Days of Our Lives is one of the longest daytime soap operas to have ever streamed on television. It has been a non-stop rollercoaster ride since 1965, when it first aired on NBC network. From 2022, the new episodes were streamed on Peacock. It has captivated audiences for decades with some of the most intriguing story arcs, unforeseen twists, and iconic performances. The drama that it serves (well, on screen as well as off-screen) is no less than legendary.
From characters cheating death, to being possessed by “the devil,” or the sudden appearance of secret twins, are all part of the plot that may seem bizarre to the audience at first until they dig deeper to find more scandalous or shocking news about their beloved cast, or even facts that they might have missed in the show. Here are 5 most strange facts about Days of Our Lives that you probably didn't know.
Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.
Bryan Dattilo and his on-set controversy
Bryan Dattilo is an American actor who played the role of Lucas Horton in the famous NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives. Over the years, Lucas’ character has grown into a mature, relatable guy, and all thanks to Bryan for making that possible despite his fair share of contract drama, with all the firing, rehiring, and unexpected comebacks. He has been a part of the DOOL family since 1993, for nearly half of its 50-year journey.
However, Bryan Dattilo was not quite praised for his problematic behaviours off-screen. In an interview with Glamour, Dattilo candidly confessed to stealing not just props but even Sami Braday’s bra from the set. Maybe it was his knack for collecting memorabilia that drove him to proudly put up his stolen items for display in his garage. He said,
“I have a bad habit of stealing things from the set!...It's in my garage, and when people come over to work out, they get a good laugh at it. I have Sami's bra!”
He was lucky not to get caught or have any legal accusations filed against him. But he did rouse suspicion amongst the costume team who very carefully listed every item and noticed that something or the other kept going missing whenever Bryan was on set.
In another controversy, Bryan Dattilo's first audition for playing Lucas in Days of Our Lives was one worth remembering. Things took a steamy turn when he was asked to kiss his scene partner, Christie Clark, and as per his claims, she used tongues to excite Bryan to an extent that the crew had to intervene to stop the two. In the interview with Glamour, he said,
“I remember Christie Clark being my audition partner…. I didn't kiss her in the network audition, but when we got to stage to do it, I laid one on her. I think I did it a little too much.”
He further added,
“She did with tongue, and I was just responding! She initiated! I was like, "I'm not going to let her out kiss me when I didn't even kiss her the first time!" I got crazy with it.”
Resurrections as a plot device
A number of events in Days of Our Lives have played a significant role in adding the element of the supernatural to this daytime soap opera. It might have come as a shock to the audience but nonetheless served as a gripping plot twists. From demonic possessions to a dramatic DNA test revelation and eleventh-hour antidotes, the chaotic town of Salem has always kept us on the edge of our seats. The writers of the show have literally employed themes of resurrection as a narrative trick to keep the fans guessing and chatting for days (or even years) about who's really dead and who's faking it.
For example, we all thought Steve Johnson had been killed in that massive explosion, only to be shocked later when his coffin was found empty. Or the time when fans were made to believe that they had lost one of their most beloved characters in the show, Will Horton, as he was brutally strangled to death. However, his revival took viewers on a rollercoaster of suspense and mystery with hints of advanced medical twists (and maybe a dash of supernatural flair). Moreover, Jack Deveraux’s character was declared dead more than once in Days of Our Lives, and yet somehow, he manages to come back to life and surprise the audience each and every time.
Thus, the whole resurrection thing might be a little far-fetched and impossible to believe for the audience, but we can't deny this is what makes the show so entertaining.
The casting for Roman Brady’s character
Roman Brady had been one of the integral characters in Days of Our Lives from the very beginning. Brady was the dashing retired police commissioner in Salem, who occasionally conducted private investigations for his friends’ company and also looked after his family's pub business. Initially, the role was portrayed by Wayne Northorp from 1981 to 1984 and then again from 1991 to 1994. During the brief gap, Brady's character was killed off, and after a chaotic series of events, it was revealed that he had come back as John Black, played by Drake Hogestyn, who underwent plastic surgery and suffered from amnesia.
Upon Northorp’s return in 1991, Hogestyn’s John Black was sidelined as a completely different character who apparently had been manipulated into thinking of himself as Roman Brady. When Wayne Northorp left the show again in 1994, Josh Taylor stepped up in 1997 to fill his shoes and has been playing Roman Brady ever since. However, Taylor was previously known to play the role of a cherished companion of Roman and Marlena, named Chris Kositchek.
This character mix-up did not go unnoticed and triggered widespread outrage amongst fans. In an even more unexpected twist, Northorp was again cast in the show in 2005, but this time in a whole new role, called Dr. Alex North. The shuffling and reshuffling of Roman Brady's character remains one of the most bizarre loopholes in the series.
Mary Beth Evans uses body double
Mary Beth Evans is famous for her role in Days of Our Lives as Kayla Brady, one of the six children of the Brady family with an aspiring career in medicine. The character’s relationship with Steve Johnson, portrayed by Stephen Nichols, remains one of the most passionate as well as fan-favorite love affairs in the entire series. However, Mary recalls an erotic scene she was asked to shoot with Nichols for the show, which required them to be intimate with each other and involved ice cubes.
It was probably a love-making scene between Kayla and Steve. But Mary, unfortunately, was unable to enact it as she was in the second trimester of her pregnancy at that time and felt more comfortable with not having to reveal her body for the act. So the production hired a double to film the scene who looked very similar to Mary Beth and fans did not even seem to have noticed it so precisely. In an interview with Glamour, Mary Beth Evans reveals,
“Let me just say, I was at least six months pregnant! They brought a body double in, so that is not my body!”
To this, Stephen Nichols also added,
“They got a really good double! She was built like Mary Beth and was so much like her, but just not pregnant.”
Deidre Hall’s struggle with motherhood
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Deidre Hall played the role of Marlena Evans in Days of Our Lives, and her powerful portrayal not only made Marlena one of the most iconic and downright phenomenal characters in the entire series but also earned her several awards and worldwide recognition. Fans, however, are often oblivious of the fact that Deidre had struggled with issues of infertility and the emotional turmoil that comes with it for about 20 years during her time on the soap opera.
The condition had a substantial impact on her television career, as Marlena’s character, in a turn of events, had to experience a late-life pregnancy followed by a miscarriage that caused her to suffer from hysterical amnesia. Deidre had tried all kinds of ways to bear a child, including artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and others, and finally, with her third husband, she embraced motherhood twice through a surrogate. The film, “Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall Story,” is a retelling of Hall’s journey, delving into her challenges and hardships with becoming a mother.
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