There’s something quietly magical about seeing an original cast member step back into the light during a milestone year. Maree Cheatham returning as Marie Horton for Days of our Lives’ 60th anniversary already felt like a bow tied around the show’s history — a familiar heartbeat in a week built on legacy. But then came the twist: while she’s guiding the Horton story onscreen in Salem, she’s also popping up in primetime as a nun on CBS’ Matlock. It’s the kind of double-dip that makes you smile before you even realize why. Maybe because it feels like the universe is giving her a curtain call in two corners of TV she helped shape.
Key Takeaways
- Maree Cheatham returns as Marie Horton for DAYS’ 60th anniversary.
- She also appears as a nun on an episode of CBS’ Matlock.
- Cheatham is an original DAYS cast member, first appearing in 1965.
- Her DAYS storyline honors the Horton legacy and the late Bill Hayes.
- The Matlock role creates a full-circle nod to Marie once becoming a nun.
A Homecoming Wrapped in History
Cheatham slipping back into Marie Horton isn’t just a nostalgic drop-in — it’s the return of someone who was literally there at the beginning. She appeared on the very first episode in 1965, back when DAYS was a daytime experiment that no one expected to run 60 years, let alone five decades of episodes. And here she is again, stepping into scenes that honor both the late Bill Hayes’ (Doug) legacy and the Horton roots that helped define the show.
In her early episodes back, Marie and Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes) shared memories with Holly (Ashley Puzemis) and Tate (Leo Howard) — the kind of intergenerational scenes that only land when someone with real history delivers them. You could feel time folding in on itself. Marie remembering her brother Tommy (John Lupton) during his Mark Brooks identity crisis, the amnesia, the heartbreak, the convent — it all played like a lived experience rather than dusty archive material. That’s the gift Cheatham brings: the timeline breathes when she walks in.
DAYS has pulled her back for emotional milestones before — Tom Horton’s (the late Macdonald Carey) death, Alice’s (the late Frances Reid) passing, Doug’s memorial — but this return feels gentler. Less grief, more gratitude. A chance to let her be part of the celebration instead of the sorrow.
A Full-Circle Turn Into Primetime
And then there’s the poetic kicker: while Marie once became a nun to escape heartbreak, Cheatham is now playing a nun in primetime. On the Thursday, November 13 episode of Matlock, she steps into a habit once again — only this time the drama unfolds under Kathy Bates’ watch.
The episode, “Harm Reduction,” drops her into a storyline where Matty and Olympia find themselves helping a group of nuns with problems that run deeper than charity hours. It’s a small role, but Cheatham has always had that knack — step in, lift the scene, leave a mark. Anyone who watched her steal a Will & Grace morgue moment without saying a word knows exactly what she’s capable of.
Between Salem and primetime, she’s moving through television the way only a veteran can: easy stride, steady presence, signature warmth. 60 years after her first scene, Cheatham is still finding new ways to surprise us — and somehow making it all feel like home.
