Breaking News
Judith Chapman Dishes On Diana On All-New Episode Of “Inside Salem: Days of our Lives Podcast”
Oh, the mother from hell has certainly come to NBC’s Days of our LivesĀ ,now that it has been revealed that Diana Cooper is in actuality none other than Diana Colville, who shared a romantic past with John Black (Drake Hogestyn), and is Leo aka Matthew’s (Greg Rikaart) worst nightmare!
Daytime fan favorite, Judith Chapman is back on Days of our Lives in this delicious new take on Diana, and on the latest installment of Inside Salem: Days of our Lives Podcast.
During her interview with host Michael Fairman, Judith talks about how she was asked to take on the role, and found herself reunited with her former on-screen son from Y&R, Greg Rikaart.Ā She also teases what is to come in this twisted mother and son relationship, reveals what it has been like working with Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn, and talks about her former soap opera roles that included: Natalie Bannon on As the World Turns, Ginny Blake, General Hospital, Charlotte Greer on Ryan’s Hope, Angelica Deveraux on Days and Gloria Fisher Bardwell on Y&R- quite the resume.Ā Ā When not on TV, Judith can be found in the theatre, where she is currently starring asĀ Tallulah BankheadĀ in the show, Looped now through February 10th in Palm Springs, California.
Later in the podcast, John Aniston (Victor) stops by Suzanne RogersĀ (Maggie) dressing room, where the duo talk about how they work together running scenes, and going through a tape day, and some fun historicalĀ anecdotes from Salem, and more.
To get the extended version of this interview with Judith, make sure to download it via iTunes and all major pod platforms.Ā To listen to the NBC.com version make sure to click here and enjoy.
Let us know what was your favorite part of our chat with Judith and if you are loving her thus far as Diana on DAYS via the comment section below.
OH My God… with respect to the higher up
crĆØme de la crĆØme ALIVE ! this is maddening how MUSTER FEAST!
Judith Chapman : for the ages
^^^ “what a resume ” you want to partay .. wine bubbly splash something ON
can’t wait for this weekend ( to listen )
one of – OUR – Grand Dame un momento
OH, yeah, Patrick—a gem has walked onto Salem’s soil….Miss Judith is the femme fatale, shrew, calamity personified–can’t tear myself away….
I didn’t know you spoke Italian, Patrick?!?!?!LOL…. un momento…..
Aside: Why can’t Abbi put two and two together and figure out Jordan took the baby? Ben will find Charlotte and Ciera–
But, will Ciera be lucid enough to defend Ben, once he is accused of the crime?
Furthermore, Patrick….What in Hades are the PTB doing? Why make Jordan nuts? Is it to prove a family trait? Jordan was always the good guy, who cared for her little brother.
Everything was going so well with Days…..I beg ‘ye gods’ not to turn it into mush. ā¤ļø
Celia…youre breakin’ my heart…You obviously know very little of Ron C’s writing. And if I am wrong there, I apologize. He will ruin ANY character….overlook any detail…rewrite anything from the past…as long as it helps him in his ultimate goal of pushing and pimping his “redeemed” bad guys, psychos, and murderers. Any day now, I expect Xander to have blinding headaches and a brain tumour, have it redeemed, and he will be all sunshine and rainbows, rather than the sleazy rapist and murderer he is.
Lets get one thing straight! I love Judith Chapman! Having said that, I now feel compelled to talk about how Ron Carlivati is now pulling the same crap he pulled at GH that led to that show having ALL TIME RECORD LOW RATINGS!! I will start with this Diana debacle and hopefully touch on other areas.
If you never watched Days circa 1987- 1989, you wouldnt know the character of Diana. She was a spunky spitfire 25 year old journalist with a loving heart and a passion for the truth. She was a college friend of Mike Horton’s, and became love interest to John Black, who thought he was Roman at the time.
Fast forward to today…and the character is harsh, bitter, vindictive, and cruel. She is psychotically obsessed with “getting” John. The problem is in the writing, the rewriting of history, and the acting.
Chapman is a fantastic actress, but I always KNOW she is acting. She is a very campy and theatrical actress from the old school of stage and screen. Genie, on the other hand, is a very low key, heartfelt performer who brings a natural and realistic element to her role even if it something outlandish like freezing the world. As a recast, this fails on every level. Chapman is also 11 years older than Francis, and in this particular instance, the age gap is very gaping and apparent. There is absolutely no similarity whatsoever between the two actresses, which makes for a very jarring recast.
Next is the writing, or rather rewriting. This absolutely reeks of a last minute decision!!! I can actually almost hear Ron C. flustered, wondering to himself “How can I weave my sleazy new gay creation Leo more into the canvas and fabric of the show?? I have to look back into history and find a character who could be his parent! It would be great if Judith Chapman could play the part, because they played mother and son on Y and R!” So, he settled on Diana, and has gone about completely trashing and destroying the memory of what was a very enjoyable and pleasant love story. Diana was a character viewers cared about. She was not a one-note, cartoonish, plot twist villainess as she is being rewritten by Ron.
I have ALWAYS hated when soaps bring back a formerly good character as a bad or evil one. It rarely makes sense in the narrative, there is never a good enough reason to justify the drastic change, and it completely ruins the enjoyment and any memories of a good character.
You read it here….this casting decision and future storyline has ALEX NORTH written ALL over it!! Nuff said there!
Much has been said about Greg Rikaart’s character, and how funny and entertaining he is. I find him to be neither! He is a disgusting sexual predator and rapist! He is an annoying little gnat that Victor Kiriakis would have squashed like a bug about 5 seconds after he pranced into the mansion!! He is able to bring mafia don Victor and family to knees because he has pictures of Will and Sonny carrying a rug???? Please!!Greg is playing it WAY over the top. There is nothing funny about a man blackmailing straight men into unwanted sexual relations, and there is nothing funny about grabbing people and pulling them into unwanted kisses. If this was a male character doing this to a female, there would be outrage and outcry. But because its a male doing it to another male and played as comedy, it seems to be all right. Its disgusting and disturbing on many levels!!
I have a feeling they are going to make Leo into John’s son. If so…all I can ask is…is Ron THAT bereft and devoid of creativity??? John JUST found a long lost gay son 5 years ago!! Recycling plots from that recently is not a good sign!! On the other hand, I suspect they might make him Mike Horton’s son…which would unfortunately forever link this completely unnecessary character to the core family and fabric of the show!
This entire story, from creation to casting to concept has seriously ruined my ability to enjoy Days, a show I normally love. At GH, Ron completely gutted the heart and soul out of the show and replaced it with newbies and villains, leaving the show with no one to root for. He is slowly doing the same thing at Days! He brought back serial killer Ben tryong to redeem him as a leading man. Let me ask…would there be any chance of redemption if Ben didnt look like Robert Scott Wilson??
Same thing with Xander. This is a murderer and woman abuser! He takes glee in torturing, tormenting, and abusing women! (Serena, Theresa, Nicole, Sara etc). Just because he looks like Paul Telfer and is good at quippy, witty one liners, doesnt mean he should be more imbedded into the show. Ron LOVES to write for evil characters at the expense of beloved ones we know and root for and care about.
Ted and Hope? For real???? Kristian Alfonso deserves SO much better. For starters, a screen partner who can act!
And what is up with this Sheila character??? She wore out her welcome after about 2 minutes!!! Someone trying to turn her life around and get another chance would NOT have that much attitude and only spew trash talk out of her filthy mouth!! Get a haircut, get an attitude adjustment, and get a muzzle! Then we will talk!!
I was guardedly optimistic when Ron took over writing at Days. I LOATHED his work at GH beyond belief!! His rk is often eerily and disturbingly similar to James Reilly’s, which is a BIG no-no in my books!! Since he took over…there have been moments of brilliance (Theo’s shooting, Marlena’s living will story). But there have also been dreadful, awful, embarrassing stories that just give soaps a bad name (Bonnie and Hattie)!!
It is sad that Ron writes many of his women characters as obsessive, psychotic lunatics who have no other purpose than “getting” a man. Most women are self aware enough to know when a guy just isnt that into them. It does not make for good story when a woman psychotically chases a man who is CLEARLY not interested! It is the most old fashioned, lazy, uninspired, sexist type of writing imaginable! And it is a Ron C staple!!
Theres my rant. Given the completely wrong casting choice, the drastic rewriting of history, the last minute nature of the plot twist, and virtually NO redeemable qualities, this story has already qualified for Worst Recast of 2019, Worst Story, Worst Use of History and several other Worsts!!!
Judith Chapman is doing a WONDERFUL job as Diana on Days. Her Diana and son Leo/Matthew give me life, classic soap acting/delivery!
I am LIVING for Judith Chapman’s appearances on DOOL. I am so glad she has a role she can run with. She is soap opera royalty and we are lucky to watch her brilliance.
I like Chapman very much and appreciate the interview. However, the article employs a HORRIBLE photo of the actress. I’ve always thought Chapman looked good and “holds” her years well until I saw this picture. That photo does her no favors.
I have to listen to this.
Diana is certainly no Gloria. Wow! I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side. Something must have happened to her after she left Salem because I don’t remember her being this bitchy. I guess having a sociopath for a son can change you!
Judith is analogous to the giving tree—–better and better with each scene!! She superseded my expectations….donna magnifica!!
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, āWeāre proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.ā
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This yearās Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood ā An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,ā Getting the Band Back Together
Macyās Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,ā Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Paradeā
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ā Episode 4041
Macyās Thanksgiving Day Paradeā
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,ā Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,ā Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series ā Actress andĀ Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
āWeāre proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,ā NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. āAs the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.ā
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Monday afternoon, Extra kicked-off the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations with the reveal of two major categories. First,Ā Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series ā Actor, and second, Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host.
Previous Emmy winners all, the men who will be vying for daytime’s most coveted prize are: Eric Braeden (Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless, Steve Burton (Jason Morgan), General Hospital, Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful, Thorsten Kaye (Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Christian Jules Le Blanc (Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless.
Let’s take a look at the actors Emmy resumes: Eric Braeden has been nominated nine times for Lead Actor and won once in 1998. Steve Burton is a two-time Daytime Emmy winner, both in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category for GH as Jason Morgan and Y&R as Dylan McAvoy. Today’s nomination makes it his 10th overall, and his third time in the the Lead Actor category.
Photo: NATAS
Scott Clifton has won three times previously in 2011, 2013 and 2017 and has the distinction of being the only actor to win in Younger Actor, Supporting and Lead. This is his 8th nomination.
Thorsten Kaye is a two-time Lead Actor winner in 2023 and 2024. Christian LeBlanc has also won three times as Lead Actor in 2005, 2007 and 2009 and this is his first nod in over a decade.
Photo: NBCUniversal
TALK SHOW HOSTS
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host, the nominees are: Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and Ana Navarro,Ā The View, Kelly Clarkson,Ā The Kelly Clarkson Show, Tamron Hall,Ā Tamron Hall, Jennifer Hudson,Ā The Jennifer Hudson Show, and Sherri Shepherd,Ā Sherri.
Both The Kelly Clarkson Show and Sherri have come to their conclusions as Sherri was canceled after 4 seasons and Kelly Clarkson decided to end her talk show after 7 seasons.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are set to be handed out in a ceremony on October 30 in Hollywood with more details forthcoming. The complete list of 2026 Daytime Emmy nominations will be revealed tomorrow on July 14 beginning at 12pm ET/9am PT via The Emmys.TV social channels and website.
So, what do you think of the race for Lead Actor in a Drama Series? Surprised by any of the nominees? Who are you rooting for? What do you think about the the talk show host category? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
Randolph Mantooth, ‘Emergency!’ and ‘Loving’ Actor, Dies at 80
‘The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards’ Nominations Announcement Date Revealed: Who Will Be Going For Gold?
Steve Burton Returns to ‘General Hospital’ on Its 16,000th Episode: How Will Jason Be a Changed Man?
‘Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026’ Live on the Michael Fairman Channel
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers Promo: Jason’s Back, Drew Begins to Make His Move, Portia Goes Into a Labor
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Daphne’s Devastated, Steffy Finds Herself at a Crossroads with Finn
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As The World Turns2 days agoScott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
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Breaking News4 days agoRandolph Mantooth, ‘Emergency!’ and ‘Loving’ Actor, Dies at 80
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Beyond the Gates6 days ago‘The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards’ Nominations Announcement Date Revealed: Who Will Be Going For Gold?
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General Hospital4 days agoSteve Burton Returns to ‘General Hospital’ on Its 16,000th Episode: How Will Jason Be a Changed Man?
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Beyond the Gates2 days ago‘Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026’ Live on the Michael Fairman Channel
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Beyond the Gates1 week agoRATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ and ‘General Hospital’ Score Highest Weekly Viewer Increase
