Theresa Donovan was an extremely entertaining character to watch on Days of Our Lives. Her wit and sass was just always on point. Besides that, fans truly loved her chemistry with Brady Black. Thus, when news broke out that actress Jen Lilley is reprising her role of Theresa, the DOOL fandom rejoiced. However, spirits were shortly dampened when subsequent news reports claimed that Jen is being replaced by another actress for the said role. So what really is the truth behind it? Keep reading to find out!
In a recent chat with Soaps.Sheknows Jen opened up about the whole story of her return and the impending recast of her iconic role on Days of Our Lives. Currently, on DOOL, the off-screen demise of Victor Kiriakis in a jet crash has taken center stage. Many old characters have returned to the fold for his memorial. Thus, when media reports suggested that Theresa is returning to support Brady during the dark hour, it felt like a pre-written part of the tale! However, the truth is slightly different what everyone percieved.
The makers of Days of Our Lives never reached out to Jen Lilley to revive Theresa. In fact, the actress herself reached out to ex-co-executive producer Albert Alaar. She wanted to return to the soap to be a part of Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston)’s funeral. However, Jen only intended it to be a super short stint. As she is extremely occupied by her commitments to the Great American Family network, and her four young children. Thus, she was shocked when her agents informed her that DOOL wants her on-board for 12 weeks. Eventually, she and the makers reached an understanding where she would shoot for the 12 weeks in 4 weeks itself.
The Dark Truth On Days of Our Lives
Now, this is where the tale starts getting stranger by the day! Jen shared that once she started shooting, things started to feel strange. She was only getting one script everyday. And on the second Friday of her shoot, she only received scenes for one more day. Thus, she asked Alaar what was going on. As the scenes she received didn’t cover the story arc they discussed. And that’s when she received the jolt. Alaar informed her that they were recasting her and a new Theresa will do the rest of the story! BAM! Just like that, without any discussion, without any heads up, Jen was replaced.
In her interview, the Days of Our Lives admitted that she felt hurt and irritated. But she chose grace over drama and accepted the decision with dignity and gratitude. Talking of the recast, Jen mentioned that she she knows the actress who will be stepping in the role. In fact, she has even given her some pointers on how to portray the character. However, Jen refrained from mentioning her name. That being said, some media reports have claim that actress Emily O’Brien is replacing Jen Lilley.
Interestingly, Emily already is part of the Days of Our Lives cast, and plays Gwen. In fact, she is currently in the front and center of a massive story line with Dimitri and Leo. Thus, it will be really interesting to see how she transforms from Gwen to Theresa. Before signing off, Jen Lilley admitted that although she is grateful for the opportunity she has had with DOOL, she feels this whole episode was handles rather poorly. What do you think? Are you up for accepting Emily as the new Theresa? Tell us in the comments. Meanwhile, stay tuned to TV Season & Spoilers for more Days of Our Lives updates on Theresa’s storyline.