Days Of Our Lives
Mike Manning On His DAYS Departure: “Thank You to NBC, to Everyone Involved, and Most of All to the Fans That Were Along for the Ride With This Crazy Character.”
Now it’s the end of the line for Charlie on Days of our Lives, his portrayer Mike Manning took to his Instagram for some parting words of his time in Salem playing this very bad dude.
As Days fans know, many people wanted Charlie dead, and now he is! Thus begins a good old fashioned soap murder mystery on the long-running NBC soap opera, the question now is, who ultimately did the deed?
Photo: JPI
After getting a copy of the latest Soap Opera Digest on newsstand now, which features, “Who Killed Charlie?” on the cover, Manning shared in a post on Friday: Everybody has a motive to want this guy dead.” 😂 Not exactly how I pictured my first soap magazine cover, but at least we’re having a good time with it. It’s been fun Salem. I’ll love you all forever. ✌🏼💙. Thank you to NBC, to everyone involved, and most of all to the fans that were along for the ride w/ this crazy character. You’re amazing. I’ll always be grateful for you. Excited to share what’s next as soon as I can. Arrivederci. -Charlie/Mike”
So place your bets on who will turn out to be the murderer via the comment section below and let us know what you thoughts on Mike’s run on DAYS!
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I’m sad to see Charlie go as he brought drama and I liked the actor. But, as we know, he can always come back! 🙂
Mr. Manning, thank you for your outstanding work on DOOL! I was hoping that the character of Charlie Dale — or is it “Del?” or “Dill?” I was never certain — would somehow be able to continue in the role. You are an appealing, fantastic actor with great range and presence.
If your character were on GH, the character might have had a chance, as that show has staked its franchise on the glorification of criminals: first, for decades, rapist Luke Spencer, then, for decades, murderer/abuser/mob boss Sonny. Maybe if Herb Alpert’s “Rise” had been playing during the flashback rape scenes, it would have helped.
Nonetheless, you have many fans thanks to DOOL, and we eagerly anticipate good things for you, Mr. Manning!
Well, it’s not like Days hasn’t redeemed its share of vile characters… Ben Weston’s a “reformed” serial killer, for Hell’s sake!
And then there’s Elvis “EJ” DiMera who went from Sami’s rapist to the so-called “love of her life”. Pretty much the same thing with his adopted sister, Kristen.
And even right now, ReRon is doing his damnedest to turn Ava Vitali and even Gwen (Rizchek?? Deveraux?? what are we calling her now??) into some sort of sympathetic victims we’re supposed to feel sorry for, due to the family circumstances they were raised in.
Stefan DiMera couldn’t really be redeemed, so they brought him back as a twin brother. Considering how Ava seems to have forgotten Charlie’s entire existence until just recently, how the Hell do we know she didn’t also forget he had a twin brother. So maybe (in the words of my neighbor Poppy Bush) we’ll see a “kindler, gentler” Charlie in the form of his twin brother down the road.
Sonny & Luke got new leases on life because they were too good to be thrown away after 13 weeks. Charlie as a character? No chance in Hell… but Mike Manning under a new character? Who knows.
Saying I always agree with Satan is a scary thing! But, I do. Your comments are right on the mark! Here’s a question; who the hell is his father? Dale/Del/Dill? She’s Ava Vitale, this week she said his father was a guy named Jimmy Jackamo……don’t get me started on that. Once again Ron can’t tell a straight story. And suddenly she has a picture of holding Charlie as a baby??? Oh M Gee.
Moto62
I had read somewhere that Jake might turn out to be his bio dad, since Charley, Ava, Jake and Gwen all come from Penn.but that hasn’t panned out.
Oddly enough, when Gabi mentioned “Ava Vitali, mafia princess” to Jake today, there was no reaction from him.
Not saying he was necessarily Charlie’s daddy, but given his past dealings with “the Philadelphia mob”, it seems unlikely that he would not recognize Ava’s name. Unless there’s some other Philly mob family out there (possibly another one of ReRon’s dumb inside jokes for the OLTL fans, since that show was based in PA)
Gwen & Jake – by all rights – should already know Ava, and probably Charlie too. But they seem to be forgetting where these two allegedly came from, since they moved into the DiMera mansion.
Yes, everything you say makes sense but why did they stress from the beginning that Jake came from Philly, bringing Gwen along with him. We know they don’t say things that don’t mean anything, or will in the future. Also, sending Steve and John to Philly to talk/threaten Ava’s cousin and later on Victor himself to settle the wimpy Philip’s problems with the “family” has got to tie in to Jake. I can’t believe it’s just coincidence that he was from there and had been tied in with the mob. Also, what about that book, remember the one he had that he said belonged to the big boss?
I know there are more than one mob in a city, especially one as notorious as Philly but with their tentacles reading out to Salem via Ava,Charley,and possibly Jake is very interesting to say the least.
Unlike what happened with the rapist Luke Spencer on GH, the writers on DOOL understand that there is no justifiable redemption for rapist Charlie or any other.
Huh? Current DAYS head writer, Ron Carlivati, wrote years of storylines for Todd Manning (OLTL) and started the “redemption path” for Franco when he reintroduced the character to GH.
Well, the writer on DOOL gave serial killer Ben Weston a free pass, didn’t he? Similar what he did on GH… except Frodd isn’t really so much the serial killer Franco, but more like the serial rapist Todd, pretending to be the serial killer Franco (hence the name “Frodd”)
What Luke did way back in the disco era doesn’t really bear any resemblance to Charlie, Ben, or Frodd. And while the GH writers did a retcon of Luke’s backstory to explain some of his other actions later in life (and botched it badly) they never tried to negate Luke’s rape with “magic DVDs”, a brain tumor, or some sad story about how “mommy never loved me”.
I know DOOL isn’t taping eight months in advance anymore, so why did the writers not change the direction of this storyline? Were they not aware of the fans not liking Charlie? The show needed a character that wasn’t a Horton, Brady or DiMera, I am hoping Mike will be back on the show as a “third” son to Ava. If not, maybe a recast for Dillion Quartermaine on GH?????
He might work as a Morgan Corinthos recast on GH (assuming Bryan Craig doesn’t come back). He’s slightly old for the part (same age as Chad Duel who plays Michael) but in the soap world it’s not that uncommon to play a few years younger than you actually are. Especially when characters who really should still be in grade school have been SORASed to adulthood and nobody really remembers how old they are supposed to be now.
But I could definitely see him as a Corinthos. And given his portrayal of Charlie’s mental issues, he could probably pull off a Morgan bi-polar meltdown, if necessary.
In sorry to see Charlie go. Mike Manning is a fabulous actor and is one to watch.
Are we to think it’s only the people on the cover because I like the idea of it being Belle too. She told him she’d kill him. I’d even like it to be Claire. Isn’t Drake being written off? John killing Charlie intrigues me.
Sami is being charged and that’s too obvious. Ava doing it? I don’t think she would since they are making her a redemption character which, yuck.
I don’t think it’s Allie.
Honestly, I thought Ron would write Gwen into the mystery and she would kill him for her former friendship with Claire. What was the point of those scenes where Gwen & Charlie were talking anyway?
All that being said, I hope it’s Lucas. I love Lucas and Bryan Datillo. Lucas FTW!
Sami is obviously not the killer, but she’s covering for somebody. Allie would be the obvious choice there. Not to say Allie is the killer either, but Sami may THINK she is, which led her to attempt to tamper with the crime scene, which she was doing when Rafe showed up.
John is a viable suspect because he blacked out during the time of the shooting. He was near the crime scene by his own admission (to Marlena) but has no memory of actually going into Charlie’s apartment. But the last thing we saw from him on Friday was flashing back on the sound of a gun shot.
Would Sami also cover up for John? Yeah, because she still feels guilty over causing his aneurysm, and Hell knows he hasn’t been the same since that happened. That said, I doubt John did it either. But he probably saw the killer enter or leave the apartment, heard the gun shot and then blacked out from the residual effects of the aneurysm in his head.
Lucas will obviously be considered a suspect at some point, because he was dumb enough to threaten to kill Charlie right in the middle of Horton Square with several witnesses present. And Lucas would give a false confession to protect Allie, if he thought she did it. We know this, because he already did that for Will, when he was a teenager & shot EJ in the ass.
Gwen would be an interesting suspect, but she’s already apparently going to get away with killing Laura. No way they pin this one on her too. But the real question I have, is…. shouldn’t Gwen & Charlie already have known each other before they came to Salem? You may recall the back story of Gwen & Jake is that they were hiding from the “Philly mob”. And the Philly mob is the Vitali crime family. Oddly enough, I don’t think Jake & Charlie ever had scenes together, nor has Jake been in the same room with Ava that I can remember. But if they were all part of the Vitali circle, it’s not much of a stretch that they would know each other. At one point, I actually thought they were going to make Jake into Charlie’s father (though he doesn’t look old enough for a son that age) because Ava had never mentioned the father’s name until just this week. “Jimmy Jackamo” or something ridiculous like that??
Love him or hate him ( the character), Manning put out an outstanding performance from the onset. He is so versatile, so believable, he should get an award for his short stint.——Awesome!!
Cherlie’s fate was sealed from the onset, nonetheless, many a baddie received his/her redemption –given time. Look at Jack. He raped Kayla….among other “things”. It’s normal fodder for soaps.
I guess TPTB needed him to redeem Ava?—to “unite” Tripp and Allie?
Perhaps, Manning will pop ip elsewhere.
Aside—is Marcie enceinte?
Sorry but I for one did not care for his character.He is a good actor.Good luck in whatever you do.
Friends and Fans,. HELP me remember another soap years ago when a woman character so glad someone died, went up and shot the corpse at a funeral service. This thing with Sammy shooting Charlie for the second time brought back memories, but not enough details.
Shooting a corpse in Salem might not be such a bad idea. If for no other reason than to make sure they’re dead, and less likely to become a Rolf zombie and return a few months later.
Thanks, was hoping Michael F. or maybe some other old timer like me would have some memories of this incident in soap history.
Oddly enough, I do seem to remember some sort of funeral shooting like the one you describe. But I’ll be eternally damned if I can remember what show it was, who the corpse was, or who did the shooting.
Days & GH are the only two soaps that have aired continuously down here in Hell, so if I saw it, it would most likely be on one of those two.
Unless it was on a prime time show. Wouldn’t be surprised if somebody didn’t try to write that scenario more than once.
Satan
Thanks for trying. I think I have watched so many over the years I get them all mixed up in my head.
I really believe John shot Charlie and telling his wife that he heard the load noise, before he blacked out. If this turns out to be true, he will hopefully not be convicted because of his medical condition, whereas one of the other suspects will be facing prison. When are they ever going to find out that Charlie was shot twice, and get a credible ballistic report?
Bring Mike over to Y&R; we need some talented eye candy.
Days Of Our Lives
DAYS OF OUR LIVES Preview: Kristen Locates an Alive Sophia, How Much Does Rita Know About the Birth of Dominic Marino?
Next week, expected surprises and schemes on Days of our Lives. In official spoilers for episodes streaming on Peacock from October 5-9, it looks like Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) has hunted down a very much alive Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd), while Marlena (Deidre Hall) admits a deeply concerning confession to her daughter Belle (Martha Madison), and more.
As previously reported, Tajh Bellow (ex-TJ Ashford, General Hospital) is stepping in for one day for Tyler Joseph Andrews in the role of Theo Carver and will share scenes with Gabi (Cherie Jimenez), where Theo finally agrees to go along with Gabi’s plan, after she offered him a job.
Meanwhile, Gabi may have her hands full with Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier) whose big win in Monte Carlo may have sparked his gambling addiction … all over again, but Philip reveals her has a plan.
Photo: Corday Productions
Sydney (Sydney Malekeh) is in for a shock when Dante (Franco LoPresti) arrives in Salem. Why is he in Salem? Is he part of the unraveling of the Dominic Marino mystery, since we know he seemed like he was talking to the man in Monte Carlo?
Will Marlena ever figure out what Rita (Maggie Carney) is hiding about the mystery of Dominic, and if Marlena is truly his birth mother or did something more suspicious go on and how deeply involved is Rita in this whole story?
EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) finally demands answers of his own from Rita after overhearing on today’s Cliffhanger Friday her conversation with Marlena. Will Rita cop to anything?
Then as noted, while everyone thinks Sophia took her own life, after Kristen “murdered” her, Kristen is infuriated to find she is somehow alive working as waitress in a diner in Kentucky. Will Kristen try to kill Sophia yet again?
Take a look at some of the additional spoilers for next week’s action on DAYS below.
Monday, October 5
Joy worries about her future.
Alex surprises Stephanie.
Chanel supports Johnny through a difficult decision.
Tuesday, October 6
Rachel gives Brady cause for concern.
Roman surprises Kate.
Wednesday, October 7
Leo’s good day takes an unexpected turn.
Brady is forced to make a difficult call.
Thursday, October 8
Paulina refuses to give up on Lani.
Chanel asks Johnny for a promise.
Friday, October 9
Stephanie and Alex steal a private moment.
Steve gets troubling news from Johnny.
So, what do you think will happen when Kristen finds that the woman she thought she murdered and framed (making it looking like a suicide) is alive and well and working in a diner far away from Salem? Was Rita more involved with Stefano DiMera than we even know? Who is the birth mother of Dominic? Is it really Marlena or did someone else carrying her child? And what of Dante? Why is he back in Salem? To get at Philip, or something else? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Days Of Our Lives
‘General Hospital’ Alum Tajh Bellow Fills In for ‘Days of our Lives’ Tyler Joseph Andrews in the Role of Theo Carver
After an earlier post on Thursday, October 1 about General Hospital alumni Tajh Bellow’s (ex-TJ Ashford) upcoming project from Issa Rae’s HOOPAE Digital, comes word that Bellow is temporarily stepping into the role of Days of our Lives Theo Carver to fill in for Tyler Joseph Andrews on the Peacock streaming soap opera.
According to TV Insider, Bellow will be making a one-day appearance next week on the October 6 episode of DAYS as Andrews was unable to make the tape date that was shot 10 months ago on a day last December. Andrews (pictured below) took over the role of Theo in September of 2025.
In Bellow’s upcoming episode as Theo, he will share scenes with Cherie Jimenez (Gabi Hernandez). A DAYS spokesperson tells the outlet that Bellow “stepped seamlessly into the role, and the cast and crew were grateful for his professionalism and commitment, albeit for only one episode.”
Photo: JPI
TAJH WILL BE SEEN IN MULTIPLE PROJECTS IN OCTOBER
As General Hospital fans know, Tajh played the role of TJ Ashford from 2018 to his last appearance in December of 2024. Along the way, he received two Daytime Emmy nominations for his performances as TJ, the last being in 2025 in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
In addition, bellow along with Y&R alum Loren Lott will be seen starting on October 14 in the new Love Island spoof series, The Compatibility Experiment. The show will drop exclusively on TikTok and the PineDrama platform.
The Compatibility Experiment gives a satirical look at reality dating shows, think Love Island! The story centers around Kelvin (Bellow) and Camila (Lott), whose relationship is put to the test when they join a reality show to try to win a the million dollar prize.
So, what do you think of Tajh stepping in for Tyler Joseph Andrews as Theo on DAYS? Perhaps, the soap opera liked his work that he might be considered for another role in the future bringing Bellow back to the soaps? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below.
Four cast members are officially on contract at Days of our Lives, according to the soap opera’s closing credits on Peacock and longtime Days expert and historian Jason 47.
Lauren Koslow (Kate), Sydney Malakeh (Sydney), Sal Stowers (Lani) and Jacob Martinez (Javi) are the names that appear in the closing credits in the contracted cast members section. Days of our Lives fans also note that the series tapes ten months in advance of streaming episodes.
As Days of our Lives fans know, Lauren Koslow has played Kate Roberts since 1996, and recently filled-in for Jess Walton in the role of Jill Abbott on The Young and the Restless when Walton was unable to travel from Oregon to Los Angeles during the specific tape dates. But now, Koslow has been re-upped to contract status as of the September 8 episode.
Photo: JPI
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED
Sydney Malakeh is the newest member of the contract players when she debuted on contract status on the September 10th episode. Days fans first met Sami (Alison Sweeney) and EJ’s (Dan Feuerriegel) daughter in scenes in Monte Carlo around a gambling table.
As for Sal Stowers, the actress had been on contract from 2015-2022, then on recurring status with the soap, and would make appearances and limited runs since 2023. Soap fans first saw Sal as Cassandra Foster on Prospect Park’s revival of All My Children in 2013. Sal’s first new contracted episode was noted to be September 16.
Jacob Martinez, debuted on June 30 of this year as the successor to Al Calderon in the role of Javi Hernandez, and has now been bumped up to series regular as of the September 10 episode.
Photo: JPI
CREDITS
According to the referenced posting from Days of our Lives expert and historian Jason 47, he shared, “It took me four weeks to realize, but the same week that Sydney Malakeh (Sydney) debuted (9/7-9/11), “Days” also put Lauren Koslow (Kate), Jacob Richard Martinez (Javi) and Sal Stowers (Lani) on contract.”
Jason47 added, “This confirms the “errors” of Lani being listed in the credits the week of 9/7 but not appearing, and Kate and Javi appearing in the credits the week of 9/14 but not appearing. It also now makes sense why Javi and Sydney are being listed before Rafe and Philip in the credits.”
He also shared, “For the record, Lauren Koslow’s first date back on contract was 9/8, Jacob Richard Martinez was upped to contract on 9/10, Sydney Malakeh debuted on contract 9/10 and Sal Stowers’ first date back on contract was 9/16. The records will be fixed on the website in the coming days.”
So, glad to hear Lauren, Sydney, Sal and Jacob appear to be on contract with Days of our Lives (as of these episode airings)? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
Mark Consuelos Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s 56th Birthday on ‘Live,’ But Remember When Wendy Williams Outed the Couple as Married Before Anyone at ‘All My Children’ Knew?
DAYS OF OUR LIVES Preview: Kristen Locates an Alive Sophia, How Much Does Rita Know About the Birth of Dominic Marino?
TUNE-IN: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Banneker Homecoming Episodes, EP Sheila Ducksworth Speaks on Impact HBCUs Have in Real Life
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny Tells Dante, “I Don’t Want a Son Like You,” While Michael Tells Brook Lynn to Bide Her Time Till Chase and Willow Have an Affair
‘General Hospital’ Alum Tajh Bellow Fills In for ‘Days of our Lives’ Tyler Joseph Andrews in the Role of Theo Carver
REPORT: ‘Days of our Lives’ Puts Four Actors On Contract
‘Beyond the Gates’ Honors HBCU Tradition with Banneker University Homecoming Episodes
Alley Mills Returns to ‘General Hospital’ as Heather Webber
Judith Light Joins Cast of ‘Shrinking’ Season 4 in Recurring Role
‘Beyond the Gates’ Marquita Goings Delivers the ‘Power Performance of the Week’
Mark Consuelos Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s 56th Birthday on ‘Live,’ But Remember When Wendy Williams Outed the Couple as Married Before Anyone at ‘All My Children’ Knew?
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny Tells Dante, “I Don’t Want a Son Like You,” While Michael Tells Brook Lynn to Bide Her Time Till Chase and Willow Have an Affair
GH Alum Tajh Bellow and Y&R Alum Loren Lott Star in New Tiktok and Microdrama ‘Love Island’ Spoof
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ava and Drew Revealed to be Behind Framing Sonny for Sidwell’s Prison Beatdown
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