‘Days of our Lives’: See Emily O’Brien Transform into Theresa as Gwen Leaves Town (PHOTOS)

Meredith Jacobs October 6, 2023

Emily O'Brien as Theresa in 'Days of our Lives' — Peacock

It’s official: There’s a new Theresa Donovan on Days of our Lives.

As the October 6 episode (and TV Insider) confirmed, Emily O’Brien is taking over the role from Jen Lilley and has left behind the character of Gwen (for now?). In fact, the episode has Gwen leaving town and getting on one flight… then Theresa arriving at the same airport — and walking in from the same direction O’Brien’s other character was last seen walking!

In the last scene of the episode, with her flight already boarding, Gwen bids adieu to Salem. “It hasn’t always been fun, has it? It’s certainly been interesting,” she acknowledges. “Though there are things about you that I have loved, there’s also a lot of things I’ve hated. I suppose you could say the same thing about me, though. But I promise you, it might be goodbye for now, but you haven’t seen the last of this girl.”

Emily O'Brien as Gwen — 'Days of our Lives'

Peacock

After Gwen turns left and walks down a hall to board her plane, out walks Brady (Eric Martsolf), calling for Theresa. And out comes Theresa (O’Brien, now in a blonde wig, with her head turned away at first to tease the reveal), from that same hall, from the right. “Cool your jets, I’m coming,” she says.

Prior to O’Brien taking over the role, Lilley played Theresa Donovan beginning in 2013 and was last seen in the September 22 episode. However, the credits of the episode that aired on Monday, October 2, revealed the recasting days ahead of O’Brien’s debut as Theresa.

'Days of our Lives' Annual Fan Event Details: Who's Attending & More

“Top to bottom, it was just not handled the right way. Everybody was mad because everybody was kind of lied to,” Lilley told Soaps.com in August. Though she’d already talked with former co-executive producer Albert Alarr about working for 12 weeks, she reportedly didn’t receive scripts for all the time she’d expected. That was when she found out about the recasting and that O’Brien would be wearing a wig. Lilley stressed that she didn’t have any “hard feelings” towards the other actress.

Days of our Lives, Weekdays, Peacock