Paulina had been riding a rare stretch of good news on Days of our Lives, the kind Salem never lets last without consequence. Her daughter’s health scare eased, a baby is on the way, and for once, the mayor looked like she could breathe without bracing for impact. It felt earned, but also temporary. That sense of calm, already suspicious by Salem standards, was exactly what Jackée Harry nudged at when she started talking about what’s coming next.
Key Takeaways
- Paulina has been enjoying a rare period of stability, including improved family health and a new baby on the way.
- Jackée Harry indicated that this calm period is temporary and that complications are coming for Paulina.
- She described Paulina as strong, forthright, honest, and playful.
- Harry suggested the show is setting up a shift from joy to tension rather than letting happiness last.
- She said she enjoys playing tension and conflict as an actor.
- She views the role as ongoing creative work rather than a retrospective or legacy part.
A Joy That Never Gets to Stay Still
Harry spoke with BET Current during a set visit, and she didn’t pretend Paulina’s life was about to stay tidy. The show might be letting her enjoy family milestones, but Harry framed that stretch as a setup rather than a reward, the sort of pause DAYS uses before pulling the rug out. She even joked, “All I can say is hide the kitchen utensils!” which felt less like a gag and more like a warning label.
She described Paulina in simple, grounded terms, calling her “Strong, forthright, honest, and playful,” and that mix has been doing a lot of work lately. We’ve seen Paulina move from hospital rooms to city hall without changing her posture, handling crisis and celebration with the same steady presence. That steadiness is exactly why the next disruption is likely to sting.
Harry didn’t sound interested in protecting Paulina from that turn. She sounded ready for it. There was an easy acceptance in how she talked about tension returning, as if joy on a soap is only real once it’s been tested. (How will Chanel (Raven Bowens) and other characters leave Salem?)
Why Paulina Never Gets to Just Be Happy
Harry made it clear she enjoys when the ground shifts under her character, admitting, “I like tension. The actor in me wants tension.” That preference lines up with how Paulina has always been written: never static, never decorative, always reacting to something larger than herself. Being mayor doesn’t shield her from tumultuous times. It just raises the stakes.
She talked about Paulina as someone who balances authority with intimacy, able to issue orders and hold hands in the same afternoon. “I get to be stern, I get to be silly, I get to be maternal,” she remarked. That range keeps the character from flattening out, especially now, when happiness threatens to make things feel too neat. Salem doesn’t trust neat.
There was also a quiet pride in how Harry spoke about returning to soap work with this role, not as a victory lap but as a place to keep stretching. Ultimately, Harry explained, “Paulina is someone folks can rely on, and I take that seriously.” (Learn what Harry’s thoughts about AI are.)
