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Days of Our Lives fires Mark Hapka (Nathan); Actor addresses exit with fans!
After News of His Release, Mark Hapka Sounds Off Online About His Exit
In casting news that has taken many Days of Our Lives fans by surprise, Soap Opera Digest reports that popular DAYS star Mark Hapka has been let go!
Cast in 2009 as Nathan Horton, son of the late Dr. Tom Horton, Hapka quickly gained popularity with fans thanks in part to the ease in which he played the role. It also didn’t hurt that he had great chemistry with his leading ladies Molly Burnett (Melanie) and Shelley Hennig (Stephanie). Salem’s Dr. Hottie nursed a crush on Melanie and later Stephanie, dated both women and is currently engaged to Stephanie! The relationship with Stephanie is not without its problems, as Nathan still harbors strong feelings for Melanie.
Shortly after news of his firing broke, Hapka took to Twitter to discuss his exit. “There are so many questions & this is all a bit hectic,” the actor wrote. “I don’t want to leave anybody hanging so I’ll take a bit to answer the FAQ’s! Shoot!” Soon after the actor created a chat room so he could communicate with his fans without character limit.
Hapka immediately expressed disappointment with the lack of movement in his storyline with Molly Burnett. “First I want to apologize to everyone who waited patiently for over an unnecessary YEAR for MATE [Melanie & Nathan] to reunite JUST to have the writers spit in your face and throw the storyline away.”
Though Hapka shared his frustrations with the direction of his character and storylines, he made sure to note his appreciation for the chance he was given on the soap. “Let’s not be confused. I am VERY grateful for the opportunity Corday originally gave me and have had an amazing time on the show!” He went on to write, “I love everyone over there and I think there is just a lot of confusion and split decisions being made in attempt to keep ratings high and the show on the air.”
The actor had nothing but kind words for his leading ladies. “I love Shelly Hennig. She was great to work with.” As far as his pairing with Molly Burnett, Hapka says Nathan & Melanie deserved a better chance. “I never felt more spontaneous and organic working on that show! Most of the stuff you all loved about MATE wasn’t scripted… it was stuff Molly and I just did.”
Prior to joining DAYS, Mark starred in Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side and had a recurring role on Ghost Whisper as Zach. He’s also appeared on Greek, Hannah Montana, Cold Case, Second Sight and had a minor role on DAYS as an adult Johnny DiMera. Hapka’s set to star in The Danny McKay Project as Danny McKay, a young man who finds out he has terminal brain cancer and must come to terms with his mortality.
While no final airdate has been given, Mark did say fans should be seeing him on screen through March. Before ending the chat, Mark had this to say to his fans, “I F’ing LOVE YOU ALL! I wish there were more stronger words to express how much.”
Editor’s POV: Mark was very blunt in the chat room and didn’t hold back his criticisms of behind the scenes happenings. It needs to be stated that though Mark was honest, he never once bashed anyone who worked for show, even though he was prodded to do so by fans in the chat room. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the magazines, and whether or not they address Mark’s improptu chat with fans. In age of social media, it’s become more difficult for shows to “control the message” when it comes to situations like this. Kudos to Mark for being open and honest, and we certainly wish him the best in all of his future projects.
PAST MARK HAPKA INTERVIEWS
- On the Red Carpet: 2010 Daytime Emmy Awards – On The Red Carpet | Mark Hapka
- ‘A ‘Day of Days’ With DAYS Cast Part 1 – Shelley Hennig & Mark Hapka
- At The ‘DAYS’ Set – Mark Hapka & Shelley Hennig
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