On Days of our Lives, Philip Kiriakis has been in a bad way, trying to get some much-needed mental help after having tried to set up Brady for his murder. Life is much better for actor Jay Kenneth Johnson, who has a momentous milestone to celebrate.
Happy Birthday, Jay Kenneth Johnson!
And that’s because he was born on February 24, 1977, in Springfield, Missouri, which means that this much-beloved performer is turning 46 years old today! In his youth, Johnson vacillated between wanting to become a professional athlete and pursuing an acting career.
After attending Missouri State University, Johnson decided that an actor’s life was for him, so he relocated to Los Angeles, much to the chagrin of his parents. Soon after his move, Johnson landed a recurring role on The Young and the Restless.
He then auditioned for both Days of our Lives and General Hospital. In the former soap, he read for the part of Brady Black; in the latter, he hoped to replace the outgoing Jonathan Jackson who played Lucky Spencer. DAYS was the first to offer him a contract, so Johnson made his debut as Philip Kiriakis, a character who viewers had seen born on screen a mere four years previous!
Johnson made an instant and long-lasting impression on the show’s fans with his portrayal of the brooding, overly-indulged Philip…so much so that upon his exit in 2002 (following a three-year tenure), they hired a plane trailing a “Good Luck” banner to fly over the studio.
Johnson eventually returned to DAYS — first, between 2007 and 2011, and then again starting on August 18, 2020, for about a year — but in the interim, he appeared in the likes of Aaron Spelling’s Hotel (a prestigious made-for-TV movie, which also served as a pilot for an unrealized series), The O.C., North Shore, CSI: NY, Charmed, and Melissa & Joey.
Jay Kenneth Johnson also had a recurring role on the popular sitcom Scrubs, and in 2019, he played Philip in the web-exclusive series Last Blast Reunion. Soap Hub would like to wish the actor a very happy birthday, and many more.
