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The fallout from the Days of our Lives renewal has begun. Emmy winner Freddie Smith (Sonny), who joined Days of our Lives in 2011, announced via his podcast that he and co-star Chandler Massey (Will) have been written out of the soap opera and will last air in September 2020.
Smith notes he knew he was slated to return for six episodes after the extended hiatus, but as he and Massey read ahead, they noticed it didn’t appear like they would be continuing on with the show. According to the star, the pair found out last week that their contracts would not be extended.
As is common with DAYS renewals, there’s typically a cast purge that takes place soon after. With every actor essentially released from their contracts in November, this gave the show more flexibility than usual to clear the deck. There are a lot of unknowns leading into the next chapter in DAYS’ future, but look for this to be just the first batch of unexpected exits in the coming weeks.
Chandler Massey joined the cast of Days of our Lives at the end of 2009, replacing Dylan Patton as part of the show’s decision to take the character in a new direction. That direction involved the creation of a groundbreaking coming out storyline that drew critical acclaim and would earn the star three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Younger Actor. In 2013, Massey unexpectedly departed the show and the role was recast. The actor would later return to the soap in 2017.
Freddie Smith originated the role of Sonny Kiriakis, son of supercouple Justin and Adrienne, in 2011. As the first openly gay male character on DAYS and later one-half of “WilSon,” Freddie rose to popularity quickly. Smith left DAYS in 2015, winning the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor the same year. He returned to the soap in 2016.
For more on the upcoming exits of Chandler Massey and Freddie Smith, tune into the “Freddie and Alyssa” podcast later this week.
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on NBC.
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