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Here’s Why Ros Gentle Didn’t Think Days of Our Lives Would Hire Her

Originally from Australia, Ros Gentle was afraid that her American accent didn’t cut the mustard when she tried out for the part of Rachel Blake.

Days of Our Lives' Ros Gentle with the Soap Hub logo across the bottom.Days of Our Lives' Ros Gentle was worried that her accent wasn't acceptable and would have cost her the character of Rachel Blake.
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Days of Our Lives really brought back a blast from the past with the Woman in White. Originally played by Pat Delany, she was Kristen’s mother, Rachel Blake, who wreaked havoc until she and Stefano were caught in an explosion and presumed dead. As often happens in Salem, Rachel didn’t die (neither did Stefano) and returned to the canvas recently. She helped her granddaughter and namesake, Rachel Brady, capture Ava in an effort to get Brady and Kristen back together. Ros Gentle now plays the Woman in White and opened up about how she thought she nearly didn’t get the part.

Not the Response She Expected

Born in New South Wales, Australia, Gentle has been acting since 1983. She first appeared in the Aussie show Prisoner: Cell Block H where she gained acclaim playing Laura Gardiner, a character with multiple personalities. She’s been in quite a few American TV shows, including playing Judge Linda Franklin in a 2023 episode of The Young and the Restless

As the new Woman in White, Gentle has ingratiated herself into the DAYS plot threads but once worried that she wouldn’t get the part. She explained to Soap Opera Digest, “It was funny because Marnie [Saitta, casting director] came to set one day, which was lovely. I said to her, ‘I wasn’t sure if you were going to [hire] me because I thought my accent would have been terrible.’ ”

READ THIS: Take a look at what’s happening next on DAYS.

She’s Still Perfecting Her Accent

Gentle was thankful for Saitta’s response: “No, no. I like the slight British [accent] because [Rachel] spent so long in Paris.” The actress breathed a sigh of relief at that, remarking, “That made me not feel so bad about if my accent was accurate or not.” Her accent helps add an air of mystery to Rachel, which is very enticing to newer viewers who need to learn more about the show’s history.

READ THIS: Find out what characters Gentle enjoys playing.

Gentle also explained that she was happy to be working with fellow Australian Dan Feuerriegel (EJ) on the show, noting that he puts on a British accent while hers is American. But she doesn’t feel she’s perfected it, explaining she’s “Very self-conscious about my not-accurate American accent because I know you guys are judging. You know your accents, so I’m terrified that someone is going to pick it up.”

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