Emily O’Brien Departs Days of Our Lives After 5 Years and 2 Characters
Emily O’Brien has bid farewell to Days of Our Lives.
The actress’ character Theresa Donovan made her final appearance in the show on August 8, and O’Brien confirmed to Soap Opera Digest that she had exited the series.
O’Brien, 39, said she was “in tears” as she said goodbye to the cast and crew on her final day of shooting.
“I just told everyone how incredibly lucky I am. I wasn’t supposed to be on the show for as long as I was,” she said. “I never thought that daytime would be something that was accessible to me again. And I not only got to play one amazing role, but I played two amazing roles.”
O’Brien joined Days of Our Lives in 2020 as Gwen Rziczech, and in October 2023, she closed the chapter on Gwen and started a new one as Theresa.
She paid tribute to the character she spent four years portraying — for which she earned a 2024 Daytime Emmys nomination — on Instagram when the episode aired as she shared her “utmost gratitude for the opportunity to have portrayed such a beautifully layered character for the past 4 years.”
“She has taken me through such a delicious discovery of who she is, and what she ultimately always yearned for— despite all her pain, vengeance and deceit. To be loved. Perhaps someday, somewhere away from Salem, she can finally find it,” she wrote of Gwen, before addressing the new role she was taking on.
“Now as for me, a new page turns from a different story… One that I am excited to explore. So, as I step into the shoes (and wig) of a very different role, I hope that you can keep an open mind, have fun with my interpretation, and enjoy the ride.”
O’Brien told Soap Opera Digest that she “ended up falling in love with Theresa and who she is and the circle that she’s involved in,” adding that she felt “so grateful” that the show “put their trust in me to play both of these roles.”
“It’s been a crazy, wild ride — just mind-blowing. Every single day there is something that keeps everyone going full force to do everything they can to put out another amazing episode where people are so invested. It’s the hardest job ever, and I’m so grateful that I got to experience that with this group.”
