Nikki Crawford Talks Bringing Lexie Carver Back to ‘Days of Our Lives’

Nikki Crawford will make her soap debut on Friday, March 6, as a resurrected Lexie Carver on Days of Our Lives.

Lexie, originally played by Renee Jones from 1993 to 2012, was presumed dead but has secretly been kept alive by Dr. Wilhelm Rolf (Richard Wharton) in a mysterious lab at the hospital. Crawford was unaware of the twist when she auditioned for the show. “They didn’t tell me it was Lexie Carver,” she relays. “They used another name just because she was such a beloved character. So, when I started doing my research, I thought, ‘Oh, well, maybe she’s coming on as Lexie’s sister,’ and it wasn’t until I got the role that they told me, ‘No, you’re the new Lexie Carver.’”

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Before she reported to the studio to begin filming, Crawford immersed herself in Lexie’s comprehensive history. “I don’t watch soaps, but like with any role that I take on, I do extensive research,” she explains. “So, I watched the show. I delved into her backstory through Google searches. There’s so much information and so many websites dedicated to Lexie Carver, so I did a lot of that, and then when I got on set and started working, I started speaking to other actors, and the producers and the directors really filled me in on Lexie’s backstory, which was extremely helpful. The character had gone through so much and so I wanted to embody all of that when she comes back to life.”

That groundwork proved essential as Crawford adjusted to the demands of daytime drama for the first time. “It was exciting and it was a little daunting at first just because of the pace,” she explains. “The show moves incredibly fast. I’ve been an actress for over 25 years, and I’ve done extensive theater, but learning material like that so quickly with very little rehearsal time was initially a challenge, but I found it exhilarating. It pushed me to develop a new level of precision and trust in my instincts. I would say it really sharpened how quickly I can break down material, make strong choices, and take risks without overthinking. And I ended up really loving it. It reminded me why I love this work.”

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Crawford found an instant sense of belonging among her castmates. “Everybody was so wonderful,” she raves. “James [Reynolds, Abe Carver] and I had great chemistry and had so much fun. He was a wealth of knowledge, and I got so much information from him. Everybody really just embraced me, from James to Jackée [Harry, Paulina Price] to Tyler [Joseph Andrews, Theo Carver] to Deidre [Hall, Marlena Evans]. It was great and Jackée and I had a blast.”

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Beyond the warm welcome, Crawford focused on keeping the story authentic. “I knew it was a soap, and I know that oftentimes, soap operas bring people back from the dead,” she notes. “And honestly, I just really approached it from Lexie’s truth. I played it more like she was in a coma for these last 15 years. I really honored who she was, but I also grounded her in who she is. I would say at her core, Lexie is driven by love. Her family is everything to her. And now that she’s been given a second chance at life, that raises the stakes.”

Stepping into Jones’ shoes came with added pressure, but Crawford embraced it. “That’s always a challenge, I think, coming in as somebody who was as beloved as Renee Jones was,” she reflects. “What she did was iconic, and she really created something wonderful. It’s understandable why the audiences loved and were invested in her and then were torn apart when she left. I saw it more as an opportunity to honor what audiences have loved, while bringing truth to who Lexie is today and creating upon what Renee had previously built. So, it was exciting but also, there was a bit of trepidation just because I know the love that people have for Renee.”

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As for what viewers can expect from her run, Crawford teases there will be major ripple effects in Salem. “Her return is going to shake things up, especially with Abe now being married to Paulina,” she previews. “But I think what makes her relatable is that she’s willing to fight for what she loves. Most people, if given a second chance, would do the same thing. So, she may come in with love, but she’s not coming in quietly.”

Crawford started filming her episodes last summer and is looking forward to watching Lexie’s return play out on screen. “You kind of forget about it because it’s so far in the future that I just kind of allowed myself to focus on other projects until the time came,” she says. “And now I can’t wait to see it. Hopefully, audiences will come along for the ride and be excited with what I created with the new Lexie.” 

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