Whether it was their big break or a celebrity cameo, many big stars were on the long-running soap opera set in Salem.
A long-running soap opera that debuted in 1965 is called Days of Our Lives. The main protagonists of the program all reside in Salem, a city in an undisclosed state at first but subsequently hinted to be Illinois. The Horton family was the subject of the show’s initial emphasis. The DiMeras and the Bradys, two competing families, have also received notice over the years.
The series has surprisingly featured a large number of well-known actors from movies and television. Some actors began their careers by appearing as a guest character for a few episodes before moving on to more significant roles. On Days of Our Lives, some actors got their big break, portraying a pivotal role before going on to become more well-known for subsequent roles. They might have occasionally performed a different rendition of an established character. Other times, a character was already well-known when they made an appearance in the show, whether it was for a few episodes or just a quick cameo.
10. Betty White
Betty White had a career lasting around eight decades. For many, her best-known role was playing the sweet-natured Rose on The Golden Girls. In the 1950s, White had her own talk and variety show, The Betty White Show, and starred in the sitcoms Life with Elizabeth and Date with the Angels. By the 1960s, White had become a staple on various game and talk shows. By the 1970s, White appeared as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, effectively playing a parody of herself.
In an episode of “Where’s Betty” that NBC produced in 1988, White appeared on a number of daytime soap operas, including Days of Our Lives, Another World, and Santa Barbara. White acted as a nurse in a scene with Charles Shaughnessy in the first of her two appearances. Later, she made an appearance alongside Billy Warlock’s character at a school. White would make a comeback to the soap opera genre in the 2000s by playing Ann Douglas on The Bold and the Beautiful.
9. Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne “Dick” Van Dyke is an actor with a career spanning decades. One of his most famous film roles was playing Bert the chimney-sweep in Mary Poppins. Other prominent film roles include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Bye Bye Birdie, having also starred in the original stage production of the latter. On television, Dyke is likely best known for his namesake series, The Dick Van Dyke Show, playing the character of Rob Petrie.
In 2023, Van Dyke appeared as a mysterious character in a four-story arc on Days of Our Lives, initially playing a “Mr. Doe”, who has lost his memory. Diedre Hall’s character, Marlena, is tasked with helping him recover and getting other characters to help. It eventually comes to light that “Mr. Doe” is Timothy “Tim” Robicheaux, the biological father of John Black, finally allowing for a family reunion.
8. Mila Kunis
Actress Mila Kunis was born in Ukraine and currently resides in America. Alongside her future husband, Ashton Kutcher, she played Jackie Burkhart on That ’70s Show, one of her most prominent television appearances. As Meg Griffin’s replacement for Lacey Chabert on the animated comedy Family Guy, Kunis is also well-known for her voice.
When Kunis was 11 years old, she had one of her early television appearances on Days of Our Lives in the 1990s. In a flashback, Kunis took on the role of Hope Williams Brady when she was younger. Hope has been portrayed by a number of actresses over the years because she has featured in the series at different ages. However, Kunis’ presence was brief because she only appeared in one episode.
7. Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles is an actor best known for playing Dean Winchester on the series Supernatural. Earlier in his career, Ackles appeared on Days of Our Lives, playing Eric Brady from 1997 to 2000. Ackles took on the role when the character was aged up to a teenager. However, the character eventually left the series after a bad breakup. Following a departure lasting more than a decade, the role was eventually succeeded by Greg Vaughan, with the character being reintroduced as a priest.
Ackles’ role actually gets a nod in the Supernatural episode “The French Mistake,” where Dean ends up in a reality where his life is just a show and Jensen Ackles is one of the main actors. During an investigation into the actor’s life, Dean comes across Ackles in footage from Days of Our Lives. Footage of Ackles as Eric has also been used in flashbacks on Days of Our Lives, as well.
6. Vivica A. Fox
Vivica A. Fox is an actress, arguably best known for appearing in the films Independence Day, Set It Off, and the Kill Bill series. Other prominent films Fox has appeared in have included Soul Food, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Boat Trip, and Ella Enchanted.
Fox, having started her career as a dancer on Soul Train, had one of her first professional acting roles on Days of Our Lives. Fox played Carmen Silva, a character who appeared in four episodes. As Fox noted in her book, Every Day I’m Hustling, the part was also her first speaking role. Fox followed this role by appearing in the soap opera Generations, which broke ground by focusing on an African-American family.
5. Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson is a Canadian-American actress and model. In addition to her modeling work, Anderson is known for playing “C.J.” Parker on the series Baywatch. Anderson is also well-known for her various relationships, particularly her first marriage to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.
One of her first recurring acting roles on the sitcom Home Improvement, playing the “Tool Time Girl” Lisa, in the show-within-a-show, Tool Time. In 1992, in between her roles on Home Improvement and Baywatch, Anderson appeared on Days of Our Lives as a character named Cindy for two episodes. Anderson’s character can be seen getting secretly photographed while kissing long-running character Jack Deveraux.
4. Leann Rimes
Leann Rimes is an American singer and songwriter, known for her work in country, pop, and contemporary Christian music. Some of her best-known songs include “How Do I Live,” “I Need You,” and “Can’t Fight the Moonlight.” Rimes has often portrayed herself in film and television, such as in Coyote Ugly and Moesha. However, she has also had a few acting roles.
In 1998, Rimes also briefly appeared on Days of Our Lives, playing a character named Madison, a teenage runaway. During her appearance, Rimes’ character mostly interacted with Jensen Ackles’ Eric Brady. This wasn’t Rimes’ only connection with Days of Our Lives. In 1997, a year prior, during the Daytime Emmys, Rimes appeared in a video detailing how she was a fan of the series and that she had previously visited the set.
3. Tara Reid
Model and actress Tara Reid is well-known for her appearances in the American Pie films. A Return to Salem’s Lot, Josie and the Pussycats, The Big Lebowski, and the Sharknado series, which consists of the original television movie and its five sequels, are some of the other notable movies in which Reid has acted. Reid is highly recognized for her performances on reality television in addition to her work as an actor.
On Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Reid played a character by the name of Sandy in one of his very first television roles. After thereafter, Reid appeared in a few episodes of Days of Our Lives as Ashley, one of his first acting gigs.
2. Jamie Chung
Jamie Chung is an American television personality, known for her appearances on MTV’s Real World franchise. Chung has also made a name for herself as an actress, appearing in films such as Dragonball Evolution, The Hangover Part II, Sucker Punch, and Big Hero 6. Chung has also appeared in television roles, such as playing Mulan in Once Upon a Time, Ji-Ah on Lovecraft Country, and reprising the role of Go Go Tomago for Big Hero 6: The Series.
One of Chung’s first forays into acting was the role of Cordy Han, a sorority girl, in a few episodes of Days of Our Lives. The series explored serious themes through the character, such as college sexual assault. The role was notably one of Chung’s first recurring characters.
1. Lisa Rinna
An American actress, model, and television personality by the name of Lisa Rinna. She played Billie Reed on Days of Our Lives, one of her most notable roles, a role she created. The main character originally came to Salem with the intention of becoming a musician, but due to a drug addiction, gives up on this dream. Billie then works in the cosmetics industry before becoming an ISA agent. Billie eventually finds out she is Kate Roberts’ child. Her relationship with Bo Brady, which resulted in the birth of their daughter Chelsea, was another significant plot point for Billie.
Prior to Rinna’s brief return in 2002, Krista Allen temporarily filled the post when Rinna left it. Beginning in 2004, actress Julie Pinson would also briefly portray the part, but Rinna would later reprise it in 2012. In addition to this part, Rinna is well recognized for her appearance in the drama Melrose Place. Rinna is renowned for her appearances on reality television programs like ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice, and Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She was notably also the host of Soap Talk.