Louise Sorel Talks Vivian’s Latest ‘Days of Our Lives’ Return — Could She Be Back?

Vivian Alamain returned to Days of Our Lives this week, which meant Louise Sorel reprised the role she first brought to life in 1992.

For Sorel, who last appeared on the Peacock sudser in April 2025, returning to the show felt both familiar and gratifying. “It felt comfortable because it’s such a nice group of people,” Sorel says. “Everybody there is working so hard under such pressure, and they really do their work as best as they can. They’re happy to be working, so it’s very nice to be there. It’s a work atmosphere that’s very sweet.”

That she’s still playing the part of one of soap’s most eccentric icons more than three decades after her debut is something she never expected. “They kept firing me, so why would I imagine I’d still play the role?” she muses. “But I think that’s the way soaps are, where they drop you and then suddenly call you again.”

Circumstances prevented her from returning twice before, when Robin Strasser (Dorian Lord, One Life to Live) and then Linda Dano (Felicia Gallant, Another World) stepped into the role. “That was because of COVID,” she recalls. “I just did not feel comfortable traveling. I mean, I think anyone would say this, but I feel ownership of the role and it’s hard for me to think of it not being mine, but, you know, things happen.”

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Looking back, Sorel’s memories of playing Vivian remain especially dear, particularly her scenes with Ivan G’vera, who portrayed Viv’s manservant, Ivan Marais. “It was full of life and a certain energy and madness about it that I love,” she reflects. “I think Vivian and Ivan were a wonderful add-on to the show. I felt that was a big loss [when they were written out] because there was something about that ridiculous relationship that had an edge and a humor about it that I think is vital.”

Much of that larger-than-life storytelling, she notes, came from former head writer James E. Reilly. “Jim was such a madman and wrote wonderfully wacky storylines,” she says. “I used to walk and say, ‘Are you kidding?’ One time, I was a box of French fries. I walked into wardrobe and Richard Bloore [costume designer], who’s an angel, said to me, ‘You don’t want to know,’ and I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He said, ‘Turn around,’ and I see a box of french fries for me and Ivan’s a hamburger. What fun we had, even though I thought it was nuts.”

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In Vivian’s latest arc, she finds herself entangled in an investigation led by Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) and Eli Grant (Lamon Archey), who visit her abroad. “They were the detectives investigating Vivian and perfectly nice people to work with,” she says. “But it ended with a lot of questions and accusations.”

Away from Salem, Sorel has been channeling her creativity into writing. In 2025, she self-published If There Were No Dogs, a collection of personal reflections, memories of her life and career and poems. “I’ve always journaled through my life,” she explains. “And I’ve traveled a lot. I’ve always been sort of curious. People always said, ‘Where are you going in January? You can’t go anywhere. It’s pilot season for actors.’ And my answer was, ‘There’s a pilot on the plane.’ But I’ve also journaled about my childhood, and I’ve written a lot of poetry and I’m a dog fanatic, addict and animal activist, so the book is filled with childhood stories, some stories about theater, working with Charles Boyer, etc. — there were a lot of amazing names that I worked with; I kind of am stunned when I think about it. It’s getting very nice responses, so it’s thrilling for me. I’m proud of it. It’s at Amazon and Book Baby.”

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Her literary pursuits also led to a new chapter in her personal life. Sorel recently found romance with writer and editor Peter de Lissovoy, whom she met through Jane Lahr, daughter of Bert Lahr, who portrayed the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. “She’s a writer and in the publishing industry, and we were working on a book called Madison on Fifth, which is about my little dog, Madison, or Maddie, who got lost on Fifth Avenue,” Sorel begins. “Then COVID came, and we stopped, but we stayed friends. I told her I was trying to put something together, and she said, ‘Well, you need an editor. Here’s the name of someone who might be able to help you.’ So, I called the number — it was in New Hampshire — and he said, ‘Well, I don’t know. I’d like to see what you write.’ So, I sent him some pieces, and he liked them very much, and he said, ‘Well, yeah, I think I could work with you to edit it.’ I went up three times to Lancaster, New Hampshire, and stayed at this place called the Jefferson Inn, where it looked like Jefferson slept; that’s how old it was, and we worked for three hours a day for three days in a row. And then I went up a couple of more times, and we fell in love, and that was a year and a half ago.”

Despite her growing passion for writing, acting remains her first love, and she’d be open to Vivian returning to Days for a longer stay. “Sure, I’d love to,” she responds. “I love that character. I’m from the theater, and you do a show, and then it’s gone; you don’t stay with the character. But I kind of fell in love with Vivian, and then I felt sort of a loss when I wasn’t playing her.”

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