For years, Eileen Davidson bounced between some of daytime’s most recognizable women, from Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless to the gloriously unhinged parade of characters she played on Days of Our Lives, including Kristen DiMera, Susan Banks, Sister Mary Moira, and even the infamous Thomas. But recently, Davidson admitted that her move to DAYS came at a point in her career, before her entire perspective on work and creativity changed, and explained what happens after you think the rug’s been yanked out from under you.
Key Takeaways
- Eileen Davidson admitted she went into DAYS angry after being let go from Y&R.
- She said an Oprah segment helped change her mindset before starting at DAYS.
- She called her time at there one of the best creative experiences of her career.
- Davidson won her first Emmy during that period on DAYS.
- Davidson said the experience taught her to stop fearing unexpected career changes.
Going Into DAYS Angry
Davidson appeared on Soapy with DAYS’ Greg Rikaart (Leo) and The Bold and the Beautiful’s Rebecca Budig (Taylor), and the conversation drifted into career changes, getting fired from soaps, and the strange emotional whiplash that comes with suddenly losing a role you thought was stable. Davidson explained that after being let go from Y&R, she eventually landed at B&B before another shakeup pushed her toward DAYS, whether she liked it or not.
“I was so angry,” she admitted. “I was so pissed off because I got no say.” She explained that she felt boxed into taking the job because she had children and responsibilities, adding that she initially walked into the experience carrying “so much bitterness.”
Then Oprah wandered into the story like an unexpected life coach with daytime timing. Davidson said she watched a segment encouraging people to approach new situations without expectations, so they could experience whatever came next rather than dragging resentment into the room with them. “I can’t go into this new job being so full of bitterness and hate,” she remembered thinking, so she made the decision to start fresh.
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One of the Best Years of Her Career
That decision changed everything. Davidson said walking into DAYS without carrying all that frustration around opened her up creatively in ways she never expected. “It was honestly one of the best years of my life creatively,” she said. “I won my first Emmy that year.”
She also spoke warmly about working with Eric Martsolf (Brady) and praised the writing behind Kristen’s twisted storyline involving Brady and John (the late Drake Hogestyn). Davidson called the material “brilliant” and described the entire arc as “Greek” and “fabulous,” which honestly sounds about right for a woman disguising herself with fake teeth one week and emotionally detonating entire families the next.
By the end of the conversation, Davidson made it clear the experience reached beyond one role or one show. DAYS helped loosen her grip on trying to control every career turn and reminded her that unexpected changes do not automatically mean disaster. Sometimes they just mean you’re about to stumble into the chapter that frees you up again. And in soap operas, where stability lasts about as long as a hospital coma diagnosis, that may be the healthiest lesson anybody can learn.
