Thaao Penghlis is an Australian actor. He is best known for roles in United States daytime soap operas such as Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara, and General Hospital, but has also guest-starred on a number of crime dramas, such as Kojak, Cannon, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, Hart to Hart, Nero Wolfe and Magnum, P.I.. He also starred in the late 1980s remake of Mission: Impossible. Penghlis has studied under Hollywood acting teacher Milton Katselas.
Roman Brady is a fictional character from the long-running NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. The role was originated in 1981 by Wayne Northrop, who played the role until 1984 and from 1991 to 1994, and is currently being portrayed by series veteran Josh Taylor, who stepped into the role in 1997. Roman is a member of the fictional Brady family, and has been a central character on the show since his introduction in 1981. Over the years, Roman has been involved in a number of storylines, including romances, family conflicts, and mystery plots.
Stefano DiMera is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, played by Joseph Mascolo. Created by Pat Falken Smith, Stefano was introduced on January 18, 1982 as the father of Tony DiMera looking to expand his criminal empire to Salem. Stefano's early storylines included his feud with Roman Brady, playing his children – Tony and Renée DuMonde against one another when he is presumed dead, orchestrating a series of murders with his son and Tony's deranged look-a-like André, and replacing the presumed dead Roman with the brainwashed John Black.
Abe Carver is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera Days of Our Lives. Actor James Reynolds has played the character since he originated it on the series in 1981, and is currently the fifth longest serving actor on the show. The role is one of the longest-running African American characters in American soap operas. The character was created by head writer Pat Falken Smith. Abe is the widowed husband of Lexie Carver, daughter of international crime lord, Stefano DiMera. He is the father of Brandon Walker and Theo Carver and the adoptive father of Lani Price.
Lexie Carver is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives, created by head writer Leah Laiman. The role has been played most notably by actress Renée Jones, who appeared in the role from 1993 until departing in 2012. She is the daughter of crime boss Stefano DiMera, and the psychic Celeste Perrault. She is the mother of Theo Carver, and was the wife of mayor Abe Carver.
John Black is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on Peacock. He has been played by actor Drake Hogestyn since 1986, with a break in between from January 2009 to September 2011. John was created by scriptwriters Sheri Anderson, Thom Racina and Leah Laiman as The Pawn in 1985 and introduced by executive producers Betty Corday and Al Rabin. John becomes one of the series' most popular characters when he is revealed to be the presumed dead Roman Brady with plastic surgery and amnesia. However, Northrop's return in 1991 led to Hogestyn's Roman being retconned into the entirely separate character of John Black, which also establishes the supercouple pairing of John and Marlena, due to John's affair with Roman's wife, Marlena Evans. Hogestyn was attributed with helping the series out of its ratings slump in the 1980s. He was often featured in soap opera magazines, such as Soap Opera Digest and Soap Opera Weekly.
Anna DiMera is a fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, Days of Our Lives. She was introduced as the estranged wife of Roman Brady and the biological mother of his daughter, Carrie Brady. Created by head writers, Margaret DePriest and Sheri Anderson, Anna is portrayed by Leann Hunley. Anna is known for being a member of the powerful, upper class DiMera family from her marriages to Tony DiMera.
Kate Roberts is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. The matriarch of the series' Roberts family, the role was originated by Deborah Adair in 1993, and is currently played by Lauren Koslow, who has held the role since 1996. Kate is the mother of Austin Reed, Billie Reed, Lucas Horton, Philip Kiriakis, and the twins Cassie and Rex Brady. Kate is the ex-wife of Curtis Reed, Victor Kiriakis, Roman Brady and Stefano DiMera, and is the widow of André DiMera. She is known for getting what she wants via scheming.
EJ DiMera is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by head writer James E. Reilly and introduced under executive producers, Ken Corday and Tom Langan, EJ is the son of crime boss Stefano DiMera and the eccentric Susan Banks. Originally portrayed by child actors: Avalon, Dillon and Vincent Ragone from February 1997 to April 1998, the character was rapidly aged in 2006 when James Scott was cast in the role; he departed the role in October 2014. In 2018, the role was briefly portrayed by Trey Baxter. In June 2021, Australian actor Dan Feuerriegel assumed the role.
Susan Banks is a fictional character on NBC's daytime drama Days of Our Lives. She was played by Eileen Davidson from November 4, 1996, to April 8, 1998, and again in 2014 and 2017. Susan is the eccentric mother of Elvis "EJ" DiMera, and once acted as Kristen Blake's doppelganger. In November 2011, it was announced that Brynn Thayer would take over the role of Susan, since Davidson was committed to The Young and the Restless. Thayer made her brief one-off appearance as Susan on December 7, 2011.
Kristen Blake DiMera is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. The role was originally portrayed by Eileen Davidson. Davidson joined the cast of Days of Our Lives in 1993, and departed in 1998 after a five-year stint. After a 14-year absence, Davidson returned to the role of Kristen in the fall of 2012. Kristen and her brother Peter were raised by super villain Stefano DiMera at a very young age following the deaths of their parents; however, their mother Rachel was later revealed to be alive.
Colin Murphy is a fictional character from the American soap opera Days of Our Lives. He was played by two actors. Robert Cuthill played him from July 2001 through October 2001. The role was then taken over by Justin Melvey who played him from October 2001 until January 2003 and in October 2004.
Nicole Walker is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, a long-running series about working-class life in the fictional town of Salem. She was introduced in 1998 by head writer Sally Sussman Morina, and executive producer Ken Corday. Actress Arianne Zucker has portrayed the character since her introduction to the series in 1998. In 2006, Zucker left the soap in pursuit of other acting possibilities. She returned to the role in 2008. In 2016, Zucker also appeared as Helena Tasso, a deceased woman who bears a resemblance to Nicole, in flashbacks. In March 2017, Zucker announced she would once again leave the role. She made her final appearance in the role on October 20, 2017. Following her departure, media outlets began to report that Zucker was to reprise the role for a short-term visit in December 2017 after being spotted on-set; Zucker explained her visit, stating that her daughter was included in the annual telling of the Christmas Story at the University Hospital. In June 2018, it was announced that Zucker would reprise the role of Nicole later the same year. She appeared for a few weeks in October 2018. Zucker later returned in April 2019, but as Kristen DiMera, who was posing as Nicole. Zucker then returned to the role of Nicole in September 2019.
André DiMera is a fictional character from the NBC Daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives. The role was originated in 1983 by Thaao Penghlis when André was introduced as the nephew of Stefano DiMera. Having undergone plastic surgery to look identical to Stefano's stepson, Tony, André—on Stefano's behalf—sets out to frame Roman Brady for a series of murders. However, plans go awry as André claims several victims including Stefano's daughter Renée DuMonde. André's later plans to help Stefano heal his brain tumor and get revenge on their enemies culminates in André's presumed death in November 1984.
Elvis "EJ" Aaron DiMera and Samantha "Sami" Gene Brady DiMera are fictional characters and a supercouple from the American soap opera Days of Our Lives. Since 1993, the role of Sami Brady has been portrayed by actress Alison Sweeney. James Scott originally portrayed the role of EJ DiMera when the character was introduced on May 30, 2006, but in 2021 when EJ finally returns for the first time on-screen since his supposed death in 2014, he is now portrayed by actor Dan Feuerriegel. Scott says that his days of acting are now behind him.
Santo DiMera is a fictional character on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. He was portrayed by James Scott from July 9, 2007 to September 28, 2007. Scott reprised the role on August 20, 2008 as a figment of John's imagination. He is the father of Stefano DiMera and established the wealth and power of the DiMera family.
Laura Horton is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional, United States town of Salem. Created by writer Peggy Phillips, the role was originated by actress Floy Dean on June 30, 1966, till October 21, 1966. Susan Flannery stepped into the role from November 22, 1966, to May 27, 1975. Susan Oliver briefly stepped into the role from October 10, 1975, to June 9, 1976, followed by Rosemary Forsyth from August 24, 1976, to March 25, 1980. Jaime Lyn Bauer assumed the role on November 12, 1993.
Marlena Evans is a fictional character on the NBC/Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives, a long-running serial about working life in the fictional town of Salem. She has been played by actress Deidre Hall since 1976, but the character was absent from the show from 1987 to August 1991 and again from January 2009 to September 2011. Marlena was created by scriptwriter Pat Falken Smith and executive producer Betty Corday, and has become one of Days of our Lives' most well-known characters. Hall made her debut on the soap on June 21, 1976, currently making her the second longest running actress on the serial, surpassed only by Suzanne Rogers.
