Louise Sorel Wants to Do More Comedy on Days of Our Lives

With Brandon Barash’s exit from Days of Our Lives, it’s only fitting that Stefan’s mother, Vivian, returned for his send-off. But she didn’t simply say goodbye. She and her manservant Ivan kidnapped him, removing him from the canvas. Vivian’s portrayer, Louise Sorel, discussed how this latest appearance differed from the last and what she really enjoys about the character. 

Vivian’s Been Too Serious for Sorel Lately

Sorel spoke to Soap Opera Digest and remarked that when she returned to DAYS in September 2023, Vivian Alamain challenged Victor’s (the late John Aniston) will. She noted that Vivian only ever tries to get things for herself but remains the same irritating woman that she’s always been. 

She explained: “The last few times [I’ve been back], it’s not been funny. It’s been hard to find the humor.” Sorel remarked that Jim Reilly, who was the show’s head writer from 1989 to 2006, wrote stuff for Vivian that she absolutely loved, calling his work “Wonderful, zany, crazy stuff.” With that said, she further explained what she truly loves about acting, saying, “I tend to want to do comedy.”

READ THIS: Find out what’s coming up on DAYS.

Ivan Has Her Back

With Vivian’s return came Ivan, played by Ivan G’Vera, and the two of them together are comedy gold. They stay in touch even when they’re not working on the soap. And Sorel had nothing but nice things to say about him. She stated, “I’m mad for Ivan. The work we did way back was so much fun, and I felt like we were so well paired.”

She recalled a storyline that she credited to Reilly in which Vivian fell out of a plane but landed in a tree with Ivan hanging on to her by the ankle. She explained that she loved that kind of wackiness in her stories and wanted more. Vivian now conspires with Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier) to challenge Xander’s (Paul Telfer) claim to Victor’s fortune. She praised Lavoisier, remarking, “He’s such a nutcase in a wonderful way that I enjoy,” enthusing about his professionalism and adding, “You can’t not like him.”