“When my contract was up and a new offer was made, it was clear that support for our characters had waned,” he tells Soap Hub.
“I was disappointed and tried to negotiate, to no avail, and when I did agree to their deal they told my representation that the writers had already written me out, but that ‘Steve is an iconic character and we don’t want to lose Stephen. He will be back, probably in four to twelve weeks. We hope sooner rather than later.’
“So I decided to cool my heels and not make any statements. We’re coming up on 20 weeks now and no word.
“This last return in 2015 was such a thrill and so rewarding for me, and I know for Mary Beth as well,” he says.
“We love going to work and having rich material to dig into. I liked feeling like we were a part of the engine of the show. That has not been the case this past year, but I recommitted again and again. That is our job, after all.
“I have given my heart and soul to Days of Our Lives, and when you have a 30 plus year relationship with a company, it does feel very personal. That’s something I have been grappling with; it’s not a good feeling.”
Nonetheless, there is hope that Nichols will be back in Salem at some point.
“I have the utmost respect for the difficult work that goes into making Days of Our Lives,” he concludes. ” I love and respect my peers, the directors, and the crew. You have no idea how I miss you all.”
Do you want to see Nichols back on DAYS? Sound off in the comments section below!
Days of Our Lives airs weekdays on NBC. Check local listings for airtimes.
Video Credit: Kellie Gibson
Video Credit: SuzyShowtime
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