For a show that’s been around long enough to watch whole generations grow up, Days of our Lives still manages to swing for the fences. EJ getting shot, the Baby Tesoro mystery finally coming to fruition, Tony’s secret plans — the canvas feels full again, humming the way it does when stories spill over into each other. And as the 60th anniversary cast came together for one sprawling photo, the actors reflected on how this show — this odd, enduring, beating-heart institution — has stayed rooted for six decades.
Key Takeaways
- DAYS marks 60 years as big stories like EJ’s shooting and Baby Tesoro’s daddy reveal keep the canvas energized.
- Deidre Hall says the show’s longevity comes from everyone working together.
- Alison Sweeney calls being part of the show “unbelievable” after three decades.
- Susan Seaforth Hayes credits DAYS with shaping her life on and off set.
- 60 years in, DAYS remains a defining force in daytime.
What Keeps DAYS Standing
Deidre Hall (Marlena), Alison Sweeney (Sami), Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie), and more spoke to People about the milestone, and you can feel how much history is packed into those soundstages. Hall has seen this show twist, stretch, and rebuild itself more times than she can count, and she still treats its longevity like something almost fragile — a small miracle held together by people who refuse to let it slip.
“It’s completely unheard of to go 60 years, and yet here we are, and I think it’s due to a lot of people doing a lot of things right,” she said, a line that lands more like a nod of gratitude than a victory lap. She spoke about the ensemble the way you talk about family — everyone leaning in, nobody trying to pull focus, the crew and cast moving as one, even on the toughest days.
That sentiment was echoed by Alison Sweeney, who has played Marlena’s daughter Sami since 1993. She found being part of the show for so long to be “unbelievable,” especially when she meets people all the time who have long, fond memories of watching it. She’s been in and out of Salem over the last few years, working on other projects, but credited the “lessons” she’s learned there as helping inform her other work.
The Legacy That Lives Behind the Camera
Sweeney also remarked that, “Just being a part of this family, how to treat people, how to be a professional, how to come to work on time, know your lines,” was something she always carries with her. And then there’s Susan Seaforth Hayes, who has spent so many decades on the show that her personal history and Julie’s history sometimes feel like they run parallel.
Julie’s has been her anchor, her entry point, her unexpected map. She met her husband, the late Bill Hayes (Doug), through the show. Her closest friendships were born there too. She’s carried those lessons beyond the set. “Be prepared. Be patient. Stand up straight, do the best you can,” she advised, adding, “That’s all you can do. And that works.”
Sixty years in, Days of our Lives isn’t coasting; it’s still shaping the genre — messy, heartfelt, stubborn in the best way, and very much alive.
