Doug's funeral will be a cornucopia of familiar Salem faces as Days of our Lives bids farewell to Bill Hayes. Melissa Reeves is the latest star to join the roster of former players who will return to Salem to say goodbye to Julie's beloved husband. Others confirmed include Stephen Schnetzer as Steven Olson and Gloria Loring as Liz Chandler.
According to TV Insider, Jennifer will return to town for Thanksgiving this year and will still be there when Doug dies in December. Doug's death is necessitated by the passing of TV legend Bill Hayes, who died in January at the age of 98. Reeves will film her scenes this week, but due to DAYS' long lead time, they won't air until the end of 2023.
Reeves played Jennifer off and on from 1985 until 2020. She made a brief return in 2021, with All My Children alum Cady McClain stepping in several times when Jennifer was needed and Reeves was unavailable.
"I heard about Bill, which was just devastating for all of us," Reeves told TV Insider. "I was like, 'I wonder if they're going to do tribute shows.' Matt [Ashford, Jack Deveraux] and I always keep in touch and Matt said, 'Would you ever think about going back?' And I said, 'Matt, I think about Days all the time.' Days of our Lives was where I grew up and spent my life, really, from 18 until now. So it always has a place in my heart and it always will for me and for my family. So I said, 'Matt, you know if they called, I would say yes, but I haven't heard anything.'"
Eventually, Reeves did get the call, but the first person on her mind was McClain, as she worried that the actress who won an Emmy for playing Jennifer in 2021 would feel slighted.
"My one thing was, 'I'm not taking this away from Cady. If this is Cady's thing and she loves being here and she really loves playing this part, I don't want to take it away from her. I'm so good either way,'" Reeves said. "I'm a huge fan of Cady's. I even Instagram messaged her, 'Oh, my God, I'm so grateful you're playing my part! I'm honored.' But it worked out."
The last that DAYS fans heard from Jennifer, she and fellow reporter husband Jack left Salem to revive a fledgling local New England newspaper. There's no word on whether Ashford's Jack will be making his return with Reeves.
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