Jay Kenneth Johnson

Last updated
Jay Kenneth Johnson
Born (1977-02-24) February 24, 1977 (age 47)
Alma mater Missouri State University
OccupationActor
Years active1999–present
Known forPerformance in television
Notable credit Philip Kiriakis
Television Days of Our Lives

Jay Kenneth Johnson (born February 24, 1977) is an American actor from Springfield, Missouri. He began his career in 1999 when he was cast as Philip Kiriakis on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives .

Contents

Early life

Johnson was born to parents Janice and Ken Johnson on February 24, 1977, in Missouri. [1] He graduated from Kickapoo High School in 1995. He attended the Missouri State University, where he majored in Business and theatre. He then moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. [2] [3] He has two younger siblings, Jeff and Jenna.

Career

He has had roles on The Young and the Restless , Days of Our Lives, and North Shore and won a role in the Aaron Spelling pilot Hotel . [4] [5] [6] In addition to his regular television roles, Johnson has had guest appearances on The OC and the show Miami 7 .

In 2005, Johnson was offered a role on the new ABC sitcom Hot Properties , a role he later turned down.. He guest-starred on CSI: NY and will be starring in his first feature film titled HACK!. He went on to play "JD", a trapped soul who came back to life 50 years later, on Charmed . In 2006, he was a guest star on CSI: Miami . In 2007, after a five-year absence, Johnson returned to Days of Our Lives as Philip Kiriakis. He has also had a recurring guest role on Scrubs as Dr. Matthews. In 2011, Johnson opted to exit Days of Our Lives. [7] In 2012, he starred in the Hallmark movie Undercover Bridesmaid as Chip. [8]

In 2019, Johnson reprised the role of Philip in the digital-only Last Blast Reunion series. [9] In 2020, it was revealed that he would again reprise the role on Days of Our Lives. [10]

Filmography

Work in film and television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1999 The Young and the Restless Brendon
1999–2002, 2007–2011, 2020–2021 Days of Our Lives Philip Kiriakis Regular role
2000 Miami 7 Ethan1 episode
2003HotelEthan CoxTV movie
2004 The O.C. Vince1 episode
2004–2005 North Shore Chris RemsenRecurring role
2005 CSI: NY Paul Deacon1 episode
2005 Charmed J.D. Williams1 episode
2006 CSI: Miami Jason Hollings1 episode
2006–2009 Scrubs Dr. MatthewsRecurring role
2007Hack!JohnnyLead role
2011 Melissa & Joey Anthony1 episode
2012Undercover BridesmaidChipTV movie
2015Runaway HeartsGabeLead role
2019 Wonder Pets! Dag the DragonVoice role
2019–2020Days of Our Lives: Last Blast ReunionPhilip KiriakisDigital series

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judi Evans</span> American actress

Judi Evans is an American actress.

Wallace "Wally" Kurth is an American actor and musician. He is best known for playing the roles of Justin Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives and Ned Quartermaine on General Hospital. He has received one Daytime Emmy Award nomination for his work on General Hospital and three nominations for his work on Days of Our Lives.

Paul Telfer is a Scottish actor. He plays Xander Kiriakis on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, for which he was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivian Alamain</span> Soap opera character

Vivian Alamain is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by head writers Richard J. Allen and Beth Milstein, and introduced by executive producers Ken Corday and Al Rabin, the role is most recognized as portrayed by actress Louise Sorel. In addition to Sorel, the role has subsequently been portrayed by Marj Dusay, Robin Strasser and Linda Dano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belle Black</span> Soap opera character

Belle Black is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by the head writer James E. Reilly, she was born on October 21, 1993, as the only child of supercouple John Black and Marlena Evans. She is also one-half of the supercouple Shawn Brady and Belle Black. Initially portrayed by several child actors between 1993 and 1999, Belle was rapidly aged to a teenager when Kirsten Storms took over the role from 1999 to 2004. Charity Rahmer briefly portrayed Belle for a month before being replaced by Martha Madison, who played the character from August 2004 to March 2008, when Belle departed the show. Madison returned as Belle for the soap's 50th Anniversary Celebrations in 2015 but departed the following year. Belle then appeared for various stints of different lengths before rejoining the regular cast again in 2020. She departed again in 2023. Now, Belle is set to return to Salem in December 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abigail Deveraux</span> Fictional character

Abigail Deveraux is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Abigail was created by scriptwriter Sheri Anderson and executive producer Ken Corday. Abigail's storylines often focus on young love and budding romances. She is a member of the high class, core family, the Hortons. She is also the daughter of popular super couple Jack Deveraux and Jennifer Horton. Abigail was often titularized as the show's younger leading heroine when the character was portrayed by Ashley Benson, and is known for her popular fan pairing with Max Brady, which spanned from 2005 to 2007, when her character left for the United Kingdom to be with her parents. The character returned to the series in March 2011, then portrayed by Kate Mansi, but departed in June 2016. Marci Miller stepped into the role from November 2016 to November 2018. Following Miller's exit, Mansi returned to the role from November 2018 to February 2019. Mansi then appeared as Abigail that August in the spin-off, Chad and Abby in Paris, and then on the main show from November 2019 to May 2020. In September 2020, Miller returned to the role, until Abigail was killed off in July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis</span> Fictional character

Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis is a fictional character on NBC's daytime drama Days of Our Lives. She had been portrayed by actress Denise Wanner from November to December 1986 before Judi Evans took over the role from December 1986 to February 1991, from May 2007 to January 2008 and from March 2010 to January 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Lane</span> Days or Our Lives character

Chloe Lane is a fictional character from the American NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by actress and singer Nadia Bjorlin. She was first introduced in November 1999, created by then-head writer Tom Langan. Bjorlin played Chloe nearly continuously from 1999 through 2005, and from 2007 until 2011. In 2012, Bjorlin announced during an interview with TV Guide that she would return to Days of our Lives once again, making her return on January 7, 2013, but just remaining through April 16, 2013. Bjorlin returned to the role, in a two-episode stint in celebration of the soap's fiftieth anniversary celebration on August 3, 2015. She returned for another visit in January 2016, and returned full-term in June 2016, departing in August 2019. She returned in August 2020 for a brief stint before returning permanently later that same year. Bjorlin departed once again in October 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Kiriakis</span> Soap opera character

Philip Kiriakis is a character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera. Child actors portrayed the character of Philip until he was rapidly aged and returned under the portrayal of Brandon Tyler in October 1999. Tyler was quickly replaced by Jay Kenneth Johnson, who was in the role until leaving the show in December 2002. The character returned in May 2003 played by Kyle Brandt. After Brandt left the show in October 2006, Johnson returned to the role in January 2007 then left on April 20, 2011. In 2015, actor John-Paul Lavoisier was cast in the role; he was let go the following year, last appearing in December 2016. In 2019, Johnson reprised the role on the digital-only Last Blast Reunion series and returned to Days of Our Lives in August 2020; he later departed in December 2021. In August 2023, Lavoisier returned to the role before departing two months later; he resumed the role when Philip returned to Salem in October 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carly Manning</span> Soap opera character

Carly Manning is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. Crystal Chappell portrayed the character from June 12, 1990, to October 18, 1993. After a sixteen-year absence, she reprised the role on October 2, 2009, to September 22, 2011. Chappell's most memorable storyline was in 1993 when her longtime rival Vivian Alamain buried her alive, which has become one of the show's most notorious plots. Along with Vivian, most of Carly's stories revolve around her ex-husband Bo Brady and late husband Lawrence Alamain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Kiriakis</span> Soap opera character

Justin Kiriakis is a fictional character on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. Created by head writer Leah Laiman, he is portrayed by actor Wally Kurth from February 3, 1987, to February 5, 1991. From 2007 to 2008, Justin was mentioned but not seen on screen. Kurth reprised the role again August 10, 2009, remaining in the role for nearly five years before departing on April 3, 2014. However, he once again returned in February 2015. Justin is the nephew of Greek tycoon Victor Kiriakis. Justin married Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis, and together they have three sons while Justin has one by a past romance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ava Vitali</span> Fictional character

Ava Vitali is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by and introduced by then-executive producers Ken Corday and Edward J. Scott, the role is portrayed by Tamara Braun, who won a Daytime Emmy Award for the role in 2009. Introduced as a "mysterious woman from Steve's past," Ava was later revealed as a woman from a Mafia family. Ava appeared for six months in 2008, and returned in December 2015 for a three-month guest appearance. Following a brief voice appearance in 2017, Ava returned to the show on a regular basis in November 2020. She departed again on December 20, 2022 and returned on August 8, 2023

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jen Lilley</span> American actress and singer (born 1984)

Jennifer Lilley is an American actress and singer. Lilley played a supporting role in the 2011 film The Artist, temporarily portrayed Maxie Jones on the ABC soap opera General Hospital from September 2011 to August 2012, and has played the character of Theresa Donovan on NBC's soap opera Days of Our Lives from July 2013 to November 2016 and again from May to July 2018. She has also starred in several television films from Hallmark Channel and Great American Family Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Jonas</span> Soap opera character

Melanie Jonas is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by former head writers Rick Draughon and Dena Higley, the role is portrayed by Molly Burnett. She originally arrived as the daughter of Trent Robbins and the sister of Max Brady; however, it was later revealed that she was the daughter of Carly Manning and Daniel Jonas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Kiriakis</span> Soap opera character

Sonny Kiriakis is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on Peacock. The role was originally portrayed by Freddie Smith. Sonny is the only biological child of Justin Kiriakis and Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis. Sonny's birth was announced in 1991. Developed under head writer Dena Higley, Sonny was introduced in 2011 by executive producers Ken Corday and Gary Tomlin as Justin and Adrienne's openly gay son – the show's first regular character to be openly gay. His major stories included a gay bashing storyline and the development of his romance with Will Horton who is just coming to terms with his own sexuality. In 2014, Will and Sonny marry, becoming the first male-male couple to legally marry in the history of American daytime television drama. Sonny is also known for his friendship and business dealings with Chad DiMera – a friendship that nearly gets him killed when their sports website is taken over by an illegal gambling operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theresa Donovan</span> Soap opera character

Theresa Donovan is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Introduced in September 1990, she was portrayed by several child actors until the character left the series in 1992, with further guest appearances in both 1996 and 1997. The character was reintroduced to the series in July 2013, under the portrayal of actress Jen Lilley, best known for her portrayal of Maxie Jones on General Hospital, and departed in November 2016. Lilley reprised the role in May 2018 for a three-month stint, departing again in July. Lilley briefly returned to the role in September 2023, with Emily O'Brien assuming the role in the following month.

Robert Scott Wilson is an American model and actor. He is known for portraying the roles of Ben Weston and Alexander "Alex" Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives.

Zachary Atticus Tinker is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Fenmore Baldwin in the CBS Daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. In 2019, Tinker was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his portrayal as the character. Tinker has also appeared in Law & Order True Crime, American Horror Story, NCIS: Los Angeles and Why Women Kill. In 2021, Tinker was cast as Sonny Kiriakis in the television miniseries Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem, a spinoff of the long-running NBC soap Days of Our Lives. In 2022, Tinker stepped into the role on the main series.

References

  1. Heim, Michael. Exploring Missouri Highways: Trip Trivia, p. 64 (2007)
  2. "Jay Kenneth Johnson 411". Soap Opera Digest. September 8, 2014. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014.
  3. "Jay Kenneth Johnson Biography". BuddyTV. September 8, 2014. Archived from the original on November 28, 2016.
  4. "Jay Kenneth Johnson". TV.com. January 1, 2008.
  5. "JAY KENNETH JOHNSON". Soap Opera Digest . October 23, 2017.
  6. (17 November 2002). `DAYS' END FOR J.K. JOHNSON [ dead link ], Orlando Sentinel
  7. "DAYS Exits: Jay Kenneth Johnson and Shelley Hennig Out!". TV Source Magazine. January 18, 2011.
  8. "DAYS Vets in Hallmark Movie". Soap Opera Digest . April 13, 2012.
  9. Stone, Natalie (November 25, 2019). "He's Baaaack! Days of Our Lives Star Jay Johnson Returning as Philip Kiriakis in New Digital Series". People . United States: Time Inc. Archived from the original on November 25, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  10. Baldwin, Joshua (May 29, 2020). "Jay Kenneth Johnson Returns as the OG Philip on DAYS". Daytime Confidential. United States: Confidential Media, Inc. Retrieved May 29, 2020.