Lissa Layng, the wife of Days of our Lives star James Reynolds, took a walk down Memory Lane for Throwback Thursday to recall an incredible moment from early on in her husband’s glorious career — where he was in a scene with none other than Hollywood luminary James Stewart!
James Reynold — A Career In Focus
Utilizing the Instagram account that they both share, she posted the throwback photo that could have passed for a young Abe Carver (before he made detective). What it really was — one of his earliest acting gigs where Reynolds is “Officer Wilson,” and the driver that he’s in deep conversation with is James Stewart.
The still was taken from the 1978 feature film The Magic of Lassie, and it was neither Reynolds’s first motion picture effort, nor was it his last.
The future Daytime Emmy Award winner got his professional start thanks to a small, uncredited role in the action flick Mr. Majestyk (1974), and he subsequently appeared in the Jane Fonda/George Segal caper, Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), the Lassie film, and C.H.O.M.P.S. (1978), a comedic science fiction romp that’s still suitable for family enjoyment all these years later.
Reynolds also starred in several made-for-TV movies, including Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978), Jennifer: A Woman’s Story (1979), and M Station: Hawaii (1980), as well as episodes of several popular primetime programs like The Incredible Hulk and Diff’rent Strokes.
In 1980, he landed the part for which he’s become most well-known – Detective Abraham “Abe” Carver on DAYS. Two months into his tenure, Reynolds gained an ever-present screen partner in Wayne Northrop, who played Det. Roman Brady.
For the next few years, the two operated as a crime-busting dynamic duo, who not only rid Salem of a dreaded strangler but a slash-happy psychopath as well. And when he wasn’t protecting and serving the town, Abe was busy romancing several ladies, including Tamara Price, Valerie Grant, and Nikki Wade.
But Reynolds grew momentarily disenchanted with life on the NBC soap. So, when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped ship and joined the cast of Generations, where he played Henry Marshall.
With the subsequent demise of that serial, Reynolds returned to DAYS where Abe reigned as the community’s top cop for several years before eventually ascending to the position of Mayor.
And though he’s comfortably ensconced in his daytime bubble, Reynolds still continues to accept outside work. Be sure to look out for his appearance in the upcoming TV series Promiseland, scheduled for release in late 2021. Days of our Lives (DOOL) airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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