Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Spokesperson Reveals Will Horton Has Been Recast! Chandler Massey Tweets Heartfelt Goodbye!
Photo Credit: Adam Campbell
What a whirlwind Friday night for fans of Days of our Lives!
After learning that Chandler Massey wrapped up his final day at the NBC soap, and has been let out of his contract three months early (he was set to depart the series in December), now comes word from an official DAYS spokesperson via Soap Opera Digest which clearly states the role of Will Horton has been recast and they are ready to move forward with the new actor in the role.
SOD received this statement from a DAYS Spokesperson: “While Days of our Lives is disappointed to lose such a talent, the show understands and supports him (Chandler Massey) in his future endeavors. Due to current storyline and the timely discovery of new talent that the show feels is the right recast for Will Horton, a mutual decision has been made for the changes to taken place immediately. Chandler will always be a part of the Days family and we wish him nothing but continued success.”
Meanwhile, a few hours ago, Chandler Massey took to his twitter account thanking his fans for their support for the last four years in the incredible journey of the character of Will Horton that he was able to play: “Thank you, thank you, and thank you. It has been such an amazing journey, and I am so grateful to have shared these four years with you all. As I move forward from Days, I will never forget the laughs we shared, the tears we shed, & the love we spread. Time to get edumacated!”
So are you glad to know that the character of Will Horton will still be on the canvas and a very present force in Salem? Excited for the reveal of Chandler’s replacement? Or, are you upset DAYS let him leave earlier than anticipated? What can you say about Chandler’s performances during his run at DAYS? Did they touch your heart? Comment below!
A smart man !!
Education/career is forever..,, soaps are not ..
That is so true, I try to tell my younger siblings the same thing about college education, it will benefit them in the long run. I wonder if the new actor they hired look like Chandler? and I really hope he is very talented because I do not want to see a revolving door of actors being cast for this role for lack of talent or lack of chemistry with the cast and the audience. I wish Chandler good in his future plans.
I miss him so much!!! Best of luck to him but we are loosing out! ❤️
His reasons for leaving and moving on are smart indeed and I’ve got tons of respect and understanding for that! But a tv couple for me works only if both, the two characters and the two actors playing them touch my heart and mind and they did!! I can abandon a tv couple pretty fast if one the characters or actors annoy me for whatever reason. Because of it, all I watch is WilSon with Freddie and Chandler. I watch nothing else at the moment and I used to be a tv junkie!..
What I want to say is that I’m crushed by the sudden recast. I feel sad for Freddie too because it is very apparent that he and Chandler developed a special bond, trust and respect with tremendous chemistry and force and talent! I will keep watching WilSon because of Freddie! For now I have no curiosity about the new Will/actor at all. I need time to grieve. Both Chandler and Freddie are stunning and beautiful beyond belief! Personality-wise and acting-wise! So very inspiring! This is going to be tougher than I thought..
Wishing them both well!!
geez! that’s beautiful.
this MF site stirs so many emotions… when a soap and/or story – couple – that one actor – and the whole cast comes together….
you know… the cast at DOOL realize what a coup they have in Chandler Massey and Freddie Smith.
I need time to grieve. as well.
I know in my heart… that DAYS – SONY – NBC brought a heartfelt current timeliness true to form… true to life… a beginning in Salem that registered and made an impact on so many fans and the audience.
This storyline shared the human bond of feeling…. ie: Will understanding his feelings – coming out – standing tall – reaching out – finding his way… ie: w/Sonny, Grandma Marlena, his mother and father (Sammi n’ Lucas)… Grandma Kate.
Chandler and Freddie’ Will and Sonny made an indelible mark… impacted for the gay audience… that Love sees no color. and that’s simply saying…
life is color. I celebrate that the production team of DOOL will continue on… and live for all of us…
Chandler Massey is one of my favorites. While I’ve enjoyed his work on DAYS (and the WilSon storyline), I have to support his decision to leave the show in favor of college. I trust his successor will be an asset to the show and do justice to the role of Will.
What sucks double is that the show (or whomever!!…) never gave us a joined interview with Freddie and Chandler (and practically no joined photo-shoots either)!.. Not one single one! What on earth is up with that?!..
That’s why there were always silly rumors that Chandler and Freddie did not get along away from the show. Also, some believed that CM’s management did not want him doing that stuff so he wouldn’t be typecast as just Will Horton, a gay character and part of a gay couple. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe the stuff I’ve seen, including some people harassing CM saying he just wants the awards and praise of playing a gay character but not really wanting to kiss another man or associate with gay people. Some nutjobs even say he is gay and in the closet and call him a hypocrite. It’s sad. But it is strange that such a popular couple never did all the requisite photoshoots and joint interviews. They don’t even do fan events together. Only they know the reasons why.
Chandler has made a lasting place in the life of Salem. It is time for him to spread his wings. Godspeed to Chandler in all he does.
I believe people liked the storyline so much that they have overrated this actor.In many,many scenes he has an inappropriate smirk on his face.I would be unhappy to lose the character but as for the actor-a recast is fine by me.
I soo AGREE with you. Never thought he should have won the awards. He was always creepy with that weird*ss grin. It always showed through as him being uncomfortable with the story line.
I agree with you up to a point….
I thought he had the “smirk” when the storyline.. became “fully” gay… and he had to act like a couple… in love no less… with Freddie Smith.
however… I thought Chandler’ Will… eventually became more comfortable with his take.
be that as it may… an actor’s comfort level… even in this day and age..irregardless… playing a gay character day in and day out… not like a feature film… where.. an actor.. for that 2-3 month shoot.. can assuage the audience and his or her fans… to put themselves in that mode and “accept” the role with maturity and grace.
hence… a person as young as Chandler Massey… applause and thank you… for contributing your part to Days Of Our Lives.
I honestly posted a while back.. that even IMO Chandler Massey didn’t come across as comfortable with fully embodying his character.
and I can accept that… losing Will and Sonny is another thing…
dang! wouldn’t it be great if Kevin Schmidt, ex-Noah… would accept this?
i like how chandler do his job,it will be hard to get new actor.NBC and DAys decided to cut whe they find replacment . I hope chandler have success in all he does
C.M. chose to leave, Wills been recast(maybe itll work,plus C.M can return in future…maybe) its not the end of the world so lets move on and enjoy our soaps!
Not a smart move on Days part, sorry to see such a talented and integral part of days leave. Once again they are just letting talented actors walk away. I loved the character of Will and Chandler brought this amazing character to life. I wish Chandler the best in life, he will certainly go far. As for Day’s, I have been a loyal fan for practically since the first show and it seems Days gets talented actors and just let them walk away. Losing Bo was heartbreaking and left such a void in the show and losing Chandler will do the same. I sincerely hope this was entirely Chandler’s idea to leave and seek out bigger and better things and not Days making an executive decisions (as you know, most of Days executive decisions have nothing at all to do with the fans}. You go Chandler and you go out there and there are so much more opportunities waiting for you. The fans love you and you will be missed. Sorry Days, but major stupid move on your part. Do you even try to keep good actors anymore? I can see a massive exit coming and the end of Days. Someone better sit down and take a look at this or it will be the end of Days. Sorry for my rant but there has to be a lot m ore going on in the background that so many talented actors are so unhappy and leaving.
It was entirely Chandler’s decision to leave. He wants to pursue an education, and wih DAYS’s crazy filming schedule, he couldn’t do it. Ken Corday would have offered him the tars to stay, but ultimately respected CM’s decision. DAYS is now simply moving forward with the character with a new actor because they were left with no other option.
Frankly I see the fact that so many younger actors leave after their contract is up at DAYS a real testament to how much they learn, and how confident they feel they have developed in their craft and can move on to experiment with different things because of the show. They don’t leave because they’re miserable, they simply feel confident enough to take flight.
Sorry don’t agree . The young ones get a taste of success and can’t wrap their heads around the idea that while they feel like big fish now, they’re in a very small pond. Look what happened to Darrin Brooks (Max). He’s back on another soap. None of the cast that has left the show has been heard from except Rachel Melvin (Chelsea) and that was limited and more west coast, certainly nothing international. And don’t be so sure this was entirely CM’s decision. I’ve seen more than a few people posting both here and in other interview comments that Corday thought chandler was “waffling” on his decisoin to stay or go . If the boss wanted to offer him anything to stay, why didn’t he? They could have scaled him back to recurring, tailored his filming schedule to accommate school, or any number of other things. Allisons Sweeney shoots a whole other series and other cast members film other projects. It doesn’t look like this is as simple as it was presented to be.
That’s not entirely true:
Ashley Benson (ex Abigail) stars on “Pretty Little Liars”, was just in a feature film called “Spring Breakers” and is just overall on the rise.
Taylor Spreitler (ex Mia) stars on “Melissa and Joey”.
Jenson Ackles (ex Eric) is now on “Supernatural”
Shelley Hennig (ex Stephanie) was on a show called “The Secret Circle” on The CW
Eric Winter (ex Rex) has been in a lot of things since DAYS- “Brothers and Sisters”, “The Mentalist”, “GBC”, all big roles on many episodes. He was also in a commercial with Britney Spears for one of her perfumes
And these examples are just at the top of my head…..
As for Darrin Brooks who you specifically mentioned, he also had his own show on SpikeTV that lasted for 3 seasons. He booked it fairly soon after DAYS.
While I do agree in the sense that a lot of actors quit after the contract thinking their hot stuff and can conquer the world, I a) would like to still believe that they’re still grateful for their start and know how lucky they were to have had it and b) certainly do not believe CM falls into the category whatsoever.
And no, it was entirely CM’s decision to leave. People can speculate all they want, but they’re wrong and you shouldn’t buy into it. In the press room at the Emmys he made it clear it was his choice to pursue other things, namely his education (you can youtube it yourself). He’s made it explicitly clear in his many interviews since, including one posted on this very site. Corday too wanted him to stay, as he said outright in an interview also posted on MF-OAOS. People will always run with something but as the saying goes, don’t believe everything you read, especially from people who simply have no way of backing up what they believe. Make believe stories to comfort their feelings of sadness does not a fact make. He was going to leave no matter what. We don’t know what Corday offered to accommodate Chandler, so assuming he didn’t is also presumptuous. Had Eileen Davidson not shared how much DAYS tried to work with her to come to some agreement on a schedule, we wouldn’t have known Corday tried there too. Just because Chandler hasn’t come out and said it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. You don’t think Corday knows what he has in CM? The only 2 time Emmy winner for DAYS? A person who single handidly brought more viewers and media attention to the show? An actor who has changed the way people look at DAYS- no longer as the kooky soap that has their characters possessed, but rather as a true to life, grounded soap that can tell really respectable and beautiful stories. Say what you will about Corday, but I don’t think he’s THAT stupid as to not offer the kid the sun and the moon.
But this whole point is moot because Chandler. wanted. to. leave. Period. No amount of “tailoring” or “accommodating” would have tempted him to stay. Believe it or not, sometimes those kinds of offers do not factor into a person’s decision of what they want to do with their life. He wants an education, with no other distraction. Kudos to him. And when he does venture out to other opportunities, kudos to him then too.
Chandler will definitely be missed, but not forgotten. Wish him nothing but the best.
Will Horton is a very important character on DAYS, so I hope the recast is up for the challenge and that the fans give the new actor time to find his footing.
I wish Chandler all the best but I’m very fine with the recast. WilSon are the reason I watch the show and I’d be very upset if they weren’t on my screen because one of the actors is leaving. So, I’m going to keep enjoying the ride and welcome the new actor!
He’s an extremely talented young man and his work on DOOL with both Freddie Smith and Deidre Hall, especially, has been compelling, gripping and has raised the bar for actors in this genre. Also, he’s smart and he understands the importance of putting his education first. I’ll be sad to see him go, but applaud the reason why. Additionally, Chandler has been very vocal about wanting the character to continue and wanting the WilSon pairing to continue adding that, especially as a legacy character, Will is of more value to the canvas of Salem than is any one actor. As long as they keep this important gay storyline at the forefront, I’ll keep watching and supporting the show.
its gonna be a shame to see him go, but wish him good luck in his future endeavours
It’ll take awhile for the news to sink in but in the long run, at least Will and Sonny’s relationship will still be a part of the show. I wish Chandler all the best and I’ll try to accept whoever DAYS brings to the role of Will Horton! Sad he is leaving but glad that WilSon will continue!
It does surprise me however that Days moved really fast in recasting the role of Will. Now, we probably won’t see the new actor until January at least.
I hate to see Chandler go, but his story is front and center, so I’m glad they have already re-cast the role.
Good luck to Chandler. Glad he realizes the importance of education!
I’m sad that Chandler Massey is leaving the show. However at the very same time I completely support his decision to continue his education at college. It has been an amazing nearly four years that Chandler was on the show. Chandler had the rare ability to portray those very painful emotions of his character leading up to and after his character came to terms with the truth about himself. From the start of that story line until his character came out I saw myself in his character because I’ve been there. It’s going to be very interesting to see who the new actor, that would take on the role of Will Horton, is going to be. I also wish Chandler Massey the best of luck in the future. It’s going to be interesting to see Chandler taking on new roles as an actor and I’m looking forward to seeing that some day.
So sad to see Chandler go, and would love to see him back on the show.
Whomever replaces him as a hard and rough road ahead of them, Chandler has become truly iconic in this role. He’ll need to have chemistry with a lot of the cast, and most importantly Freddie Smith! I’d love to see Kevin G. Schmidt (ex-Noah, Y&R) as nuWill. I think he’d be an awesome fit into the role. He could really excel in it, plus, he’s an awesome actor and would fit in really well with the other younger actors on the series.
ditto!
geez! someone else posted…about Kevin Schmidt as well…. and I so agree.
ex-Noah… has that sensitive demeanor… and likability…. plus… his looks would compliment Sonny.
Oh! Geez! this smarts….
Best of Luck Chandler, would love to see Van Hansis ex-Luke ATWT take on the role. He has the acting chops to be successful with the role.
Van is too old and too well-known as Luke Snyder. Plus I don’t think Van would want to do this role again…been there, done that.
I already feel bad for the recast. He’ll forever be compared to Chandler and come up lacking to many. I know some will give the new guy a chance, but I’ve seen several people say they will not accept a new Will and won’t continue watching Days. Others say they’ll give him a chance but don’t think anyone can match CM’s talent or chemistry with Freddie.
I agree Kevin Schmidt would make a great recast. Meanwhile, wishing Chandler the best! Mr. Massey turned the role of Will int one of the more vital and interest characters on the show, so in a way, the re-cast is a compliment.
I feel sorry for the recast. Soap fans can be very unkind to recasts.
i love chandler massey i love watchimg the sex scenes with him and should not let him go!!!!!
My opinion is very different and I’m sure will get a lot of flack but I think Chandler is being a total jerk. He could have gone to school and continued on the show. Even if his role or his taping schedule was reduced from contractual ot recurring status to accommodate a school schedule it would have kept him on as Will. Chandler took on a role that is part of a couple and what he does has a direct effect on the other part of that couple – Freddie Smith. Many people have played Will Horton but it was the chemistry between Chandler and Freddie that garnered the fan base and yet Chandler apparently doesn’t care in the least. He gave no thought to what would happen if this pairing took off and how his decisions would affect Freddie. Regardless of what Days says or what anyone else may think, this entire story line is dead in the water. You could never re-cast Bella and Edward in Twilight b/c nobody Kristen S. and Rob P. made those roles, no one but Jennifer Lawrence could ever play Katniss Everdeen, no one could take Kate Winslet’s place as Rose in Titanic, etc. And Chandler is the one who became Will Horton. As for the “heartfelt” thanks and all the “thank you, thank you, thank you” – keep it Chandler – don’t believe a word.
This is a business and every actor has to do what he/she feels is best for their career. It’s not their job to worry about everyone else on the show or the fans. It’s HIS life and he can choose to do what he wants with it.
Actually you are dead wrong. These people are what they are, have what they have, earn what they earn, have the opportunities they have BECAUSE OF THE FANS WHO WATCH THE SHOW!!! This tells fans that now that we’ve served our purpose we don’t matter and that will incur repercussions not only for any actor big-headed enough to feel that way but for the show they are on as well as someone else. When an actor takes on a role that is half of a pairing he/she absolutely DOES owe something to the other half of that pairing as Chandler does to Freddie. The pairing of Will and Sonny was phenominally successful which means that Freddie is going to pay for every decisoin Chandler makes and that price may end up being very high . Just as Joe Mascolo owns the role of Stefano, Alison Sweeney owns the role of Sami, etc. Chandler owned the role of Will and the re-cast is not going to work, especially not for very long.
The examples you have given are from film which is vastly different that daytime drama- films are often remade and I am sure if they ever redo Twilight or Titanic whoever plays those characters will be just fine. Daytime drama is more like a long running Broadway play– where actors even leads come and go, but the show carries on.
It is hard to comment yet on whether the recast will have the chemistry with Freddie or not– obviously whoever they auditioned and got in there must have tested with him.
Obviously it is not ideal when one half of a super couple- gay or straight is recast, and it is never quite the same as the original duo, but CM is young and young people are very self focused– in the end he was thinking what was best for CM and not what was best for Days. Yes it is disappointing, but usually, these young actors careers either take off outside daytime drama or they come back after realizing it is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a large one.
I’m sorry but do not agree . And Days tried this with Bo – he was re-cast years ago and it didn’t work at all. They also tried with Shawn Brady when Frank Parker wanted to retire. Even with you analogy could you honestly see anyone but Alison Sweeney playing Sami? Anyone but Joe Mascolo playing Stefano? Anyone but John Anniston playing Victor? Anyone but Peggy McKay playing Caroline?
Chandler doesn’t want to keep up the demanding pace with soap filming and go to collage at the same time to make you happy, nope….
Chandler is not living his life to please a fan lol sorry .. 🙂
he is doing the right thing to get an education and career/ cant be a soap actor all his life, they come and go, no security ..
The security comes with staying. People make fun of Alison Sweeney but she joined the cast when she was 16 and stayed for what is now 20+ years. Same with Kristen Alfonso (Hope). Joe Mascolo, John Anniston, Peggy McCay, etc.all stayed. Your support characters might be able to absorb a re-cast but not someone who is or becomes central to a story.
WOW!
So he should base all career and life decision he makes…around you?
Every performer of any genre owes their good fortune to their fans because it’s the fans who watch the TV show, buy the movie tickets and merchandise, buy the music, go to the concerts, etc. When that performer is part of a pairing like this they owe something to the other half of the pairing. We saw a re-cast for Bo did not work at all and even when Frank Parker (Shawn Brady) wanted to retire and was re-cast for a couple of years that didn’t work well, either. Just like Joe M “is” Stefano and James Scott “is” EJ, Chandler Massey “is” Will which is what made him different from the actos who played Will before him. It was the way he and Freddie clicked that made it work so well. Freddie Smith is gong to pay a very high price for this and it’s not fair. When CM signed this contract he was old enough to understand what a commitment was and what might happen if the pairing of Sonny and Will took off. and yet there was no consideration given to anyone else here at all.
I used to wonder why Ken Corday didn’t put more muscle behind the younger cast members, especially since anyone with even one working brain cell figured out Will and Sonny are the reason Days won for best drama after a 38-year drought. After this fiasco it finally hit me – the young ones don’t stay. it’s not like it was when Steve and Kayla first started – though both eventually left and returned, they stayed for years, not just one contract term . Same with Joe Mascolo. He’s left several times over standing up for the character of Stefano but he has stuck it out for the duration, too. Ditto Peggy McKay. And as much as people like to make fun of her, Alison Sweeney was 16 when she started with the show and she has stayed for 20+ years. The young ones now use it as a spring board and you can tell in the quality of the show. I watched days for nearly 40 years, almost from the very begnning and there isn’t the loyalty to other co-workers or fans that there used to be.
These are fans opinions. Haven’t you really loved a character in their role and then be upset when they left it??
Perhaps it is because I come for a theater background that I know every actor is replaceable, even the examples you cited in your response to me, such as AS as Sami, JA as Victor, PM as Caroline.
Of course that doesn’t mean I would like to see someone else in the role and the powers that be on daytime dramas know that, so if an actor has been on a soap ten or more years they don’t generally recast, they usually write off the character in some way that leaves it open for the actor to come back or the role to be recast much later.
But as always on soaps the main attraction is actually the story and if the story requires a character and the actor who played that role is no longer available or unwilling then they will recast and most viewers understand. Personally right now I would love them to recast Bo– the character is needed– so as much as I like PR in the role– I rather lose him than the character.
Also, casting directors are pretty skilled at their jobs– many leading characters in a number of soaps were recast successfully, over the years. The one example that comes to mind are the roles of Victoria and Marley Hudson on Another World. Three very different but equally talented ladies played those dual roles over the life of that character, Ellen Wheeler, Anne Heche and Jensen Buchanan. All three did a wonderful job and never once did I ever have trouble accepting each one in the role.
So my point is yes, the longer an actor plays a role the harder it is to recast that role, but in the end even a role like Alice Horton can be played by someone else other than Francis Reid if someone was to make a rebooted Days based on the early shows or a movie of those shows. If that happened they would need an Alice, so someone else would play that role.
Right now Days has this very good story line that features two characters that happen to be gay. Their sexuality isn’t the story line, like most gay characters on soaps have been in the past– they are fully rounded characters in story lines about other things who just happen to be gay as well. If Days wrote out Will, they might have to write out Sonny too— or introduce a new character who isn’t already tie to the core families and stories. For me neither those options will not help those two characters, but recasting Will keeps as is– no new character to bring in, no history to come up for a new character and they get to keep Sonny. Is it perfect? no, but since CM has free will, like all of us do, he has the right to do what he wants with his life. If he wants to go, he wants to go. Give the recast a chance and hopefully in time you can forgive CM for leaving
I’m with you Mary. Especially that last paragraph. Very well said and right on!
As a UC school graduate in Asian Studies (same as Chandler), let me assure you that Chinese is a very demanding language to learn. I could barely do a small part-time job as an undergrad. UCLA is no walk in the park. C made the right decision.
I wish Chandler well in his future endeavors, his brilliant acting touched many.
He has a bright future ahead of him and a good head on his shoulders.
I definitely think we will see him win another Emmy next year. His recent scenes with
Sonny’s mother after she surrenders the video showed that this actor is true to his craft.
The EMOTIONAL parts of ALL this….
grandma Marlena, mother Sammi, “Will”, Arianna Grace.
that DAYS culminated in powerful story.. is the big prize…
the layers… of continuity…. the rich history… days succeeds in… the generational familial bonds… that make up what serial is and what the fans and audience treasure.
i’m emotional and teared up just posting this.
Will’s emotional upheaval…. gramma Marlena’s heart pulled/bursting/pulsing for her grandson…. Sammi’ denial? defiant acceptance… daring anyone to fault her child.
and alas… full circle… with the fine acting choices of both Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey…
Will’ family…. Sonny and Arianna Grace.
this is rich history for the Brady’s. A big part of Salem.
Will’s struggles and acceptance.
Will and Marlena –
Will and Sammi –
Will and Sonny –
Will and Gabi/Arianna Grace –
DAYS success is celebrated… and there’s so much to love about Salem.
I am happy gthey are replacing hm cause I did not wnat to see WIlson storlyine end or have them break up I so wish they wouldof let him stay on tillhis contract was up. I would of loved to see him till april.,I think chandler does an awesome job and he is phemouniamal charactrer i wish him wiell in college and his career and hope he knoes howmych we all love him and gald to see the storline carry on
i will continure watching and give this new peson a chace.. yes chandler and freddie haave the chemisty lbut some one else cna come in and fillhis shoes they may not be better but could be but i think they could do agreat job and u may be surprised at who can do parts.. please do nto stop watching and give this new person achnace you may find out u may like him just as much.. he will have grat shoes to fill lbut i am w illing ot watch lcuase i love th s troyline
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I will miss him as Will, and his chemistry with Sonny. Hopefully the recast will be a good one. I wish Chandler the best, he will be missed!
Are you kidding me? Why let him go early? Glad the character will stay, but I don’t think the recast is going to be so awesome to let Chandler go.
I started watching Days back in the day when it aired in my country(i’m from holland)and I started watching it again on youtube when the Will and Sonny storyline was on.
i think the Chemistry between CM and FS is great and as I am sad to see Chandler go.I wish him wel and all the best in his future career.
I am glad they chose to recast the role off Will.so this storyline wil continue,imo thats better than to see it end and (maybe)see Sonny move on with someone else or even worse to have Freddie leave as wel.
As for the actor who is going to portray Will I hope he also wil have great chemistry with Freddie and I am curious who it is going to be.
So good luck to him and i hope it works out wel.
We just have to wait and see and hope for the best.
This could workout well for Days bc Michael from GH was recast amidst a very dramatic storyline and the current actor playing Michael is great!!! Maybe they can find the old Michael from GH!!! Lol
I have been a DOOL watcher for most of my life ( off and on 42 yrs) have watched the show go through a lot of changes by far the best coupling (Chandler Massey and Freddie Smith) I hate to see him go expectially as quick as he is. There will never be a better super couple then CM and FS. They were awesome. I honestly do not know if I will be able to watch with Chandler gone. But Freddie will get my continued support for his role and his other endevours. I will miss you Chandler and will always love the original Wilson.
I love the character that Chandler Massey has portrayed. I have been truly impressed how well he grew in this role as a gay man. I will miss him and I hope that his replacement can live up to the role. It will take some time to get used to a new person in the role. I do, however, hope for only the best for Chandler Massey. To begin with, when he first went into that role, I was not too impressed but “wow” he became one of the main reasons I watched the show. Good Luck to Chandler and hope he is successful in his future. I truly hope that we will sometime in the future see him again in some role in whatever media he chooses.
Sick at heart – the chemistry between Chandler and Freddie will be hard to duplicate and I’m not sure I want to watch another will Horton . That being said, I can understand letting him go now – school starts this month. I was getting turned off by the drawn out storylines (Kirsten/Brady; Dan/Jennifer even Sami/EJ) so perhaps it is time to stop watching – I quit watching about ten years ago and only started again because of the EJ/Sami/Rafe storyline and stayed on for the guys – I think Days is dying.
Chandler Massey will be tough to replace. Similar to Julie Marie Berman on General Hospital, Chandler is a two-time Emmy winner (JMB has won three). Tough for us viewers to get used to another face taking over a popular role. Good luck to Chandler with this education! Smart young man!
I hope they recast Gabi too! I don’t want Gabi to be killed off and I would hate to see her take off with or without the baby. Besides there is still story for her.
Hate to see him go
I was impressed with Chandler’s talent early on. In fact, I thought he was exceptionally talented, even wondered if he used method acting. I will watch anything he is in that I know about. So now, I guess I should follow him on twitter. I have been watching this show for 40 years. If he ever comes back to DOOL, KOOL. If not, I think Hollywood should scoop him up quick! Chandler, you are an excellent actor. I, selfishly, wish you continued success….so I can see you!
Love Wilson !!!
Chandler has made it clear he would be cool with Will being recast. If I remember
reading correctly; he acknowledged the value of Will for the legacy of the program.
If the show has found a new Will that can continue the great romance of Wilson
with Freddie Smith; then lets give the new guy a chance !!!
I am sure the new person was tested thoroughly for chemistry with Freddie. As the
new guy is half of a super couple with Freddie; Wilson who we all love !!!
I would like to point out Chandler was not the original Will.
Come on Wilson fans !!!
If the powers at Days found someone to start immediately; it says something for the
persons probable talent. Plus, just as important his chemistry with Freddie Smith !!!
Lets give the new Will and our couple of Wilson our support !!!
Geoff
I liked Chandler because of his pretty hair, face and body, and he was an intelligent, classy, straight-looking guy submitting to kisses by another great-looking straight guy. So HOT! Uh, his acting was good, too…. But there are guh-zillions of attractive actors in these United States.,,give the new guy a chance!
Well, Congrats to Jack Spratt for laying it all out as it is, perhaps too bluntly for some but true.Let me add I am a new watcher unlike everyone else here but without WilSon there is very little to be said for this comic soap.The other guys are played naïve and stupid and the women are just plain crazy. I swear I have never met a mother as clueless as Jennifer or men as dense as Dan and Brady. I realize this is the story line but it insults common intelligence. Am I wrong?
I agree, but it’s good entertainment. DOOL is comical in that, jus as when watching stand-up comics, we enjoy seeing and hearing people whose lives are worse than our own, who make fun of themselves, because it makes us fel better. So that seems key. I do think Chandler is special but there was an element of “I may be gay and having a tough time but I have more self-confidence than Will.” At the same time, we’re captivated by Chandler’s good looks that are right off a painting by Raffaello. I’m hoping for another great-looking Will but with more confidence, so the character and we, as viewers, can experience (vicarious) growth.
I wish Chandler the best. I had not watched DOOL in years. I started with the casting of Freddie Smith. I agree that Chandler will be hard to replace, but it has been done many times in the past. Sometimes the recasts work out better. Victoria Wyndham was not the first Rachel, Melody Thomas Scott was not the first Nikki, Sharon Case is the third Sharon, Robin Strasser was not the first Dorian, Tom Hughes was recast eleven times. This list could go on. I look forward to seeing the new Will.
I really hate this seeing Chandler go but it was his own idea I really did like him a lot and the gay story plot doesnt bother me at all. I guess we will just have to get use to this new guy. I will definately miss Chandler.all I can say is good luck to him no matter what he does. where i live they moved days to noon.
Does anyone know why Chandler is leaving? I certainly will miss him well but he will be missed.I only hope that this new guy is half as good as he was.I just cannot picture anyone else playing Will it wlil certainly take a while to get use t the new one.
I’m happy that he wants to further his career but I’m actually kind of mad. Will is the only one of the few charcters on “Days” that is constantly being replaced and just when you get comfortable with one another one comes in, like Dylan and now Chandler and it’s really getting frustrating now
You know I have read all the comments made . I just have to say yes I am going to miss the face of Chandler playing Will . Good luck to him. But to be honest he was a horrible actor . I just hope the person that takes his place , is as much as a great actor as Sonny ( Fredde) acting . I got so tired of seeing Chandler missing his marks . At best he is a B related actor . With the right actor with Freddie the Will and Sonny’s love story can go down in history as one of the best love story in daytime history .
I just can’t. I’ve been binge watching Days with Sonny and Will and it hurts so bad knowing Chandler isn’t going to be there anymore. I’ve literally watched 4 years of soaps in about 4 days and I’m completely hooked on Chandler. I don’t think I’d be able to watch Days without him unfortunately. :/
I have watched DOOL since I was about five years old. I am a Chandler fan and have to remind myself that he to was a recast and was not to welcomed by the fans of Dylan Patton, but Chandler won over all hearts with his acting ability and then by given the story of a life time (some like it and some do not) but one thing ever should be able to agree with is he did it and did a great job. He will be surely missed but not forgotten because if it wore
not for him the new Will would not have such a juiciey storyline to walk into. I think ever one needs to give Guy Wilson a chance and remember that he isn’t Chandler and he isn’t going to do everything like Chandler has done.
Was there rongs done? Yes, but done on both sides. Neither side had handled this situation right, but it is done and they and us have to live with the outcome of this.
I wish Chandler the best and Guy the best for he has a lot riding on his back this has to one of biggest and most important recast ever, at I think so.
Personally, I think Chandler is crazy for leaving Days, and leaving Days for college?! I know that’s what he wants to do, but, come on, really?! I would have given just about anything to be on Days when I was younger. And I know a lot of people that feel as I do. But it’s his life, Chandler was one of my very favorite characters, and I loved his gay relationship storyline with Sonny, and I just can’t see anybody else playing the role of Will (Chandler) . So in closing, I will miss you so much Chandler, but I do wish you the best of everything!!!! Very Sincerely, Cheryl M.
Don’t like the new will.
The June 22 episode of Days of Our Lives reminded us all of why Deidre Hall is iconic in the role of Dr. Marlena Evans. Here we are 50 years later, and Marlena is still the heroine of the long-running soap opera, and Deidre remains one of the most most recognizable names in the history of soaps.
To pay tribute, and to look back at the life and times of Marlena, the story starts with Marlena flipping through a photo album of her with John (the late Drake Hogestyn) over the years. As she misses him dearly, she gets a knock on the door and its none other than John’s son, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean).
With Andrew (Colton Little) in Salem working on a case, he sits down with Marlena, who says she can’t believe its been fifty years since she first arrived in Salem! Cue: Deidre’s first scenes on DAYS when she finds Mickey Horton (the late John Clarke) playing chess against himself inside the mental institution she worked.
Courtesy/Peacock
THE FLASHBACKS OF MARLENA’S LIFE
From there, viewers definitely got the cliff notes version of the history of Marlena and entrenched within them, some of the biggest moments in Deidre’s enduring run.
Paul thinks he is looking at 70s, and early 80s Marlena while going through her scrapbook, but he is actually looking at her twin, Samantha (Andrea Hall). Cue: when Marlena confronted Samantha about impersonating her, and then later getting a call on her radio show from the Salem Strangler (Jack Coleman as Jake Kostichek) who killed Samantha thinking it was Marlena.
In the present, Belle (Martha Madison) has arrived at this time to meet up with Paul, unaware of this trip down memory lane. She wants to go over the findings in the chess board mystery Stefano willed to Marlena and John, in private with him, since Marlena previously said she wanted nothing to do with it.
Back to the history lesson, Marlena speaks highly of Don Craig and even though their marriage didn’t work out, she could find a path forward with the new love her life, Roman Brady. (Wayne Northrop however is never shown, possibly to keep the story focused on John as Roman for confusion sakes?)
Paul sees a photo of a young Carrie (Christie Clark) in the album and Marlena says she was such a godsend after losing her baby. In fact, Marlena says caring for Carrie prepared her for her having and raising her own twins, Eric and Sami. Cue: The twin visiting Marlena in the hospital.
JOHN AND MARLENA’S LOVE CONQUERED ALL
Then, in a way to get through and incorporate the wild storylines only Marlena could have been in, she tells Belle and Paul, she has been through so much in her life, how lucky she was to find John, and some of the most unbelievable experiences no one could imagine. Cue: Marlena possessed by the devil and levitating from the bed. Next, John confronting Marlena being the Salem Stalker, where she admits she killed Alice Horton, pretends she needs help, then pulls a gun on her beloved John!
The comment is made by Paul and Marlena, that she literally has been to hell and back and she could not have survived were it not for her beloved John. Cue the big emotional highpoint clips; The Pier Scene! Marlena steps out of the fog when John sees her from a distance. After believing she was dead for four years, here she was before him in one of the greatest reunions in a soap opera love story in history. What followed were other times of the life of times of Jarlena.
Courtesy/Peacock
MARLENA’S ‘GIFT’ FROM STEFANO HAS A NEW CLUE
When Marlena makes a brief exit to the other room, Belle fills in Paul on the chess set Stefano left her mother and the photo of the Lire. Paul said he will investigate. Marlena comes back into the room and overhears, and says to promise her if things get dangerous he will back off, she does not want anyone hurt by Stefano’s games.
As the episode comes to a conclusion, it’s just Belle and Marlena going through the photo album giggling about 70s hairstyles and all the memories. Belle speaks on the impact Marlena has had in everyone’s lives, and that she is both the heart of their family and the heart of Salem.
An end card comes up acknowledging Deidre Hall’s 50th anniversary as Marlena, and we fade to black.
So, what did you think of Marlena’s walk down memory lane? Were you happy to see the flashback clips utilized throughout? Were you touched by the scenes and the performance of Deidre Hall? Let us know what you thought of Deidre’s 50th anniversary episode via the comment section below.
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.
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