Soap Hub Performer of the Week for DAYS: Dan Feuerriegel

Like many a DAYS baddie, hard-hearted EJ DiMera does have some actual rooting value…but only just. And that’s thanks entirely to the heavy lifting being done by actor Dan Feuerriegel, the most recent recipient of Soap Hub’s Performer of the Week honors.

Dan Feuerriegel – Performer of the Week

Whether by accident or design, Feuerriegel seems to have put his full array of talents on display – and he commenced this coup by using only body language to react to a bevy of unfolding shenanigans.

There were scowls, smirks, and eye-rolls. One minute he stood ramrod straight and the next his pose relaxed. At various times EJ was confused, amused, angered, and Feuerriegel telegraphed the lot.

Then, when EJ was forced to bid his visiting mother adieu without so much as having welcomed her home beforehand, Feuerriegel conveyed utter disappointment with an effortless gaze.

Other standout scenes featuring Feuerriegel include EJ giddily (smugly?) accepting Belle Black’s (Martha Madison) offer to represent his interests in court, and the swift swing in demeanor from cocky to stirred and back again when he learned that Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker), the woman he’d so wronged, had pleaded his case to his new lawyer.

But Feuerriegel truly shined when he was called upon to present a very different take on his character. An EJ who wasn’t really EJ, but JoeDevil (Carson Boatman) slipped into something a bit more adult.

It took but a millisecond for Dan Feuerriegel to communicate that this was an entirely new persona, despite the familiar face…a true acting feat.

Honorable Mention: Martha Madison

Madison and her feisty alter-ego deserve an honorable mention for, if nothing else, their magnificently delivered put-down to a puffed-up EJ. To quote, “Do us all a favor, and stop talking.” Her chemistry with Dan Feuerriegel is just a happy bonus.

Days of our Lives (DOOL) airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Salem, check out all the latest that’s been posted on DAYS spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.