Days Of Our Lives
Huffington Post on DAYS WilSon: "The Presence, Power & Charm Of The Couple Cannot Be Denied!"
Courtesy/NBC
Who says WilSon are not one of soaps power couple these days? For those naysayers, look no further than a fantastic piece today in the Huffington Post from blogger Andrew Benkovic, who is not your avid soap viewer!
In fact, he relates that he never watched DAYS in his life, or more than a minute or two of a soap opera here and there in his life! So how does he know about WilSon played by Chandler Massey (Will) and Freddie Smith (Sonny)? See below!
Huff Post: “However, one day in-between watching random videos, I stumbled upon a clip of Will and Sonny on YouTube. I clicked on it. I didn’t care that they were a gay couple (at the time they were “friends” and weren’t the “Wilson” power couple. Will was going through a few issues). After the clip ended, I wanted to go back and watch the previous clips. Cue the loyal fans who had each clip in order from the very beginning. At the time they were primarily of Will, since Sonny was considered a recurring character and didn’t appear that much.
Watching the clips only took a few hours to go through since the storyline was newer. Since Days will soon be entering into its 48th season (it premiered in November), It would be nearly impossible to catch-up on everything, especially the older storylines. The younger storylines, like Will and Sonny’s help to draw in new and younger viewers. While I find myself confused at times with references and actions of some of the characters (or the fact that there is a random couch in the middle of a square and they drink an excessive amount of coffee), it is this storyline that keeps me grounded and watching.”
Later in the article Benkovic, closes with the following paragraph: “Whether or not the sand runs out on Will and Sonny is up to the writers and others involved. There is word (though not officially confirmed by the actor) that Massey doesn’t plan on returning to Salem after his contract runs out this December. Still, fans can currently enjoy the ups-and-downs of one of (if not the biggest) daytime television power couple. Even if you are not a fan of Days of our Lives or soaps in general, the presence, power, and charm of the couple cannot be denied.”
So soap fans, do you think WilSon are one of soaps power couples these days? Do you think the characters are well-written? Do you love the on-screen chemistry between Chandler and Freddie? What do you think DAYS should do with the couple, if as had been noted, Chandler leaves the series in December? Weigh-in!
The one thing I hope they do NOT do….as I read somewhere a rumor that Camila Banus may also be leaving….is have Will & Gabi exit as a couple with the baby. It would be a huge slap in the face to the Will & Sonny fans as well as to the gay community.
I would rather see Will exit in one of the tried & true soap machinations, a coma or just disappear at the hands of Stefano. This leaves the door open if Chandler should ever want to return or a recast in the future (though Ken Corday has said the role would not be).
Since Days has done such a great job of writing for a gay couple it would be a shame if they also wrote off Sonny. I would rather see him move on after a period of time with someone new (hopefully, in a longer time period then they have had Jennifer jump into Daniel’s arms again).
WilSon? who comes up with these stupid names?!
I AM glad to see that this awesome couple is getting such great recognition. Both actors are awesome and they’re a huge reason why I continue to watch this show.
There were limited choices with this pair…Winny, Sill. I would have gone with Soil.
I would just choose Will & Sonny.
makes me think of that singing group Wilson Phillips…
haha! I hate when magazines and media put two people together in a name. It’s so lame!
Oh, I despise those horrible nicknames people come up with. SOD just had an entire crossword puzzle filled with them. Needless to say, I did a lousy job filling them in..haha.
Amen to that!
Great characters and great actors. I hope they can find a way to keep Chandler.
Oh man, me TOO!!! He’s my favorite on Days!!! Give that kid the world and keep him 🙂
I will be glad when the gay stuff is over and we can get back to normal romance and such.
I’m sorry, but Wilson is a normal couple. More so than any other couple on Days actually.
Troll.
i love the gay storyline on days. j the gay stuff is normal if you dont like it. dont watch days. days made the right decision. in will coming out. days ratings are up.
‘normal’ romance. “?”.
two men kissing…. two men in Love… two men sexual…. two men with the same ideals… two men with the same challenges…. two men doing…. what you know is channeling our own piece of the pie.
Wow! Yikes! Yahoo! shout from the roof tops…
I love my life. on DAYS.
If they write out Sonny when Will leaves that means only a small step was achieved in soaps regarding the gay community. Having the ” gay couple” shouldn’t be the story line, the story line is the romance between two characters who happen to be gay. If Sonny stays and has to to through a broken heart, his mother’s I told you so and then finds love again, I will be relieved. It would mean they are treating Sonny like any straight couple on the show that suffers a similar fate when one half of the couple leaves– then we will know Days has integrated the gay community into the fabric of humanity. If Sonny leaves with Will and there is no longer any characters who are also homosexual then Days has only use homosexuality as a plot point, which is only appearing progressive–which is better than nothing, but not the step forward some were hoping for.
I totally agree. Freddie should be given the chance to shine once CM leaves.
ditto… @both… with.
I hope they don’t squander Freddie Smith’ acting talent.
I’m in a quandry about what is to become.
I agree with you MarySF… that they continue on with Freddie Smith. I posted, perhaps this will enliven Sonny & Brian? course i’d love it if T would come back full time as well.
I’m more championing that DAYS has the cast to cull from… and not look at this as such a big void…. AND IT WILL BE. especially, when you look at it from the standpoint… ie: Marlena – Sammi – Will – Arianna grace… all the history that belong in Salem.
I was remiss in my boistrous “claim” that I can let go of Will… ie: because of the supreme court rulings with Prop. 8 and DOMA… NBC/Sony/Days… deserve all the accolades… in bringing to ALL of us… hey… that’s a headline… major coupe… “one of (if not the biggest) daytime television power couple…”
I will echo how good this has all turned out.
I love this couple.
How awesome that this is on the Huffington Post site? Wilson are bringing wonderful attention to the show as well as accolades from fans and critics alike. They are just another bright spot in a really well written and produced show right now, and I hope the writer gets to experience how fantastic the whole show is. Keep this great stuff coming!! Write it, and they will come!!
right now… i’m looking at it… that Will is working till december… 6 more months… and knowing that DAYS films 4 months in advance… that we’ll have Will on air for close to 10 months to a year left…
so… KUDOS DAYS… GIVE US more GAY story….
an in love couple.
Great to see this great couple getting some outside soap world media attention!
lol…hey, i mentioned that couch in the square first. And for being outdoors, its in better shape than the one in my living room.
if chandler leaves days of our lives. they should recast him with drew garret ex michael corinthos gh. he would make a great will horton.
Inspired choice! Chandler will be tough to replace, but Drew was really strong in his role. While I’m on the fence about a recast (just because I’m still in denial that Chandler would leave 🙁 !!!) I think that could definitely work.
according to the Corday interview… he is saying… right now… currently… that they will not re-cast Will.
for Freddie Smith sake….unless they bring back Brian…..
A gaping hole in the history of family drama will be unfilled. Such a beloved character…regardless of whether he is gay or not… is voided… out… so? I can see how they should recast…
capturing the magic… DANG! how blessed I am that this soap scored a coupe and ratings gold…. to contribute solid story for the whole production.
I have not watched much of Will and Sonny. I only hope that the HW and EP of DOOL are not stupid like CG and JP of ATWT; and write an ending for Will and Sonny like the horrendous endings of Luke and Reid, and Luke and Noah.
As a fan of the late ATWT, I can promise you Wilson are going infinitely better than either of Luke’s romantic partners. Both had tension and build up, with very little work within the relationships themselves. Wilson are in a full fledged relationship, with story, airtime and a portrayal like any other romantic relationship on the show. Try it, and see what you think. Watch clips from 2012 and move forward to present day. You might like what you see :).
My gut has been telling to watch Wilson for a long time but my heart and mind are holding me back. I invested my time faithfully with NUKE and LURE SLs on ATWT like many viewers; only to be slapped in the face with atrocious endings for both. At that time I decided not to watch any more gay SLs because they always end on sad notes. I have not seen a single North American show were gay and lesbian SLs are given equal footage and treatment. Even QAF mucked up the BRITIN ending; however, it was much better than the NUKE and LURE endings. But if DOOL is giving WILSON equal treatment, then that’s wonderful.
I can’t promise Wilson will end “well”, but I can say with pretty much certainty that Chandler Massey’s Will will not be killed off when the actor vacates the role in December (which we won’t see on air until March/April 2014). I don’t know if knowing this information now, if you didn’t already, will make you any more inclined to watch the show or follow the couple or help you decide once and for all that you won’t invest. But I can also (almost) promise that if you watch what they have done with and for this couple, and the character of Will in general (for Will himself probably since the fall of 2011 actually since that’s when problems with his girlfriend Gabi first arose and the wheels started turning in another direction), you won’t be disappointed. I can only hope for all us fans that they continue to take us on this beautiful journey they’ve had us on and that however it ends, they keep the couple’s history in mind and do their goodbye justice.
I understand where you’re coming from though. I don’t usually get attached to too many couples on any show, but your explanation is exactly why I seldom if ever watch primetime dramas anymore because they get cancelled so easily and then you’re left with a crappy ending the show was never meant to have. I can relate to your sentiments in that sense.
On a side note though, if you haven’t already try Six Feet Under. One of the main characters is gay and has a relationship with another man in particular that’s his “it” guy we root for. I mean, their story goes to pretty….uh….interesting places but no more whacked than the other couples/relationships on the show. I never watched QAF but I think I can say this may be what you’re looking for…?
Chandler and Freddie are excellent actors. I am happy for Chandler receiving two Emmys for his work on the show. But I am not a fan of the gay storyline. I never wanted any character on the show to be gay, especially Will Horton.
I don’t enjoy the gay love scenes. I either look away from the tv screen or close my eyes so I don’t see it. It is pretty annoying to have to do that.
I introduced my Mom to Days. She has never watched any soap before. Days is growing on her, but the other day there was a Wilson love scene and Mom said, “This has got to go!”
Chandler will be missed when he leaves Days in December. But his departure may be a gift for those of us who are not fans of gay love scenes. I don’t want Chandler to go. But if it means I don’t have to put up with that gay crap…at least for a while (I am sure NBC will want it back in again), HALLELUJAH!
SEX.
Intimacy.
pull off your blinders.
embrace LOVE.
—————–
I celebrate, stand with, and voice… Homosexuality… which, is normal…. and more than ‘gay crap’.
open your eyes and know you see the same things that we are all created like.
I said “crap”. I meant “crap”. And I will NOT take it back!
Your words are unkind, thoughtless and offensive – you could at least say “that particular storyline doesn’t interest me” and not refer to it as “gay crap” – after all, EVERY storyline isn’t going to appeal to EVERY viewer ~ if you don’t care for it, don’t watch it.
Chandler first of all certainly earned his two Emmys. He is just fantastic and I love his heart. Freddie is good too but needs more exposure to acting to sell some of the scenes which is hard when you are working with Chandler. I wish Will wasn’t leaving but I hope Sonny gets a good storyline with a new acquaintance. Good luck to both of you.
huffington post seems to only report on day soaps if it’s abt gay issues like w/ missy reeves’ opinion on chik fil a. Stupid huffington post has no credibility. It has sections called lgbt voices and African american voices and Latino american voices. But of course it has no section called Asian american voices yet lgbt population is much smaller than Asian american population. Typical bec media never prioritizes Asian american issues. huffington post reports on a fictional days couple but won’t write any article on the blatant racism directed at chris noth bec his wife’s part African american and part Asian american. Yet chris noth is more well known than days actors bec noth was on night soap opera satc. huffington post writes abt a gay couple yet won’t write abt the complete lack of Asian american chars on every day soap opera!
There have been, through the years, a representation of Asian Americans on various soaps, but certainly not in abundance. I can understand your comments and perhaps, as more shows migrate to an On-line presentation, more characters will be introduced featuring varying backgrounds of ethnicity. Soaps have an uncanny way of showing us primarily thin, attractive people – it is rare that a soap character seems to have a weight problem or is hopelessly considered unattractive. So, I don’t think we should really expect the soaps to honestly reflect actual every day life, but I do think that they could expand on showing cultural differences and offer a broader range of ethnic groups.
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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