Nikki Crawford Talks Bringing Lexie Carver Back to ‘Days of Our Lives’
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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.’”
Corday Productions
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.”
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.”
Corday Productions
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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D
Doesn’t sound like she’s still filming. Feel bad for the actress but this is a massive mistake by Days. None of us want to see Abe and Theo get hurt again.
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R
I am think these writers are stupid. Lexie has been dead for years and her bones are dust by now. I know this is a soap so there is no way Lexie should of been brought back from the dead. This is why Day's will never win a Daytime Emmy because the writers to the same crappy bring back from the dead, Kidnapping and pr gnance storylines. Writers need to start listening to the fans and stop taking old storylines from the days vault. Repeating same storylines isn't working anymore. Days needs new young writers with fresh new storyline ideas.
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K
Should have been Abigail not Lexi
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W
Apparently rolfe had her in a chamber all this time makes you wonder who else hes got stashed away somewhere and why not his master stephano but of course us fans know that reason no one but our beloved Joe could ever play him
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R
I realize this gives a good story to the characters played by Emmy winners James Reynolds and Jackee Harry, and they deserve a good story, but this ruins the absolutely beautiful storyline from a decade ago when Renee Jones' "Lexie" died in Abe's arms. These new writers pledged that they were going to put a curb on the outlandish storylines of the past. I hope it is eventually revealed that this is not actually Lexie.
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W
Why not actually get the original actress to come back or drop this stupidity modern days fans have no clue who this is and the ones that do are going to be let down it's not the same actress
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S
You can't force someone to return to acting if she has chosen to retire.
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B
I feel the same as everyone else. Really stupid idea.
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J
What purpose does it serve to bring Lexie back? Bad idea Days!
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W
This is absolutely ridiculous and stupid even for days wtf bring back a character no one even remembers or cares about then recast so its not even the same actress why bother what's the point
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S
This is a silly storyline, bringing Lexi back to life and interrupting Abe and Paulina‘s marriage and what they are trying to build. Lexi was great during her time, but she was gone for too long for them to go this route. I loved her, but I don’t wanna see this happen to Paulina.😢😢😢😢
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D
stephanie just a note renee was not the original actress to play lexie hope you can fix that
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S
"Lexie, originally played by Renee Jones from 1993 to 2012..."
Lexie was NOT originally played by Renee Jones. The character was originally played by Cyndi James Gossett (1987-89), then by Angelique Francis (1989–1992) and Shellye Broughton (1993). Renée Jones played the character the longest, from 1993 until 2012. Writers could try to do two minutes of research before writing articles. The internet makes it very easy for people to find out accurate information.
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N
Even so Renee Jones is who everyone remembers dying in the end! This storyline seems ridiculous ti the point of fir what reason to do so
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W
Really stupid why lexie and not abigail and why would ej even care about lexie as for abigail he had feelings for her at one time. Ej always has an agenda so is this all about revenge because of Johnny like hes not an adult that decided for himself Paulina had little to really do with that. Will ej never learn from his evil mistakes but then again stephano never did
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D
How stupid and unexciting it should of been Abigail at least that would of made more sense her body's missing they kept teasing she's coming back it would of been more dramatic whats the point with this she's not even the original
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M
Soap Operas are just fart juice. Who cares.
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