Days of our Lives‘ Shi Ne Nielson handled a lot of emotional work in May. As Amy Choi, her daughter had disappeared and was feared dead. So she had to play a mother who wasn’t quite allowed to grieve because she hoped that, first and foremost, Sophia was still alive. But eventually, she had to accept that her wish may not come true. It was heartwrenching to watch Mrs. Choi deal with heartbreak and layers of grief, but Nielson nailed her performances day in and day out. That’s why she’s Soap Hub’s DAYS Performer of the Month for May 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Shi Ne Nielson is Soap Hub’s DAYS Performer of the Month for May 2026.
- Nielson powerfully portrayed Amy’s grief, hope, and heartbreak.
- Her emotional performances elevated one of Salem’s most devastating storylines.
May 2026 Performer of the Month
The Setup
The month of May has been absolutely devastating for Amy Choi (Shi Ne Nielson). She started by seeing her daughter, possibly for the final time. And then Sophia (Rachel Boyd, who has also been wonderful) disappeared, making it look like she was suicidal (there was a suicide note) when in reality, Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) ambushed her and then had her thugs dispose of her body. But we have no idea whether Sophia is truly gone, even a month later.
Hope
While the police searched for Sophia, Amy refused to believe that her daughter was gone. She felt it in her heart and soul that her daughter was alive. She knew that she had let her daughter down, but her faith that Sophia was alive was one way she could make it up to her. As the days went on, she really tried to keep that hope alive.
Acceptance
But the police found nothing, except that note and Sophia’s shoe. Jada (Elia Cantu) had to tell Amy and her husband that this was no longer a search-and-rescue operation, but a search-and-recovery operation. And later, they reduced the manpower devoted to the search. And Amy started to accept that she could very well never see her daughter again, despite the cops not finding a body. She was destroyed. She needed to blame someone.
Vengeance
Amy decided to go after Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis), whom she blamed for Sophia taking her own life. There was the stuff that Holly wrote on social media about her daughter that was just brutal. She wanted to bring her up on manslaughter charges or get her for cyberbullying. But Belle (Martha Madison) had to point out to her that if this went to trial, all the bad things Sophia had done to Holly would also be brought up. And she did some really bad things, including switching Holly’s skincare pills for anti-psychotic medication.
Nielson Delivers the Emotion and the Heartbreak
With everything that DAYS threw at Nielson, the actress beautifully portrayed her character’s devastation. The fact that her character felt like she had let her daughter down as a mother. The not knowing where Sophia was ate at her, but she hoped with every painful breath she took that Sophia was still alive. Finally, she had to accept that she may never see her again. She did all that in a month.
Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare, and Nielson gave the role and her scenes everything she had. The memorial service for Sophia really showed her range. There was that gut-punch of a conversation with Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) on the bridge. The discussion with Belle was also heartwrenching because she wouldn’t get what she wanted, and that was to make Holly pay for hurting her daughter. Nielson was wonderful in every scene, and even when we didn’t understand Amy Choi’s actions or decisions, the actress consistently delivered impressive performances.
