Days Of Our Lives
John-Paul Lavoisier Done at Days of our Lives!
Courtesy/IMDB
Another more recent casting acquisition is exiting Days of our Lives.
According to Soap Opera Digest on Tuesday, former One Life to Live star John-Paul Lavoisier, who returned to daytime as a recast Phillip Kiriakis of Salem, is leaving the long-running NBC soap opera.
According to SOD, Lavoisier will finish taping this month and exit on-screen towards the end of the year. JP debuted on DAYS back in 2015, and first aired in December of that year.
Just what this means for the role of Phillip remains to be seen. Is a DAYS recast forthcoming? Could Jay Kenneth Johnson come back to reprise the role? Will the role just be written off the canvas?
Lavosier spent almost 11 years on One Life to Live as pivotal character Rex Balsom. Prior to his latest gig at DAYS he was featured in two online soap series: Winterthorne and Beacon Hill.
So, what do you think of the exit of Lavoisier? Did he never catch fire as Phillip? What do you think DAYS should do next with the role of Phillp? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Seems like all dool does is stunt casting but they don’t ever back it up long term
WHY…oh why….does this show…and others….keep hiring A List soap stars, ad wastig them????????
I love John Paul Lavoisier!
I never really cared much for the actor when on OLTL, or on DOOL. On OLTL, I thought his character was very immature and annoying. On DOOL, I think he was miscast. Best of luck to him; but, DOOL needs to clean-out Salem-starting with the teen scene. I stopped DVR-ing the show. It’s just been awful.
Agree re Lavoisier. You said it perfectly.
Agree,he has never been a actor more of an ego; and with a number of unemployed former soap actors that could do justice to the role they should be able to recast.
Agree!
“Days of our Lives” is just a revolving door these days. Another dumb casting decision.
This was one of the worst casting decisions, IMO. I watched the Chloe & Phillip scenes today (Wednesday) and the character was totally miscast.
Sadly this is typical of Days at this point. I feel sorry for these actors who are seduced and abandoned by the show. If he didn’t catch fire as Phillip it’s because the writers never struck a match and gave him anything much to do. All that Days is doing at this point is training viewers not to invest an their characters. It’s here today, gone six months from now. I thought he was great in the role. As much as I want to like Days it is becoming increasingly unwatchable, at times literally – turn on some lights so I can see what isn’t happening!
I agree! I’ve been watching on and off for approx. 30+ years. Just when the cast someone with potential and chemistry, they divert the storyline and then write-off the character.
Fans are going to burn-out from the rapid turn-over. Sign actor and develop stories – quit jerking us around!
Me too
I get that people come in and out of our lives for brief periods at a time in real life but on my soaps, I want them to be consistently there for me. I’m getting whiplash trying to keep up with who’s there, who’s returning and who’s leaving. It’s so confusing. JPL was an tremendous talent to have on DAYS. He and so many others who are leaving will be missed.
& why have a character return in a recast? Makes it even more confusing to me.
Whiplash is a good word for it, Rodd! Hey DAYS, stop the stunt casting and really focus on the characters that matter. And when making decisions, commit to them. It is difficult to commit and to invest in the show when so many come and go, and when favorite talent is announced with fanfare, only to soon be relegated to sorry plots and quick exits. Make it work, DAYS! You have too strong and storied a legacy to let slip away.
Sounds like I’m in the minority but I really liked his portrayal of Phillip. Hate to see him go
The character should be written off. There is nowhere for him to go at this point. The cast is way too big to begin with… though I would welcome Kassim DePaiva as Eve back full time anyday!
I hear she’s coming back. Her airdate starts in November.
Phillip was never given a story to catch fire…
AGREE. The writing has been beyond horrible. Did he have a storyline? No, he didn’t. No one does.
The pacing is horrible. I watched two characters deliver the one scene three times in an episode. It’s the same scene they did last week and the week before.
He’s a talented actor in a role with ties to two families and a fair amount of history. So where’s the story? We got the Belle Phillip Sean triangle. Again. Well, two decades later and that teen era storyline has zero gas in the tank. Quelle surprise.
As for there being too many characters I respectfully disagree. At thirty minutes and twice the cast Coronation Street achieves in every regard. They’d never have Theresa and Brady do the same scene three times in one episode and then repeat that for three weeks running. (Same with Abby – same scene for three weeks. Same with Hope Aiden… etc.) Corrie keeps more characters on the canvas and everything keeps moving. Am I fan of all those characters and stories? No. But I also don’t have tear my hair out watching Abby ‘go crazy’ for four months. (The actors deserved better.)
Buona Fortuna, JPL
Well said.
Exactly!
Coronation Street is my favorite soap….
I really thought he was a very good Phillip—I hope he lands something else soon. It was great seeing someone from OLTL get a gig on another soap. I miss all those actors but at least I have seen some of them move on to other things.
Sorry to hear this. I don’t watch Days but I like this actor very much. I hope he lands on his feet in another role soon.
I’m just … wow. Shawn, Belle, Phillip – all characters that work when in the hands of a writer that has at least some imagination. And yet, all three have been in B-stories (at best) since being brought back to the canvas. And instead of finding something compelling for them to do, they write them in stories that see little time, are inadequately fleshed out, and then – they get written off.
DAYS is making some terrible casting decisions lately. I’m not a fan of this at all. JPL is a great actor and fits the role of Philip really well. I think it’s a mistake letting him go, just as it was a mistake to fire Brandon Beemer and Martha Madison. Shawn, Belle and Philip are important characters to the Salem canvas and I see no reason why the shouldn’t stick around.
Actors are lucky to get an acting gig lasting an entire season but only some can say they’ve got jobs that kept them afloat for nearly a year or longer and an even rarer few who have got acting gigs that lasted nearly an entire lifetime . Sad to see John Paul go but I wish him the best of luck.
I’ve only seen glimpses of him as Philip and while I’m a fan of his previous Rex Balsom role in OLTL, I don’t think he was able to grow into the role in the time he was able to portray him, at least based on some of the pas episodes I’ve seen of him.
And I found an erratum, by the way:: It’s “JAY Kenneth Johnson”, not Philip Kenneth Johnson. 🙂
He was awful on DAYS and looked tired. There was no chemistry at all with sour faced Belle. Sorry that an actor has to lose a source of steady income but there is a LONG list of actors on DAYS who need to hit the road Jack.
I agree.. def not a good casting role for him. He is talented but just not the right role for him.
LOL, Mateo. For the longest time I could not put a name on Belle. You did it !!!!!! Yes, she always looks like she has eaten lemons.
I feel badly for John-Paul. I loved him on OLTL, always bringing humor and a sense of joie de vivre on the table.
Days is walking on shaky legs. How long before it needs a wheelchair?
I agree he was not a good fit. I felt like I watching Rex Balsom from OLTL instead of Phillip Kiriakis. He played the role in the same manner as he would Rex it did not work for me. I hate to see anyone lose their job,and I wish him the best. I just hope his next role is a better fit.
I agree about Belle, she does not possess anything magnetic or even interesting – get rid of her – write her out and send her Ex boring husband with her and Phillip too LoL –
Sorry, My apologies to long time fans but the show STINKS right now – it is an exercise in tedium just to endure.
@Tim Clarke.
Sadly, Tim, I cannot disagree with you. You speak the truth.
He was NEVER right for the role, and I never quite got used to him as Philip. Too much goofiness, weird facial expressions and overacting. However, I’d rather have Philip on-screen than not. I’ll hold out hope that they are recasting until I hear otherwise. Shawn/Belle/Philip is the only reason I’ve watched the last few months. HUGE mistake if they are getting rid of all three permanently. (Still hoping that bringing back Shawn & Belle was the SOD blind item from a couple of months ago.)
Another wasted talent. Talk about DOOL tossing actors around. What is being done to John-Paul was done to Melissa Archer, Kassie DePaiva and so many more outstanding actors who have earned their status on these soaps.
I don’t think John-Paul ‘caught fire’ as Phillip because of the insipid storylines given him, which, may I add, were going nowhere.
Gimme a break!!!! Not happy.
Thank you Celia for mentioning Melissa Archer and Kassie DePaiva. You are so right. I’m glad I’m not the only viewer who sees a pattern here.
That’s how I see it, Llannviewer. It’s pathetic!!!! It’s as if ALL the OLTL actors are jinxed.
Nothing can replace OLTL and its cast for me. Glad we share the same thought.
Again, would love to see Melissa Archer on GH. This needs to happen!
Agreed. Wonderful actors. Personally would love to see Melissa Archer on GH.
Celia…I get what you’re saying here. I really do. Yet, I look at it like this: This is DOOL…not ‘DOOL Meets OLTL’. Just saying……….
Later, my friend.
I really liked him in this part. Brought a very unique “vibe” to the show. I wish he wasn’t leaving. Really good actor.
Is Days ‘ intention to be cancelled, they have the absolute worst decision makes ever. They didn’t even write decent story for him to begin with.
He was miscast as Phillip, loved him as Rex on OLTL. Days is in serious trouble. The ratings are falling to all time lows. They need to make more changes. Bring back Vivian, Ivan, Anna Dimera and Calliope Jones. Bring back the original Phillip, Kenneth Johnson.
He has not had a chance to catch fire! What a waste. Very disappointed in Days. JPL is amazing!
He showed promise when he first came on but Deimos stole his thunder and his Philip did not make the impact i had hoped he would-i blame the writing!!!
100% agree. He had no pages. What he did have was awful. Not drunk driving former priest awful but perilously close
So typical of DOOL. Bring these established actors on with such fan-fare and in no time at all they are shown the door. So sad.
Agreed, what is disguised as casting designed to keep viewers involved seems actually to be sabotage. Or, perhaps, more generously, writers and producers who really don’t care much about the product, and are just phoning in their participation. In my opinion, DOOL would benefit from an experiment in hiring involved fans and giving them some real input. There are more good ideas and perceptive insights in fan commentary than in the current scripting. Of course, this isn’t a complete novelty, given the soap’s history. In my decades of intermittent following of this show, I have often given up and later my interest was rekindled. There have been death knells before, but who knows?, this round sadly may be the last.
Send him to Y&R and send Jason Thompson back to GH!
I thought the same thing. I don’t watch DAYS and know very little about this actor. However, he has more of the “Billy Abbott look” (as established by the prior actors in the role) than Jason Thompson.
I’m not buying Thompson at all as Billy. He might have made a good Adam as he has dark looks similar to Victor but Billy he ain’t.
Jason is a great actor and I had faith in him based off that BUT, time is up, its a bust!
PS: Speaking of Billy Abbott look-a-likes, PLEASE drop Travis! He is awful with Vicki!
@Barbara – In my opinion Young and Restless changed Billy Abbott’s look because they wanted to change the character completely. Before the accident, that almost took his life, Billy would never have thought of having an affair with his brother’s wife. I bet there is a lot more Billy is going to do next. So I doubt that Jason is leaving. However, I want Travis gone asap. That Travis is up to something and it’s not good. One day Victoria is going to wake up to discover the damage that man has down to her life and to her father’s company. Travis is on someone’s pay roll and I would like to know whose. Time for Natalie and Kevin to use their computer skills to deal with Travis.
Thank you, Barbara. I have been lamenting this litany from day one. Jason Thompson does not know Billy Abbott. He has not figured him out. While Billy Abbott ‘walked’ around with a devil-may-care attitude; he was never the arrogant, dog in the manger, spoiled brat , ” I-wanna-rearrange-your-face” kind of guy. Jason has no allure/charisma.
I must disagree with Susan……Billy did have an affair with his brother’s wife before the accident. Her name is Sharon.
Nonetheless, Barbara. I never would have thought of it….But, yes, I can see how John-Paul could have fit into Billy’s Mercury ‘winged’ shoes like a glove.
JPL would make a good Billy Abbott
He looks like a cross between Miller and Thompson!
Send Jason Thompson ANYWHERE AT ALL, I agree, just away from Genoa City. But do NOT send JPL to Y&R, unless he’s getting a job in janitorial or food service. NOT on screen. Please, God….
I disagree!. JPL is a very good at what he does. It’s not his fault that the writers on DOOL had no idea what they were doing. An actor is only as good as the script he is given. And the writing for Philip was terrible. DOOL brings in great talented actors and thens wastes the opportunity in a hurry. JPL was wonderful on OLTL because the writers there knew what they were doing.
I’m not surprised. They never did anything with him. Having enjoyed his performance on One Life to Live, I was looking forward having John-Paul on Days. I’ve been totally disappointed with the material he was given. From where I sat, Phillip was a peripheral character reacting to the Victor/Deimos feud and to, another wasted character, Belle. Why does DOOL hire these experienced, known actors and then do nothing with them?
I’m sorry to see John-Paul go because he is a talented actor. But, he’s probably better off if he wants to do anything with his talent. I wish him nothing but the best in his future.
Good bye and good luck to this guy, he added zippo to an already weak show.
Also, I can’t stand the character of Belle, and her with Phillip plus her ex-husband, it all adds up to = who the heck cares.
Days doesn’t seem to know how to leverage it’s named casting. They bring these well named stars from other soaps but then either don’t use them or get rid of them. Previously working on OLTL seems to be the kiss of death on Days.
I am so tired of this **** What is the problem? Dena needs to get a drink of water and sit down somewhere. Her writing has been proven to be bipolar at best. I need some answers. Why is Days of Our Lives having so many problem with retaining writers and then hire back the ones who throw it in the toilet to begin with. When is the Days going back to its traditional filming? Do us all a favor and take your medication and sit down somewhere and write relevant stories. Where is William Bell when you need him?????
JP did not catch fire as Philip. I like him, but this was not a good fit for him.
If Jay returns as Philip, okay. Otherwise maybe leave Philip off. I would like Philip and Victor to reconnect.
I thought Chloe and Philip were going to reconnect so don’t know what this means for Chloe’s story.
JPL was totally miscast as Philip Kiriakis just like KDP was miscast as Eve Donovan.
John-Paul Lavoisier is the poor man’s Dennis Cole. I never cared for Kassie DePaiva as Eve [Charlotte Ross will always be Eve to me but she has moved on to bigger–if not better, like marrying & raising a family out of the spotlight] things…but then again, I still remember Kassie in her first daytime role when she went by her maiden name, Kassie Wesley, as GUIDING LIGHT’s Chelsea Marie Reardon, in 1986.
Wow! Never thought of it–but you are right–he DOES look like Dennis Cole!
@LujackLvr – who is Dennis Cole?
Susan, Dennis Cole was a big TV actor in the 1970s. He starred on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS as Lance Prentiss in the late ’70s [before or after John McCook, it does not say–but if memory serves me correctly, Dennis was the second Lance[?] before the Brooks/Prentiss families were wiped out of Genoa City to make room for the Abbott & Newman families that still populate the show today. Dennis was also married to Jaclyn Smith for about three years during her CHARLIE’S ANGELS run as Kelly Garrett & I remember him guest-starring on that show once or twice during their marriage as the requisite villain. The son of alcoholics, Dennis Cole died at age 69 in a Fort Lauderdale, Florida hospital on November 15, 2009.
Thank God he was the worse Philip ever. I wish soaps would stop trying to cast big names, and start casting for the actor that actually fits the role– if the original actor is unavailable, then recast, but try to at least match the age and personality and keep the history of show in mind when recasting– just because someone was popular on another soap and role that doesn’t mean they are right for every role
Good point.
I don’t think the character caught on. Terrible storyline. Another wasted talented being let go.
Another wasted talent being let go.
The actor, no offense to his talent, didn’t connect with the audience and I’m not exactly sure why except that the writing has been absolutely atrocious. Every time he tries to smooth things over with Victor, I never feel a sense of connectivity between them, and Jon Aniston is a great actor so it can’t be that.
He just didn’t gel in the role of Philip K as well as the cast of characters of days, they wrote his Philip K role very bad to where nothing he did not said made any sense at all and his hair style they had for his role of Philip K didn’t help him nor the character. Best of luck to you and I wish you the best in your future, sorry days did not work out but they at days are on a slow sinking ship.
no wonder jason cook never conyinued on a shawn.
he has behind the scenes experience and he saw the writing on the wall with this clown troupe thats the days executives. no vision. no story. ….and a year ago corday was promising big things. wat a load of shit. days is directionless.
something major behind the scenes has to happen to get it back on track or bye bye days
The release of JPL could actually indicate direction, damien. DAYS could’ve decided to do away with Shawn, Belle and Philip in order to focus on Sonny, Paul and possibly Will. Also Jay Kenneth Johnson may be returning as Philip. Most viewers seem to want JKJ back.
I forgot to agree with you though, damien. It does seem directionless with all the changes.
seems most of the OLTL actors are free again….maybe it’s time for OLTL V3 !
Oh, how I wish that would happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I second that emotion – bring back One Life to Live or All My Children or both in a combination. Please do something, this show is so lackluster I could fall asleep.
Also, I am not enthralled at all by Deimos, the younger brother of Victor. The storyline of his taking over Victor’s house and being involved with Nicole (because she resembles his old flame) just isn’t going anywhere. What was the point of him being rescued by Chloe?
Now that I could go for times 100!
Seriously. Just bring back OLTL! JPL was amazing as Rex Balsam.
I suggest they utilize this great guy on #Gh and make him the new Lucky!!!!!! He is a great actor and could pull Lucky off!
Only if they decide to cast him as Lucky’s corpse – and even then I doubt if this ham could keep from mugging it up.
He should be practicing “Do you want fries with that”. He’s the OLTL equivalent of Cameron Matheson, thong and all.
NO, NO, and NO! Not as Lucky! PLEASE!
I like John-Paul too and had we didn’t already have a fantastic Dylan on GH (I’m blanking out can’t remember his name but I love this actor) I could see John-Paul more as Dylan than Lucky.
had should be if
JPL hasn’t been on long enough or in a big enough storyline for me to decide if I like him or not.
It’s hard to imagine Jay Kenneth Johnson returning as Philip because it was said that he is living like a caveman. He weighs 300 lbs and has long hair and a beard like ZZ Top! I guess ZZ Top is better than Zzzzzzzzz, LOL!
🙂
He is a great actor. They’ve let go of a lot of great actors to focus on young actors who can’t act and characters nobody cares about. The 6month lead time does nothing to help the situation by the time a character catches on they are gone. I would love to see him show up on GH.
Note to all ex-OLTL actors: Stay away from this show!!
LOL – honestly that is good, solid advice – and please extend the warning to ex cast members of All My Children.
I wish JP all the best!
People are coming and going on that show like paper work.Never seen it so much.What is going on?
A talented actor terribly miscast.
Days just needs to retire. She’s at the point of Peapack, NJ Guiding Light and Goutman As The World Turns.
I look at it like this: John-Paul Lavoisier was the W-O-R-S-T Phillip Kiriakis EVER!!!!! Oh..and ENOUGH ALREADY with the re-casting of the PK character!!!!! DOOL needs to FINALLY write out the character altogether!!!!!
Just saying……….
NO! DOL needs to hire better writers who know and understand the history of the characters they are dealing with. Days brings in talented actors and then wastes their talent almost as quickly as they appear on scene. The writers did to JPL the exact same thing they did to KD. If I could, I would grab hold of Vincent Irizarry and tell him to run away from DOOL ASAP before the writers also destroy the character of Demios.
Days has used him badly and didn’t seem to have a coherent idea of what to even use Philip for. All Show has him do is moon over Belle, get drunk and imitate Veronica Lake with all his hair tosses.
Plus, JPL just isn’t a good actor. His acting tics which were bad enough on OLTL have only gotten worse. He’s not leading man material. He would be best used as an infrequent background character, brought out every now and then for comic relief.
they should bring back Jay Kenneth Johnson I liked him as Philip as a matter of fact I miss him. so I do hope they do bring him back.
After watching the terrible job the writers are doing on DOL why would Jay Kenneth Johnson ever consider returning to DOOL?
How is that JPL got fired for not being a good fit for the role, but the horrible so called actors that play Joey and Ciara are considered good fits for their roles and are still on the show?
I could not agree more. It’s painful to watch the Ciara character deliver lines. Which she cannot. The Joey character is marginally better.
Yesterday was very painful as Ciara had a lot of scenes. Why was she smiling when Chad went off on her?
I fast forwarded through Jade/Joey. Wish they’d stayed in CA off-screen.
I don’t see where it says he wasn’t a good fit, Tad. He could’ve been let go for the return of Jay Kenneth Johnson.
The Joey and Ciara performers may have been let go. Some exits are kept secret longer than others.
Agree! JPL is so much better than the teens! I can’t even watch them.
@ Tad – JPL got fired because DOL decided he wasn’t right for the role? Well how about firing the writers who didn’t know how to write for the character of Philip.
He was great on OLTL, & if he is looking for work GH should hire him . He & Bree can catch up
So true! The history of these characters and being part of main families is infuriating that they can’t write better story lines for them! Why bring Aiden back if you can’t let him and Hope find their way back to being in love. Rafe and Hope have no chemistry! Fast forward those scenes!! Hate that they’re writing Ciara as a manipulative tramp! What girl that’s been raped a few months ago is going to start daydreaming about any guy, especially a married man at least 10 yrs her senior!
And who is married to her cousin!!!
Wow….your too kind. Don’t hold back.
Days is starting to concern me. All shows hit lulls but when is someone going to say enough is enough and do a serious restructuring of this show. I really think Ron Carlivati could turn DOOL around to the couldn’t-miss-an-episode days of the 90s
Drake, I am so with you!! I agree, Ron C will help this show big time by shifting its mood from gloom and doom to over the top melodrama, romance and comedy relief!! And bring back some core characters killed off by the last couple of head writers who have destroyed this show!
They tried to make him Phillip rather than let him recreate Phillip and it did not work. If they had let him infuse the character with some of his personality he would have caught on.
Rodd, I LOVE your comment! The very fact that there is no security in real life, that people we get close to come and go for various reasons, is part of the allure of soaps. Familiar faces who never leave. People we invest in who are always there. That’s why the sudden disappearance of the soaps that were abruptly canceled left such a gap. On another note, I’m a fan of John-Paul.
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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