Breaking News
Judith Chapman Confirms She Is Back On DAYS And As Leo’s Mom
Exciting news DAYS fans, those rumblings were true! Judith Chapman will be playing the trouble-making Leo Stark’s (Greg Rikaart) mother on Days of our Lives. And that reunites Chapman with Rikaart as mother and son.
As soap fans know, they played Gloria and Kevin Fisher on The Young and the Restless for many years together. Now they will be playing a new mother/son dynamic duo in Salem. But, just what kind of twisted relationship might they have, since Leo has given clues that she was a bad mom?
Soap Opera Digest revealed that Judith will play Diana. Her first airdate will be on January 29th. DAYS fans know Judith from her time as Angelica Deveraux from 1989-1991, and most recently when she returned to the show for the 2018 Halloween episode doing a guest-turn as Angelica AKA Satan in Hattie’s (Deidre Hall) nightmare.
Chapman confirmed her arrival on the Salem scene in a tweet today, stating “And I don’t have to keep the secret either Mitch Sandusky! What a GREAT way to start 2019… More articles to come in TV Guide Magazine and Soap Opera Digest… and to be reunited with my TV son.
Diana will have a past with John Black (Drake Hogestyn), which could cause trouble for John and Marlena’s wedded bliss.
So, excited to know Judith will once again tear up the soap-screen, but this time back on DAYS? Comment below.
Love that Judith is returning to Days, doesn’t matter her role – she is outstanding!!
Same here Nicole, Judith and Kevin already have played mother and son so well on Y&R, they are going to really chew up the scenery together on DAYS!
Connection to John Black? Diana? Is this Diana Colville?
Hmmmm–WOW, Scot!! Yes, could very well be Diana!!
And then Leo is Johns other son
Yes, and maybe she is John’s Other Wife. Sorry, couldn’t resist the reference to a very old Soap, that only old timers like me will know.
Rons a idiot….recasting her….Diana was a big character for 3years. They probaly couldnt afford Genie francis back.
[Mic drop]
Yas!
I’ll begin the discussion by saying that it’s a great idea using Judith as Leo’s mother. The best choice the show could make.On another topic, Why Ron are you writing Zander as a person who can’t fight? There is no way that Eric should have been able to pen Zander against the wall without him defending himself. Don’t allow this show to become one sided. Plus, I agree with everything DA Trask said about the police in Salem; there’s too much favoritism in that town. I would love for her to become the mayor ; not for just a few months, but for a while. I’m tired of them railroading Ben , allowing Gabi and Kate to walk without consequences , and whatever other crimes that exist.
i’m hoping Xander is really trying to toe the line.. keep his cool… remain under control… at all times… ie: Celia N JimH.. that Xander is wanting to prove to Victor that his allegiance will bring down Leo… who by all accounts tongue wagging Leo has a crush on. there are so many interesting plot points that this could all play out. Xander saves Sonny case closed … argh !?!?
I am already smitten and WANT Paul Tolfer’Xander on the show. he’s zany … dastardly… OK every physical attribute ON… etc from day 1 I saw the chemistry with the best of the best Victor Kiriakis… who wants nothing more than HIS FAMILY at the helm .. first family indeed… w/Xander PUHLEASE
also the fan following of the best mother/son duo .. is back on the air… legions of following… three actors who are beguiling so much hoopla and town mayhem could should and will ensue with this twosome… so.. no one truly wants either of them to take the fall. they are beloved enough…acting class stand in line. dang it
three misfits… three fired up presence… savor all of it
Xander / Leo / Diana – the grand dame of highest order Judith Chapman….
I LOVE THEM
The whole Leo hitting on Xander thing is basically yet another ReRon rewrite, in this case it’s just like when he had Brad trying to sleep with Mikey on GH. Mikey was completely hetero and not remotely interested, so eventually Brad gave up and went after Mikey’s uncle Lucas.
Of course Xander isn’t Mikey, so of course he’s going to find a way to play this thing to his advantage. I’m guessing he won’t actually go through with sex with Leo, but he will be able to make Leo think he did. Which probably means drugs of some sort will be involved.
I agree, I am ready for Xander, Leo and Diana in the mansion!
Blake, oh, Blake!!… so happy I’m not the only one who doesn’t like Sarah!!
Not a good match for Eric, at all….she seems desperate, if you ask me. That’s the problem with these shows….as soon as one of the characters has been hurt; feels used; has a cold ( LOL), he/she has the need to ‘do’ someone else…..
Sarah is not sticking to me—-I wish she’d go away.
What will happen when Nicole comes back? Been there; done that–
Eric needs to mourn. Leave the guy alone…..
Exactly, Patrick…..Xander needs to do something drastic to prove himself and be accepted by unkie.
He’s a wily one….so, he needs to play his cards right. Leo is smitten. Xander can use this to his advantage–question is; will he go through the bed “tumbling”?
Knock, knock ….who’s there? Unkie Vic?….or, will Sonny simply walk in? Coitus interruptus? LOL.
I thought Eric pinning Xander against the wall was stupid also. Plus we’re not cheering for Eric lately, he’s wrapped up with the horrible Sarah lately and they are annoying AF.
Blake, am agreeing with all you say, especially Sarah. She’s the same twit she was on B&B. She’s like a pesty gnat, you’d like to swat away. Also, its hard to believe she’s Maggie’s daughter. I think the best one was the gal, Brady found on the beach in L.A. I don’t know the other daughter. She doesn’t seem like much of a doctor either. Probably got her license off of the internet.
Ugh….
Never liked her
And uh…. “Diana will have a past with John Black”??
Is this to imply that this character is supposed to be Diana Colville, the character played by Genie Francis in the late 1980s? Because that would be a completely ridiculous excuse for a recast (ReRon strikes again)
Diana was also pregnant when she left Salem, if a Devil remembers correctly. So that implies that Leo would be John’s kid?? John has two long lost sons, both of them turn out to be gay and both interfere with Will & Sonny’s relationship?? What are the odds of that actually happening??
To be fair (and of course, the Devil is never fair), what are the odds of just about anything that takes place on a soap happening in real life? 🙂
Love your name, SonniSolita! I’ve been watching Guiding Light clips on youtube. What a great character and actress!
LOVE THIS!
Diana’s last name wouldn’t happen to be Colville, would it? As for Leo, he is such a scum that i bet Diana will turn out to be a sweetheart and it was always Leo who treated her badly. I’m just glad Judith will be on our screens again. She is one actress who should always be employed because she is so good.
Judith Chapman really does need to stay on soaps. Y&Rs lost is Days gain.
Always like Judith glad to see her back on Days.It was just awhile ago I saw her on the Young and the Restless boring show.I usually dont watch it but Judith was on that day.She makes a great villain .I can’t wait to see what is going to happen when she comes back.Always been a fan of hers.Welcome home Judith
Awesome news! I love Miss Chapman, have for years. And always a big fan of Mr. Rikaart too. They work so well together. Y&R’s loss and DOOL’s gain. Please DOOL, keep the two vital and in the Salem mix. Don’t let DOOL turn into GH, bloated with too many characters and repetitive tropes.
Uh, you do realize who it was who bloated GH with “too many characters and repetitive tropes.”, right?
Yep, it was ReRon. And he did so, by doing exactly what he’s doing now in Salem… bringing in a bunch of new people from other soaps and making THEM the focus of the show, rather than the actual Days characters.
I do. My hope though is DOOL learned from GH and uses the excitement of new people and familiar actors to propel stories for legacy characters. It can be done. But you are very wise, Satan (!), in your assessment. We could be traveling the same wonky Port Charles highway to nowhere now in Salem. I just hope not.
Ron isn’t bloating Days, in the year and a half he’s been with the show he’s great at keeping all characters on the air and in a story. And like all soaps have done in the past when characters, especially contract players leave is when he brings on other characters. Example is Abby and Chad are leaving the show in a few weeks, and that’s when Diana and Jordan are returning to the show. Plus we know Jordan is just for a short term visit, not sure about Judith Chapman though. I’d love for her to be on contract. Plus a lot of actors are on one year contracts: Greg Rikaart, Kyle Lowder, the actor who plays Ted.
Nice to see Judith working…what a loss for Y&R though. Wish she AND Greg were back. Y&R has lost SOOOOOOO many of the greats. Hard to watch these days.
But not hard to watch these DAYS!
So excited to have Judith back on my soap!! She’ll be divine with Greg.
Ron C has a way of tying the show’s history into new characters he introduces well. He did that on GH (to varying degrees of effectiveness) and he’s already proven his ability to do that on DAYS. So Diana having a past with John, meaning she will likely be revealed as Diana Colville, jives with his writing style.
But the real goldmine here is that Judith and Greg will be playing mother and son again! Gloria and Kevin were a highlight of Y&R, and a dynamic that has been sorely missed since both characters were written out. Leo has already caused so much chaos for the Kiriakis family, and if Judith really is Diana Colville, her past with Victor is sure to continue the chaos for months to come!
But Dianna as played by Genie Francis was a heroine, not a bitchy type that Judith does so well. In the same way that Rex was a stand up guy and not a cad as he’s played now by Kyle Lowder. I don’t think I like that they are returning characters in with actors who had previously been in different roles. It sure gets confusing. I would have liked Angelica to come back from the dead and turn out to be Leo’s mother. Her initiials were on one of those doors AD…but I guess that will be Andre Dimera instead.
AD should be Alexandria DiMera(Lexie Carver)!
That actually would be an interesting twist. But Renee Jones retired from acting. And the last thing we need is yet another ridiculous ReRon recast.. Who would ReRon cast as Lexie? I’m guessing some blonde actress from OLTL??
DAYS must do everything possible to get Renee Jones to return, but if she says no a thousand times, Victoria Rowell. If that can’t happen, leave Lexie linger.
If they still did recast announcements on the show they could say “the role of Diana Colville is being recreated by Judith Chapman”, the way they did with Marj Dusay on Guiding Light when she was recast as Alexandra Spaulding.
Ive wanted to see Diana colville back since she left in 1989….rons ruined it by recasting…he might aswell just bring her in as some random new character. Total fu**ed up ron
Judith Chapman! What a treat!
Great to hear the rumors are true. I think Judith will be wonderful on Days right now, especially as Leo’s mother. Imagine her going at it with Adrienne, Maggie and Marlena. And hopefully flirting with Victor and John. Can’t wait for this!
This is fantabulous!! Mother and son re-unite!! Yeayyyy! Love both these actors….in the hope that their connection as mother and son will be as strong and entertaining as “Gloria” and “Kevin”….this I “gotta” see!
Also, I am soooo enjoying Xander and Leo–hilarious!!
We now need Doug Davidson as David Banning
Was hoping when he opens the door, she will say “hello angel”, Gloria’s name for Kevin. Never thought a character I’ve liked so much, could become one, I can’t stand watching. Guess it shows what a great actor Greg Rikaart is. Hope I spelled that right.
Hi, Violet,
If you remember, we all detested Kevin when he first came to GC…..he was truly a devious meanie–then, he ‘grew’ into a good guy….with an edge. The same may happen with Leo and Xander. I love both these actors, so I hope they stick around.
You spelled the name right…..Greg has become such a household name for Y&R watchers, the spelling comes naturally…..especially for me; I butcher every newcomer’s name ….especially the character-name. I’m still not sure about Jack’s new love ( he’s almost forty years older—-sad, sad state of affairs!!–I don’t get it). Carey? Carol? LOL.
AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!!!!!
Judith Chapman is one of the best actresses out there. Why she has not been cast in more movies and primetime is beyond me. She delivers her lines with charm, wit and trueness. But her acting is not just the words and the emotions. She uses her body as we would with hand gestures, winks, turns, sauntering in and out of a room, etc.
For me that’s a true actor/actress. Right now too many on daytime specifically are being praised for speaking their lines beautifully but there is no emotion in their body language. You see it because while they say the words they are just standing there. They show emotion but don’t move with it. Ms Chapman does. She comes in, points her finger and calls you out as Gloria on Y&R. She dismisses you with a twist of an arm. She encourages you with a wink of the eye.
All those things make the simplest of lines effective. Any actor can scream. Any can cry. Some can preach. Few can make a statement perfectly with body language.
Y&R and the just left Mal are missing out on the amazing talents of people likeChapman who aren’t on contract and move on. While the chance to come back to Y&R because days isSony as well. We saw it with Eileen Davidson.
Days, use this actress to the benefit of your show. Don’t make her caricature. Have a plan that last longer than one story. It will only benefit days and the fans. And PLEASE don’t just make her Greg’s character’s sidekick. Let ms Chapman shine bright!
Diana Colville left Salem thirty years ago. A lot can happen to a person in that time. If Diana Cooper is Diana Colville, I’m all for it. Why would anyone have a problem with John Black having two gay sons? My partner comes from a family of four boys and three of them are gay. Real life is often stranger than fiction.
Two gay sons wouldn’t be all that unusual. Both of them being used as dopey plot points to break up Will & Sonny is the ridiculous part.
Love Judith Chapman she was fantastic as Gloria on Y&R, that is their loss and Days gain, so sorry I will not be seeing her on Y&R anymore.
I read somewhere that she’ll be back eventually. Probably when Jack needs her most.
Breaking News
Jacob Martinez is ‘Days of Our Lives’ New Javi Hernandez Replacing Al Calderon in the Role
Finally! The casting has been revealed as to just who would be Al Calderon’s successor in the role of Days of our Lives, Javi Hernandez. On Friday, April 30, the long-running soap opera revealed Jacob Martinez is taking on the part and he will first be seen this coming June 30th and then on all-new episodes streaming on Peacock.
As previously reported, the popular Calderon exited the soap opera last year to join the cast of the NBC primetime medical drama, Brilliant Minds as nurse Nico Silva, who in May will air the remainder of their second season. The series has been on the bubble for renewal by the network. His last episodes as Javi will also air this May on DAYS.
Since DAYS tapes ten months ahead of streaming, Martinez has been secretly ensconced in all the drama in Salem for quite some time. When viewers see the new Javi in story, we should learn what will happen in Javi’s relationship with Leo Stark played by Emmy winner, Greg Rikaart, plus his continued relationship with his relatives in the Hernandez clan. Currently, when Javi returned to Salem after taking care of his ailing father, and after the bust-up of his marriage to Leo thanks to Dimitri (Peter Porte), he claimed he had moved on with someone else while he was away from Salem.
Photo: JPI
Like Calderon before him, Martinez is a multi-talented actor and singer. Jacob’s resume is impressive having appeared in the musical In Pieces: The Musical at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater and he was hand-picked by Joey Contreras to play the role of Grey. Other credits include: the short film, Memory Swim and the play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage.
Martinez hails from Norfolk, Nebraska and appeared when he was very young at the Johnny Carson Theatre, and as DAYS fans know, Jacob is now working at the Days of our Lives studios, right where the “Tonight Show” is filled. In addition, Jacob Martinez is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA).
Taking to his Instagram on Thursday, April 30 once the news of his casting was revealed, Martinez, expressed, “Way too many people to thank in one post, so I’ll just say THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART to each and every person who continues to pour into me and encourage me to chase my dreams. I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am. I already feel beyond blessed, supported, and loved. See you all in Salem ⏳”
Jacob Martinez appeared on Friday on the Days of our Lives Instagram account announcing his casting. You can check it out below. Deadline was the first to report the casting switch.
So, excited to learn who is the new Javi Hernandez? Please welcome Jacob Martinez to the role and be on the lookout for his debut on June 30. Comment below.
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This week starts with heartbreaking news. Patrick Muldoon, best known for his roles as the original Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives and later as Richard Hart on Melrose Place, died on Sunday, April 19, at the age of 57. Reports indicate his death was sudden following a heart attack.
Muldoon’s sister, Shana Muldoon-Zappa, told TMZ on Monday more details on her brother’s death, “Patrick went to take a shower Sunday morning after drinking coffee with his girlfriend in their Beverly Hills home. His girlfriend decided to check on him after he was taking too long and found him unconscious on the bathroom floor?” Shana added that paramedics rushed over and tried to revive Patrick, but there was nothing anyone could do.
Soap fans first saw Muldoon as Kate’s (Lauren Koslow) son on DAYS back in 1992, where he quickly became a fan favorite during the on-screen love story between Austin and Carrie Brady (Christie Clarke). Patrick left the series in 1995. He later made comeback for appearances in 2011 and 2012.
Photo: JPI
On Melrose Place, he played bad buy Richard Hart from 1995-1996. Patrick launched his acting career while in college landing the role of Matt in the 1990 sitcom Who’s The Boss? alongside the likes of Judith Light (ex-Karen, OLTL) and Tony Danza. Following his graduation, Patrick nabbed a recurring role as Jeffrey Hunter in Saved By The Bell by 1991.
Throughout his decades long career, Muldoon also starred in several motion and TV series including his leading roile in Starship Troopers (1997). He also had parts in Deadlock (2021), Vanquish (2021), Dakota (2022), Marlowe (2022), and Murder At Hollow Creek (2023).
Photo: JPI
Not only was Patrick an actors, but a producer and a musician and singer. He often made appearances and put out music with his band, The Sleeping Masses. Muldoon was the band’s lead singer and guitar player. Patrick was also a producer of TV and film projects.
At the time of his death, Patrick was also an executive producer on a the movie “Kockroach,” which is currently in production.
Taking to his Instagram, just a few days before his death, Muldoon expressed,“So excited to be a part of this amazing project KOCKROACH directed by Matt Ross starring Chris Hemsworth, Taron Edgerton, Zazzie Beetz And Alec Baldwin. Filming now in Australia,” he captioned his post.
Sadly, on April 24, Muldoon can be seen in his 2025 film Dirty Hands also festuring Denise Richards (ex-B&B, RHOBH), which will be released on digital streaming platforms on VOD.
Muldoon is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart; parents, Deanna and Patrick Muldoon Sr.; his sister and brother-in-law, Shana and Ahmet Zappa; and their children, Muldoon’s beloved niece Halo and nephew Arrow Zappa.
Share your remembrances and condolences on the loss of Patrick Muldoon via the comment section, which is followed below by the trailer Dirty Hands due out later this week on digital platforms.
All My Children and Hallmark alum, Jonathan Bennett has been cast in the newly-created role on General Hospital as Joe Fitzpatrick.
Look for Bennett to make his debut on the ABC soap opera next month in May. Bennett is very familiar to daytime fans for his work as JR Chandler on All My Children from 2000-2001. Later, he landed the part of Aaron Samuels in the motion picture, Mean Girls in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan, which would become his breakout role.
Jonathan would go on to star in seven Hallmark Channel movies and then hosting and producing the network’s reality competition show Finding Mr. Christmas, Bennett has also appeared as a contestant on Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars, plus Celebrity Big Brother in 2019, and he starred on Broadway in Spamalot.
Courtesy/ABC
Frank Valentini, the executive producer of General Hospital shared to Deadline who first reported the casting news, “We’re so excited to have Jonathan joining our cast. He’s a tremendous talent and will be a fantastic addition to ‘GH.’
After the news broke, Bennett took to his Instagram and shared, “There’s a new guy in town…” Meanwhile, the official General Hospital account shared a pic and expressed, “He’s already tired of us telling him his hair looks sexy pushed back. Welcome to the family, Jonathan Bennett.
Bennett is married to Jaymes Vaughan. Back in 2022, they became the first gay couple to appear on the cover of the wedding magazine, The Knot.
So, what do you think of the casting of Jonathan as Joe Fitzpatrick? Is he the new man for Lucas? Share your thoughts via the comment section.
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