Peter Reckell Talks Emotional Return to ‘Days of Our Lives’ After Recent Cast Losses

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Bo Brady’s storyline on Days of our Lives kicked back into gear on May 23, and his portrayer, Peter Reckell, couldn’t be happier to be visiting Salem again.

“There’s so many different levels to it,” begins Reckell, who last appeared in 2023. “The first thing that I think about is that I grew up in a family with six kids, and once I left home, coming back for holidays or whatever, you just pick up as if it was just another day at home, and it all works. That’s the first feeling I have when I come back to the show. But then there’s the next layer, which is all the other people in the cast and crew and production that are involved with creating this show, and that’s like a class reunion, where you’re all just catching up with each other. And then there’s a whole other layer when you have all these fans that love the show, and you’ve had an impact on them and they’re showing their love and their appreciation for you, so your appreciation for being back in in that family of Days of our Lives just grows and grows.”

Reckell says he was also grateful for the emotional material he was given to play when Bo wakes up from his two-year coma. “It was cool because all the cast members, we had these awakenings,” he explains. “I got to, not only in person, but in character, have these reunions and tell people how much they mean to me. The last time I was there, Bo was in a whole different state of mind, and pushing everybody away, but this is a reconnection of the characters and the history of not only Bo’s children and his wife, his best friends, and his sister, but the people that are no longer there. So, these shows are really impactful that way and that’s why the impact of not having John [Aniston, Victor Kiriakis] and Drake [Hogestyn, John Black] hits you hard.”

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Since Bo has been off the canvas, his father, Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston), passed away, as did his father-in-law, Doug Williams (Bill Hayes). In real life, Aniston died in November 2022, Hayes in January 2024, Drake Hogestyn (John Black) in September 2024, and Bo’s on-screen brother, Wayne Northrop (who played Roman Brady and Alex North), in November 2024.

For Reckell and for Bo, it’s been an overwhelming sense of loss, especially with John’s story tied so closely to Bo’s. “It’s still difficult to talk about because Drake touched everybody in his sphere so closely, and he was my brother and one of my best friends,” Reckell shares. “Having his memorial, there was no acting required in those scenes, because you’re saying things as the character that parallel your feelings in your personal relationship. When I went to John’s memorial and all these emotions came up, I just wanted to run away and be by myself and feel those feelings. To have to do it as a character was really difficult.”

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Reckell, who now resides in Alaska, regrets that he didn’t have a final chance to visit with Hogestyn when he filmed at the studio in Los Angeles last year. “I tried to go see Drake, but when I went down, it was just a couple of weeks before he passed, and so I didn’t get to see him,” Reckell sighs. “I’m not feeling sorry for myself, but you gotta take that time to tell people how much you love them and how much they mean to you. We’re at that age in our lives where people are going to transition.”

Reckell’s memories of working with Northrop, dating back to the start of his run in 1983, are also dear to him. “Those first days and months when I came on to the show, he and [Deidre Hall, Marlena Evans] were not only Days superstars, but daytime superstars,” Reckell relays. “He was my big brother, and he just guided me along and gave me the space to do what I do. Right off the bat, that was so strong and deep and multifaceted. He just meant so much to me, and he and Lynn [Herring, Lucy Coe, General Hospital, Northrop’s widow] were just part of my life. And I just feel so bad for Lynn and his family, and same with Drake. They meant so much to everybody that they touched. Their spirit was just so loving and supportive. They’re amazing men that I’m going to miss forever.”

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Two other men he misses greatly are John Aniston and Bill Hayes. “Obviously, they’re two very different people, but my feelings about both of them are the same thing,” Reckell says. “When I’d have scenes with them, I’d go to their dressing rooms and hang out with them. John would tell his jokes, and Bill would tell stories of his incredible family and his history with being a pilot. He always had family reunions in a town in Michigan that sounded awesome. I was like, ‘Hey, can you adopt me so I can go?’ They were just substantial, powerful men who happened to do the same thing I do. I just loved sitting and listening to them talk; that grew our bond. I think [their deaths] also hit me so hard because my dad had just passed recently, so it was a challenge, that’s for sure.”

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On a happier note, May 23 marked the 40^th anniversary of Bo and Hope’s first wedding, which the show marked on air. “Isn’t that amazing?” Reckell marvels of his longtime connection to co-star Kristian Alfonso (Hope). “It’s just astounding to me. Kristian and I were talking about how we created something along with everybody else that has touched people on a very deep level. Whatever it was, we worked as hard as we could to make it the best show that day and every day. We would surprise each other and challenge each other, and we can’t help but have that connection.”

With Days set to turn 60 in November, Reckell, who has made it clear he’d love to return to the soap in a more meaningful capacity, can’t help but reflect on the impact playing Bo has had on his life. “Having been involved with the show for 42 years, what an honor,” he reflects. “What an honor to get to say, ‘Yeah, I have been doing this for 40 years and loving it.’ You look at big movie stars and if they do three movies a year or whatever, they could be overdoing it, but I get to do this, not quite as often as I want to right now, but I’ve been able to do this for many, many years, and it’s been very fulfilling. I feel like I am one of the luckiest people in the world.”

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