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
‘Days of Our Lives’ Favorites Making Returns: Alison Sweeney, Christie Clark, Chandler Massey and Bryan Dattilo
Great news for Days of Our Lives fans, now that Ryan Quan is co-head writer of the long-running soap opera. Coming in June of 2027 (since DAYS tapes ten or so months ahead), you can look forward to the returns of Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady), Christie Clark (Carrie Brady), Chandler Massey (Will Horton) and Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton).
The foursome is back on set and began last week to tape their upcoming story arc, according to TV Insider. As to what exactly is going on that brings sister Sami and Carrie’s history back up, as well as Will and Lucas’ is only being teased at this time, but suffice to say, it should be intriguing.
Alison Sweeney explained on being back on set, “It was a lot of dialogue and emotion, but with all the best actors to work opposite, we fell into it as if no time had passed. It was really wonderful.”
Photo: JPI
As to working with the longstanding rivalry of Sami and Carrie, Alison added on working with Clark, “So, it really does feel like we’re sisters. It’s so fun, and she’s such a good actor that she makes everything so natural that you can really disappear into those stories.”
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES
It also seems like the deep-history, which often had the sister fighting for the love of Austin Reed, but that might not figure into the equation this time, or will it?
Alison indicated what she thought of the scripts she was given. “I felt like when I read it, it was a page-turner. I was very excited. There’s a lot of history here, and a lot of things that haven’t been said. So, it’s really not like, ‘Oh, rehashing stuff.’ And now having played some of the scenes, I’m psyched.” Sweeney added, as for the men, working again with her on-screen son, Chandler Massey and Will’s on-screen father Bryan Dattilo, was also extra special.
The last time DAYS viewers saw Sami on the canvas was back in November of 2025, when she revealed she has gotten engaged to never-before-seen Dante Vitali. As for Clark, she last visited Salem for the episodes surrounding John Black’s memorial in June of 2025.
Chandler Massey’s Will Horton last made a visit to Salem in November of 2025 when he attended the gala for the Tom Horton Free Clinic as part of the soap opera’s 60th anniversary celebration. Bryan Dattilo was last seen in December of 2025. So, by the time we see all four again it will be close to two years since they were on new episodes of the series. Time to look forward to June of 2027.
So, excited by the news of Alison, Christie, Chandler and Lucas making a return to Days of Our Lives? What do you think the story will be involving, Sami, Carrie, Lucas and Will? Let us know via the comment section.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of Our Lives’ Alum Al Calderon Talks On His Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes as Javi Hernandez (Exclusive)
Last Tuesday, Al Calderon scored the first Emmy nomination of his career for his role as Javi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives.
Calderon name was announced as one of the performers competing for gold in the Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series category at the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards on October 30.
This week, Calderon chatted live on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel for a one-on-one conversation where he discussed: his nominated scenes and time on the Peacock streaming soap opera, his decision to leave DAYS, his role of Nico Silva on Brilliant Minds and its sad cancellation, plus his passing the torch of Javi to Jacob Martinez, who took over the role on-screen on the June 30, 2026 episode of Days of Our Lives.
Photo: JPI
JAVI REVEALS TO LEO THAT HE HAD A DAUGHTER WHO DIED
Al revealed the scenes that comprise his now Emmy-nominated reel have at its epicenter the heartbreaking moments from the September 12, 2025 episode. In it, Javi shares for the first time to Leo (Greg Rikaart) that he had a daughter named Solana, with a woman he was seeing named Sylvia. One fateful day, Sylvia left their child in a car when she went to work and the little girl died. Javi had blamed himself for not being the parent to take his daughter to school that day since he was hungover the night before, therefore it opened up the opportunity for something to happen to the his child, and it did.
The multi-talented actor/singer explained his reel: “It was the scene where he is talking about his daughter to Leo. I also included the scene where Javi goes to talk to Melinda (Tina Huang) and to see if it would be a viable option to adopt, because I wanted to introduce the subtlety and nuance of why Javi kind of has this whole connection to Tesoro, in a way.”
It is true that Al can bring the tears and make us cry right along with him during his run as Javi. To that, Calderon added, “I’ve read the comments that I’m a little bit of a crybaby, so I didn’t want the entire reel to be of me crying, but I wanted it to show a little bit of an emotional range of the restraint that Javi was feeling so I included that scene
In addition Calderon shared, “I also included a really beautiful scene with Cherie Jimenez (Gabi Hernandez, DAYS) where I’m looking at photos of Tesoro, and of course, Javi is crying. I just wanted to show the relationship between Javi and his family as well, and as I mentioned the reveal of the child that he lost.”
Photo: JPI
ALUMS AL CALDERON AND ALICE HALSEY REPRESENT DAYS OF OUR LIVES IN EMERGING TALENT CATEGORY
In a twist of fate, Calderon is also nominated in the Emerging Talent category with Alice Halsey who played Rachel Black. Halsey is currently starring in the reboot of Little House on the Prairie in the lead role of Laura Ingalls on Netflix.
As to his hope on Emmy night, Al expressed, “Of course, I want to win, but Alice Halsey is going to give me a run for the money. And if’s not me (who wins the award), it better be her!”
You can check out the full interview with Al below.
Now let us know, do you remember Al’s emotional scenes when he explained to Leo he had a daughter who died, which made it all the more heartbreaking to not end up with permanent custody of Tesoro? What do you think of Al’s chances to win the gold based on his Emmy scene selection? Do you miss him as Javi? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Days Of Our Lives
Emily O’Brien Talks On Her Y&R Past as Jana Hawkes and Working with Peter Porte on ‘Days of Our Lives’
On the latest edition of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart which dropped on Tuesday, July 21, Emily O’Brien is the featured guest. As soap fans know, Emily has worked with Rikaart both in her first soap role on The Young and the Restless as Jana Hawkes and now on Days of Our Lives in her current role of Gwen Rizczech.
While Emily continues on DAYS, she has very impressive list of credits in the other part of her career as a voice-over actress and one in motion-capture in some of the most popular video games in the world.
O’Brien was first seen on The Young and the Restless back in 2006. She recalled her landing the role which eventually paired her for her five year run with Greg Rikaart.
Photo: JPI
BEING CAST ON THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
“The role was just a few days and she wasn’t even supposed to be English,” Emily recalled. “The role was originally called Jade. Karen Rae, the casting director of The Young and the Restless at the time said to me “Oh, you’re from England. Try it with the dialect.” I put it on and she said, ‘I’m going to bring you back at like 3 for s callback.’ So then they changed the role to Jana and they said she’s going to be a Brit. I was only supposed to be on for like five episodes and it turned into 5 years.”
In explaining why she loved crazy Jana, Emily shared, “Jana was sort of like the misanthrope. She was just was the odd one out and I loved it. I felt so comfortable playing that because she was just eclectic and weird and she loved playing with Ouija boards and she rode a motorbike. There was just so much color to bring to her. It was just such a great match to play with Greg (Kevin), and Christian LeBlanc (Michael) and Tracey Bregman (Lauren).
Photo: JPI
GWEN, DIMITRI AND LEO ON DAYS OF OUR LIVES
On Days of Our Lives, the Leo, Gwen, Dimitri dynamic is quite unique and been through many schemes and entanglements. Often Emily finds herself in repartee with her ex-lover, Dimitri, who turned out to be gay and then had a thing for her bestie, Leo (Greg Rikaart)!
During the conversation, Greg and Emily sang, Peter Porte’s praised with O’Brien expressing, “Peter is just ready to play. He comes on set prepared. I’ve never seen him with his script. From blocking and rehearsals, he doesn’t have it. He’s prepared. He’s a physical actor and he always trying to come up with something. I think he let me slap him. He let me kiss him. He let me throw a cheeseburger in his lap. He’s ready for anything for anything.”
You can catch the full episode of ‘Soapy; featuring Emily O’Brien below where the actress also talks about replacing Jen Lilley as Theresa Donovan after being let go as Gwen; and being paired again with Greg Rikaart on the Peacock streaming soap opera this time as best friends and more.
So, were you a big Jana Hawkes and Kevin Fisher fan on Y&R? Did you like them as a couple? Do you like the dynamic between Emily and Peter Porte and Greg Rikaart on DAYS? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Lucas Adams and Tamara Braun Written Out of The Young and the Restless
Rosie O’Donnell Says She Will Return to ‘The View’ During its Season 30
WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night Two: Top 5 Takeaways
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Serena Sets Her Sights on Michael; Jason’s Emotional Exit from the Mob
‘General Hospital’ Fan Club Weekend 2026 (Photos)
GH Alum Nicholas Alexander Chavez Lands Role in Paramount’s Remake of ‘Possession’
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Reveals His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy-Nominated Reel Did Not Contain Monica’s Funeral
‘General Hospital’ Ethan Lovett Recast: Christian Howard Replaces Nathan Dean
‘General Hospital’ Alum Colin Cassidy to Appear in Ryan Murphy’s ‘The Shards’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ethan Lovett Hightails Out of the Country, Christian Howard Wraps His Stint
Lucas Adams and Tamara Braun Written Out of The Young and the Restless
Rosie O’Donnell Says She Will Return to ‘The View’ During its Season 30
WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night Two: Top 5 Takeaways
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Serena Sets Her Sights on Michael; Jason’s Emotional Exit from the Mob
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Katie is Suspicious of Dylan and Warns Will, Steffy Takes Off to Monaco
-
General Hospital5 days agoGH Alum Nicholas Alexander Chavez Lands Role in Paramount’s Remake of ‘Possession’
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Reveals His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy-Nominated Reel Did Not Contain Monica’s Funeral
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ Ethan Lovett Recast: Christian Howard Replaces Nathan Dean
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ Alum Colin Cassidy to Appear in Ryan Murphy’s ‘The Shards’
-
General Hospital3 days agoGENERAL HOSPITAL: Ethan Lovett Hightails Out of the Country, Christian Howard Wraps His Stint
-
News5 days ago‘The Young and the Restless’ Names New Co-Head Writers: Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor
-
News6 days agoY&R’s Billy Flynn and Gina Comparetto Reveal Birth of Their Third Child and It’s a Girl!
-
News5 days agoErika Slezak to Celebrate 80th Birthday; How Fans Can Share a Special Memory and Message to the Soap Opera Icon
