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You Can Go Home Again: Thaao Penghlis (Tony), Leann Hunley (Anna, c.) and Christie Clark (Carrie) will be reprising their DAYS roles in 2025.
Days of Our Lives is welcoming a slew of fan favorites back to the canvas for the show’s upcoming 60th anniversary year. Hot on the heels of the news that Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady), Kristian Alfonso (Hope Williams Brady) and Peter Reckell (Bo Brady) are set to return comes a new wave of casting info sure to warm the hearts of longtime fans.
TV Insider was the first to report that Christie Clark (Carrie Brady Reed), Leann Hunley (Anna DiMera), Victoria Konefal (Ciara Brady Weston), Chandler Massey (Will Horton), Thaao Penghlis (Tony DiMera), Melissa Reeves (Jennifer Horton Devreaux) and Charles Shaughnessy (Shane Donovan) are all set for comebacks in 2025. Matthew Ashford, who recently wrapped a visit to Salem as Jack Deveraux, will also be returning again.
Executive Producer Ken Corday told TV Insider exclusively, “We always love it when members of our beloved family return to Salem,” adding, “Fans are really going to enjoy what we have in store beginning this fall and well into next year.”
All eight returning actors have long histories with DAYS.
Clark joined the show in 1986 as Anna and Roman’s (then-Wayne Northrop) daughter and exited in 1991. She returned the following year and played Carrie through 1999 before coming back again for a 2005-06 stint and additional stints in 2010, 2011-12 and 2017-19. In 2021, she reprised Carrie for the DAYS spinoff Beyond Salem, which streamed on Peacock.
Hunley’s association with DAYS began back in 1982, and for her work as Anna, she was awarded the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1986. That same year, she wrapped her first Salem run, but reprised Anna from 2007-10 and from 2017-23 (also appearing on its streaming spinoffs).
Konefal assumed the role of Hope and Bo’s beloved daughter — and future half of the mega-popular Ben/Ciara coupling alongside Robert Scott Wilson, who now plays Alex Kiriakis — in 2017 and appeared on DAYS and/or the Beyond Salem spinoff through 2023.
Massey was cast as Sami and Lucas Horton’s (Bryan R. Dattilo) son back in 2010. His first stint concluded in 2014 and earned him three Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Younger Actor category. Massey made history as the first male actor playing a gay character to win a Daytime Emmy. He reclaimed the role in 2017, played Will on Beyond Salem in 2021, and was last on the canvas in 2023.
Penghlis made his DAYS debut in 1981 as the dashing and devious Tony DiMera, and in 1983, he also began portraying Tony’s look-alike cousin, Andre. Penghlis exited in 1985, but returned as Tony from 1993-96. When he came back in 2002, he portrayed both roles through 2005 and reprised both roles again from 2007-09. He returned as Tony in 2019 and went on to play Tony on DAYS and its streaming spinoffs) through 2023.
Melissa Reeves was introduced as Jennifer Rose Horton back in 1985. She exited 10 years later, returning from 2000-06 and 2010-20. Cady McClain has subsequently played the role, most recently in August 2024. It was announced in April 2024 that she was returning to the show in episodes airing later this year (timed to the show’s 15,000th episode); today’s announcement is a separate comeback.
Shaughnessy was a DAYS fixture from 1984-92; he returned as the ISA Agent in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2021 (on Beyond Salem) and 2023. He was most recently seen on daytime playing Victor Cassadine on General Hospital, a role that, ironically, was originated by Penghlis.
Are you looking forward to the returns of these familiar faces? Who else is on your wish list for comebacks? Let us know in the comments below.
