Originally appeared on E! Online
Days of Our Lives has been on for 60 years.
For those counting, that’s 21,900 days. And while there haven’t been quite that many episodes of the enduring NBC soap opera—which made the move to Peacock in 2022—the sands of the hourglass have signaled the passage of 15,000 episodes and counting.
Which means that fictional Salem, Ill., has seen more than its fair share of drama, with love affairs, weddings and babies vying for time with feuds, comas, serial killers and all variety of backstabbing. Yet, wouldn’t you know, people keep coming to town.
Deidre Hall, whose Dr. Marlena Evans has survived so much, remains at the center of the drama after 49 years, but the show’s stalwart cast has welcomed quite the revolving door of familiar faces, as well, many of whom went on to become household names.
Or were already legends when they happened to pop up on daytime TV for the first time and walk away with a Guest Actor Emmy, as Dick Van Dyke did at the 2024 ceremony.
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“I don’t believe this. I feel like a spy from nighttime television,” Van Dyke, who became the oldest-ever Daytime Emmy winner at 98 for his 2023 turn as amnesia patient Timothy Robicheaux, said as he accepted his statue. “Can you believe it? This really tops off a lifetime of 80 years in the business.”
Days of Our Lives past stars
But while the Mary Poppins and self-titled sitcom icon was already, shall we say, established when he enjoyed his arc on Days of Our Lives, a bevy of up-and-comers cut their acting teeth on the soap opera.
Rather literally in Christina Applegate‘s case.
“It was really a breakout role,” the actress quipped at the 2024 Emmys, referring to her 1972 TV debut on Days when she was 3 months old, showing her range from the start by playing baby boy Burt.
Of course, not all appearances made by future celebs were quite so unrecognizable, but we bet you forgot about these stars who were on Days of Our Lives:
Mila Kunis
A coterie of actresses has played drama-plagued Salem Police Detective Hope Williams Brady at different moments in time since the character’s 1974 debut, but it was 11-year-old Mila Kunis—making her acting debut—who popped up as tween Hope in a June 1994 flashback.
Christina Applegate
In1972, 3-month-old Christina Applegate got the call when her mom Nancy Priddy booked a mother-baby role on Days of Our Lives, playing Mrs. Grizzell and her baby Burt Grizzell on an episode in which Denise Alexander‘s Susan Hunter opts not to have an abortion after she looks after Burt at a medical clinic while his mom is inexplicably away for awhile.
Applegate was so charming she was asked back, but ended up moving on to other opportunities.
“It was like she had this light around her,” Priddy said on a later talk show appearance, “and things would just happen.”
Jensen Ackles
Before he hunted ghosts on Supernatural, Jensen Ackles played Eric Brady, straightlaced son of Roman Brady (Josh Taylor) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), from 1997 until 2000.
When Ackles—who was nominated for three Daytime Emmys— left the show, that was the last of Eric. Until 2012, when he resurfaced as a priest played by Greg Vaughan, who, incidentally, called Ackles to see if he’d be cool with him assuming the role before accepting.
Ackles remembered telling him, “Greg, knock it out, bro.”
Andrea Barber
Carrie Brady, the daughter with long-lost Anna Fredericks (Leann Hunley) that Roman didn’t even know he had, was first played by 6-year-old Andrea Barber starting in 1982, the future Full House neighbor’s acting debut.
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson‘s career got a bounce before Baywatch when she scored screentime as Cindy opposite Jack and Jennifer Devereaux (Matthew Ashford and Melissa Reeves) on two episodes of Days in 1992.
Ashley Benson
Speaking of a lot of pretty little liars, Ashley Benson was one of six actresses who played Jack and Jennifer’s only daughter, Abigail Devereaux. The character battled dissociative identity (i.e. multiple personality) disorder until her 2022 murder at the hands of Clyde Weston (James Read) who’s now in a coma.
Benson’s time on the show lasted from 2004 until 2007, while Marci Miller played the final incarnation of Abby.
Ross Mathews
Why yes, that was talk show favorite Ross Mathews playing Chris—Salem Health Club patron and sometimes-workout buddy of Alison Sweeney‘s Sami Brady, Eric’s more mischievous twin sister—between 2008 and 2011.
Pat Sajak
In 1983, only a couple of years into his four-decade run as host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak played Kevin Hathaway.
He’s considered a minor character in the canon, but made enough of an impact that it was a really big deal when his daughter Maggie Sajak popped into renowned fake tavern Brady’s Pub to introduce the Salem Sweepstakes in November 2025, teasing a VIP experience for a lucky Days of Our Lives fan in honor of the soap’s 60th anniversary.
Kathie Lee Gifford
Before she went live(!) with Regis Philbin on weekday mornings, Kathie Lee Gifford showed up as Nurse Callihan on a 1975 episode, credited as Kathie Lee Epstein (her maiden name).
Betty White
Speaking of nurses, Betty White played one on Days in 1988, the Golden Girls star adding to her tally of NBC soap opera appearances, which also included spots on Another World and Santa Barbara.
Vivica A. Fox
Vivica A. Fox spent four days of her life playing Carmen Silva in 1988, her first acting credit.
Jamie Chung
Jamie Chung originated the role of sorority sister Cordy Han, a victim of campus serial rapist Ford Decker (Matthew Florida), on 11 episodes in 2007 before Christina Stacey took over the part.
Tara Reid
Tara Reid had a 13-episode run as Ashley in 1995, four years before breaking out in American Pie.
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes popped up for one day as Madison in 1995.
Kyle Richards
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards returned to her acting roots playing Casey McGraw for three episodes in 2013.
Lisa Rinna
Lisa Rinna was the first of several actresses to play Billie Reed, troubled singer turned cosmetics mogul of uncertain parentage, embodying the part from 1992 to 1995. (During which, she told People, she had “like, a thing” with costar Patrick Muldoon, who played Billie’s brother Austin Reed.) Krista Allen took over until 1999, Rinna returned for a season in 2002, Julie Pinson kept Billie going until 2008 and Rinna has made a number of appearances since.
About the prospect of reprising the role of Billie yet again, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum told Distractify in 2024, “Listen, I never say no, really, to anything. I’m always open to revisiting these characters that I love.”
“You know I love drama,” she added. “So if it were right, if it felt right, if it made sense. I think I’m always open to it.”
New episodes of Days of Our Lives premiere every weekday morning on Peacock.
(E!, NBC and Peacock are all members of the NBCUniversal family.)
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