Days Of Our Lives
James Scott Comments: “I Will Never. Never. Never. Never. Never, Go Back to Hollywood Let Alone DOOL”
Those hoping that finally James Scott would return to his signature daytime soap role of EJ DiMera on Days of our Lives, now that Alison Sweeney is on her way back to the show this fall for a longer run as Sami, can count those hopes now dashed and for good.
In a post on his Instagram account for his meditation and contemplations Sunday morning Zoom series and website, Scott posed with Deepak Chopra. When a fans posted a comment in the IG account how they miss him on DAYS and to come back with Sami, James replied, “Hi – thanks for joining me here. Please know that I will never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Go back to Hollywood let alone DOOL. There is notbing interesting there for me. J”
Fan favorite James Scott, who has been MIA from the acting profession for awhile now is running The Whisper Within – and as detailed by the website, Scott explains how he left acting to be more involved with meditation and helping others find inner-peace – “In 2014, after a successful career in the entertainment industry, I found myself with everything and nothing. I had money, celebrity, and status and the grief to match it. I had worked tirelessly for the better part of two decades to attain wealth and validation, yet no external thing could touch the emptiness I felt and the worthlessness I experienced. I knew that something unknown wished to be known—something I could feel only through its apparent absence. In my despair and depression, I faced a simple choice: to change my lived experience or to end it. One felt impossible; the other easy I had already spent so much time reading self-help books, attending workshops and retreats, drinking concoctions with shamans, exploring tantra and abstaining from sex all together, dancing and singing, and many more practices, which had done little or nothing to abate the loneliness.
Desperate and in despair, still seeking, still suffering, I found my way to an Indian meditation center. I went for a week and stayed for a year. It was there in my own reflection that I found the teacher I had been seeking silently waiting to be known. At first, there was rage and anger, but eventually the intensity of the fire burned low and sadness took its place. I cried and cried until I cried myself empty and something new arose: beneath it all, I discovered a newfound peace. Like a fragrance arising from deep within, I heard the sound of the silence that can never be spoken: the eternal wisdom of the whisper within. To live from this place is my practice and my path. To inspire others to do the same is my purpose.”
So, what do you think about James’ comments and path that he has now gone down for his life? Do you think its time for DAYS to finally re-cast EJ? Comment below.
He’s hot. And you know the old saying – they all come crawling back to Hollywood. In the above story, you might want to replace the word mediation with meditation. BIG difference…
Good for him for sticking to his guns. It is clear he has zero interest, and I hope that people allow him to live out his life in the ways for which he wants to. I am happy he seems to be happy with himself currently, and that is what matters at the end of the day.
Definitely time to re-cast! Not sure who, but just makes more sense.
Considering the failure rate of recasts under the ReRon regime at Days, it’s probably best to leave the character off the canvas.
The last thing we need is a male equivalent of NOT-Diana Colville or NOT-Eve Donovan.
It was really a dumb idea to have Elvis be one of Rolf’s zombies without a plan to bring James back, which he clearly has no interest in. They thought it would give them a convenient excuse to keep Sami out of town, “caring for her husband”, but now she’s coming back to Salem more often, so it’s probably best just to pull the plug on the unseen character again, and say Elvis has left the building, permanently.
Worth remembering the head writer in NY has almost nothing to do with casting. And while characters from long ago are free to have their personalities and priorities shifted around, EJ is too recent, with too many current connections, to be very different a character. Personally, I don’t think he’s needed. Let Sami get the bad news that he’s never going to get better than he already has and go through a great letting go story, then find love again. With Lucas or someone new. Enough time has passed.
Eve Donovan’s recast with Kassie DePaiva did not originate under Ron Carlivati; Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell were head writers during that time. Stop trying to blame Carlivati for something he did not originate in writing.
On the topic of EJ DiMera the character- The show should have allowed EJ to remain missing, or confirmed he in fact had died. It would leave the door open down the road for him to reunite with Sami (not necessarily on-screen), perhaps at the closing of the show. Then Sami would be free until then to be with Lucas again, or even Rafe. They made a mistake resurrecting EJ too soon. Now, they should consider killing him off for good. Let EJ go with whatever is left of his dignity (unfortunately, not much after his ill-fated resurrection).
If he’s happy that’s great but I will always miss him on days he was wonderful.
Just four little words from me. No one is indispensible.
I’m delighted that he is doing what fulfills his soul and am delighted that he is happy and contented and willing to help others fill the emptiness within their own souls! I miss him as an imaginary character I enjoyed but I real like & admire and respect this man!
A bit rude. Recast since he doesn’t want to come back. Loved him as EJ, but these comments leave a bad taste in my mouth.
I’m gonna get hammered for this but here goes…………….
His responses seem a little “nutty” to me. The majority of people work like dogs to support a family and have some financial well-being. I’m too busy trying to balance the demands of a job, family and simply life to spend a lot of time speculating about “loneliness”, the meaning of life, etc. Yes, everyone should be happy with their life. (I generally am and certainly am not miserable). However, every day isn’t a picnic. But the rigors of a particular day are just part of the package.
This guy had a lucrative acting career — one that 90% of actors who are struggling just to pay a power bill would kill to have. I roll my eyes when I read comments from a celebrity spouting the type of stuff he says in this interview. He had a good, solid, financially good career going. Yet, he walks away from it to practice yoga, meditate and other things to overcome “loneliness”? Fine, but that ain’t gonna pay the mortgage or help your retirement account.
I may be too much of a realist. I would never abandoned my career for some ill-defined, spiritual quest. He seems like a “flake” to me.
His story is sort of reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s founding guitarist, Peter Green, who walked away from that band just as they were starting to get famous. He gave away all his money and went off in search of spiritual fulfillment. Of course, this being in the early 1970s, there were also some psychedelic substances involved, but some of those have been used in spiritual ceremonies by various indigenous peoples for centuries.
Not sure if James has had any “chemical” help in his spiritual journey, but if the man’s happy and didn’t abandon a family or leave anybody in debt, then more power to him, I guess. Hey, I’m the Devil! I’m the last one to discourage anybody from walking their own path!
“I” thought for sure, he left because of how bad, at that time.. the writing gets !!!! that would gnaw at me… even if, it paid the bills. I don’t know, if assessing from his BIO @wiki. you’d think he never tried Hollywood. he did a pilot in 2016.. and nada zilch, dropped off the earth. AND at that time he was neither married or a parent. so i can believe that he did have issues, demons, challenges, ( age 25 when he started AMC… and was 35 when he left @DAYS.. and left America). to up and leave EVERY THING. well… i’m just glad that he had a nest egg… and “sought” energies , that , after 6 years… he’s still being
perhaps his response, was a once and for all… fans persistence – he is an incredible actor… I so wish he would have won… best lead actor… nominated in year 2011, 2012. shoot
James Scott’ you dance
Barbara : I do like your last sentence’ first para:
“…However, every day isn’t a picnic. But the rigors of a particular day are just part of the package. ”
oh, i can only add, that our lives , are this amenable. to let things go… unfortunately, we have our lot to pick up and carry and let go when it’s time
do i pick love – easily
right – ? –
still dancing amongst you
That is fine for you, Barbara. But not everyone needs to live a life filled with materialistic possessions, and in the eye of an acting career. Clearly, he was lonely from it (as many are) and sought an out to find his own path, and that is what should ultimately matter. If he’s happy and content, why should that make him or his quest “ill-defined?” Quite judgmental of you, if I am being honest. Those in glass houses should not throw stones.
Barbara,et all
Not much to say about this. I understand everyone’s reasoning and agree with just about everything said, but in the end some people are never satisfied. even if they were hung with a new rope, go figure.
I’m with you, Barbara; no hammering here at all. It always makes me a little weary when people who have had wealth and success talk about leaving it all behind to seek “fulfillment” or some such. It’s not that I’m not happy for him, if he’s happy, but most of us—as you so accurately pointed out—don’t have the luxury of doing that. To me, it comes off as a kind of “more-evolved-than-though” preaching or maybe some kind of bragging, even, and as Julia Sugarbaker would say, “And that’s not nice.” I won’t begrudge him his spiritual fulfillment, since that’s certainly a legitimate life goal, but it would be less off-putting if he could speak of it in a way that (1) didn’t seem to be looking down his nose at the rest of us (who don’t have the luxury of doing what he’s done) and (2) showed some level of gratitude for the career that (apparently) has made it possible (financially) for him to pursue his higher goals. There’s more than a hint of smugness in what he’s saying–because of the way he says it–that does not come off as at all attractive. He might consider working on that part of himself, too. If he wants to “inspire others to do the same,” he may need to work on his script a bit.
I think it’s a bit unfair to pass judgement on someone’s journey. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Who knows what this man is going through. Sure, he looks great and has a ton of money but that doesn’t mean that he should be fulfilled by those things. Everyone’s walk in life is different. We don’t all view life through the same lens and that doesn’t make some of us “flakes,” that’s just what makes us individuals. All unique, with individual wants and desires. His journey is not mine and it’s not yours, it’s his.
OMG I’m glad someone else said it!!!! I feel
the same way! Recast with another British accented cute actor and it will work! Everyone loves the Chad that we have now. ♀️
Recast Hope too with Eric Brady’s real life wife!
Apparently when James Scott says “let alone Days of Our Lives”, that tells me that he did not have a very good relationship when he left the show with either the cast, the crew, or the writers. So that may be why he’s being very emphatic in saying that he’s not going back there anymore. And considering the bit of a shitshow that Days of Our Lives is in lately, it’s probably best they just let the character of EJ die off.
Given the way that Ken Corday treated KA, the rude and unprofessional way that they notified the actors who were affectionately called WilSon that they had been fired left a horrible taste in my mouth. I’m wondering now if NBC is going to give Days another year.
Perhaps, the show was smart enough to move on from the political crap that happened with Missy Reeves and permanently decided to do a complete recast with Cady McClain.
I am pretty sure that he hated the way EJ’s character was being written. From what I have read, James Scott absolutely DESPISED EJ’s affair with Abigail. Like he hated it. I dont think he liked that after EJ raped Sami, he was still considered a fan favorite.
I didn’t like EJ’s affair with Abigail either.
I didn’t like the affair either, and if you remember she wasn’t totally innocent in the whole thing.
Wow, good luck.
He was my favorite but happy for him
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.
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