m with you on all counts—-I would love to have the real Adrienne back. I heard Judy lost her son in December. Perhaps, she’s still in mourning—albeit the ache in the heart is for a lifetime—losing a child is devastating—no other anguish can even compare.
And, yes—Haley’s mom should have made an apoearance by now.
i didnt know Judy lost a child…sad…brings back terrible memories
I know, Jimmy—I remember the loss of your child—So, as I , you know how dark the world can get. Peace, my friend.
Its been 20 years now…Peace to you too…
❤️
Casey n Freddie n Chandler
I voted for FS and CM. I think what bothers me the most is how it appears that Days and NBC sees LBGTQ community as expendable. There is so much story that could have been told but it all seems very opportunistic like it was for show, buzz and awards to Days and TPTB. And Now suddenly it doesn’t feel like it is serving them a purpose so it’s dropped under the pretence of budget cuts. Like offering a seat at the table only to take it way for some thing or some one more of the moment. Not to mentioned the actors really seemed to take their responsibility to the community very seriously and that was so commendable. To make so many strides foreword in Daytime television to only then turn around and go back seems counter productive as if representation of same sex couples don’t belong. I understand that it’s a business but representation and inclusion is so important and in a world of choice viewers have so much more choice as to what they consume and what they don’t it seems as if Days is okay with not including a community of fans that have supported them anymore and is okay just doesn’t seem like a very supportive ally to me. But then again what do fans know right?
I am devastated that they are firing Chandler and Freddie. Will and Sonny’s storyline shows that love is love and inspired so many fans. After everything they’ve been through, Will and Sonny deserve happiness
I don’t know why we continue to loose these wonderful actors. Instead we are forced to watch these stupid, horrible storylines. Fans want to watch their favorites in good solid stories. I know it’s a soap, but come on. I’m heartsick about losing Chandler and Freddie. Two terrific actors who Days was lucky to have. If you had to cut your budget I could give you some other names instead.
Chandler, Freddie and Casey should have stayed on Days there the best part of the soap imo.
Chandler & Freddie are the reason I still watch the show. It’s the only soap I watch.
Good bye ratings
Chandler Massey is my favourite actor. Chandler and Freddie are so good together in their role on DOOL. I’ve finally found a soap i love watching, but come September that will be the end for me. I only found Wilson about 3 months ago, i’ve lived with depression for a long time and i can say their story has helped me get through some bad days. I can’t begin to say how much i will miss there guys.
Glen, I can really relate to your words. A long while back, the Reva suicide story on GUIDING LIGHT pulled me through a very dark period also. I’m hoping this dismissal of Chandler & Freddie is either a publicity stunt or, better, has to be reversed due to fan revolt. Of course, all these gorgeous and talented guys will find homes on other soaps. I know GH and Y&R desperately need some man-candy…with talent. Hang in there!
A very big Thanks for your kind words and i must say, i also was thinking it could be a publicity stunt..
GH has enough eye candy and doesn’t need any dool left over so thanks but no thanks, you can give dool eye candy to the YR.
I AM MOST UPSET ABOUT CHANDLER AND FREDDIE (WILL AND SONNY) LEAVING. IT’S A STUPID MOVE, DAYS!!
Most upset about Freddie and Chandler leaving.
Same old same old. I thought that Days would be the only show on TV with a gay couple on it, making for outside the box thinking. Now that the PTB have decided to as Chandler and Freddie, goes to show you that homophobia still exists. Not only in the industry, but with viewers.
I thnk Ron wants Days to fall
Im a fan of 56 years Casey Moss is so real in the stories he get. Seemed comfortable with Caddy and was saying By like he really cared and wa sad
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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