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Kyler Pettis, Olivia Keegan, Jonathon McClendon, Vivian Jovanni
and James Lastovic. Photo Credit: JPI Studios |
They grow up fast on soaps, and Salem USA is about to get a whole new crop of teenagers.
Days of our Lives is aging five child characters into young adults: Ciara, Theo, Chase, Claire and Joey.
On August 28, Patch and Kayla's son Joey, last seen as a 6-year-old, will pop up as a troubled teen played by newcomer James Lastovic. A new Ciara Brady (Vivian Jovanni) and Chase Jennings (Jonathon McClendon) will both arrive October 30. Then comes Theo Carver (Kyler Pettis) on November 3, followed by Claire Brady (Olivia Keegan) November 25.
“Young people are the life blood of any soap—especially ours as we head toward our 50th anniversary in November,” executive producer Ken Corday tells
TV Insider. “By aging these children into young adults, we’re making them more relatable to our audience and more dramatically exciting. These are not ancillary characters, but young leads. None of them will be a goody two-shoes. Each is somewhat flawed.”
The next generation will share similarities with their parents. For example, Ciara will be reminiscent of her mom, Hope, and Joey is very much like Patch.
“My late mom [
Days executive producer Betty Corday] used to say, ‘You have to water the roots of the
Days of our Lives tree with a new generation every 10 years or so,’ and that’s what we’ve done,” Corday notes. “These are the children of the children of the children of the children, and they are vital to our future.”
Meanwhile,
is Days adding an Emmy winner to its cast?
