From ‘Heated Rivalry’ to Salem: Franco Lo Presti Teases His ‘Days of our Lives’ Debut

Franco Lo Presti will make his Days of our Lives debut on Monday, September 14, for a limited run in the newly created role of Dante Vitali.

Lo Presti was already very familiar with the soap, which played a meaningful role in his childhood. “When my grandmother immigrated to Canada from Italy, this is what she watched,” he explains. “It literally helped her learn English. As a young boy, I would sit on the couch with her and watch Days of our Lives. So, my memory is definitely sitting with my Nonna and watching a riveting Joseph Mascolo [Stefano DiMera] terrorize the town.”

Soaps stayed on Lo Presti’s radar once he made the transition into performing. “To finally get the opportunity is an absolute dream come true,” he relays. “When I first became an actor, I worked with a mentor of mine named Louis Ferreira, and he was like, ‘We need to get you on a soap.’ And I remember putting it out there, like, ‘Oh, yeah, I would love to be on Days of our Lives or The Young and the Restless.’ So, it’s been manifesting for nine years, and there’s nothing like being a part of such an iconic cast and show.”

His first day at work was made easier by the actors he was working alongside, including John-Paul Lavoisier (Philip Kiriakis), Cherie Jimenez (Gabi Hernandez) and Sydney Malakeh (Sydney DiMera). “You walk onto set, and you don’t know what it’s going to be like, what the energy’s like, but they were so, so welcoming,” he praises. “I felt like it wasn’t my first day; I felt like I’d been there for years and years. Everyone was just awesome.”

Dante visits Salem to talk to the Brady family about Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney), but there is much more to the character, Lo Presti teases. “He was born and grew up in Italy and educated at this pretty top-tier English boarding school,” he previews. “He then went on to build his own dynasty in finance, all the while trying to distance himself from the Vitali name. But at the core of Dante, there’s definitely an old-school quality to him. He’s super passionate, he’s sincere and incredibly generous, but he’s also someone that you probably shouldn’t underestimate. Loyalty is something that means a lot to him. As Dante enters Salem, I think the audience will get to slowly peel back those layers and discover what’s really driving him. So, I’m excited for Days fans to go on that ride with Dante.”

It’s a journey he has been waiting nearly a year to see come to fruition. “It’s so funny because I thought my episodes would air in a month,” he muses. “But I found out it was nine to 10 months and I was like, ‘I gotta wait that long?!’ So, I’ve been biting my nails, trying not to think about it, and I think it’s actually kind of helped because now it’s here and it’s all coming at me from all different angles. I’m nervous. I’m excited, and I just can’t wait to see it all come together. It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had for sure.”

Lo Presti began filming at Days in early November 2025, weeks before Heated Rivalry, in which he plays Cliff Marleau, premiered. Since then, his life has changed radically.

“It’s so crazy because you never know when something is just going to hit,” he muses. “With Heated Rivalry, there was always something special from the day that I began filming. There was an energy that really felt like it was something. So, when it blew up as it did, first and foremost, it was extremely deserved. I am extremely proud to have been a part of that show’s success. Beyond such an incredible and beautiful story that needed to be told, the people behind it and the actors who committed themselves and the vulnerability that was shown- that is art. And being able to be a piece of Ilya’s [Rozanov, Connor Storrie] journey was just an absolute privilege. I am super happy to have been a part of it.”

For Lo Presti, landing the role of Cliff brought him back to an earlier chapter of his life. “I come from a sports background, and I pursued a professional soccer career,” he explains. “At 27, that ended, and if it wasn’t for my mother, who was an advocate of the arts and always pushed me in this direction, I would have been so lost. When I started acting, it opened so many feelings inside of me. Eight years ago, did I ever think I’d be in Los Angeles as a working actor? No, absolutely not. But it’s been years of hard work, learning, and believing that I was on the right path.”

That sports background came in handy once he got to set. “I grew up in a town in Canada named Whitby for quite a few years, and it’s known to be a hockey and lacrosse town,” Lo Presti notes. “I grew up with a lot of hockey guys, so when the role came my way, I sat very comfortably in Cliff’s shoes. I’ve got experience being in locker rooms. I know this guy. I know situations like that. So, being able to play Cliff, I’m going, ‘OK, it was meant to be. That was God’s plan,’ and I’m glad I got to put my spin on the character.”

As for whether or not Cliff will return for Season 2, which is currently filming, Lo Presti demurs, “All I can say is you’re just going to have to watch the show and see.”

The past year has been a particularly memorable one for Lo Presti, both professionally and personally. He and wife Emily Alatalo recently became first-time parents. “My wife gave birth to our daughter, Stella, on August 23^rd,” he reports. “I’m a few weeks fresh as a dad, and it’s been an absolute euphoric experience. My wife and I are just so in love with our little girl.”

Lo Presti and Alatalo met in 2018, while costarring in the film Christmas Catch, then reconnected three years later. “The gift of that woman coming into my life through this profession is success to me,” he adds. “We’ve harbored such an incredible relationship and marriage, and now having a daughter has been one of the greatest gifts I could ask for, along with the success of working and being able to play these characters and tell these stories.”

Lo Presti says he is thankful for all of the milestones that have defined the past year of his life. “I remember my first acting coach in the first class I took saying, ‘The business is not meant to be fair, so you better be in it for the right reasons,’” he reflects. “And I’ve always felt like that without really thinking about success or fame. All I ever really saw for myself was to be a working actor and to be able to provide for my family, doing what I love. What I’ve learned is that with patience, putting my head down and doing the work, eventually it will come through. So, with that said, being a dad and being able to work feels so rich right now in terms of everything that I have. It feels incredible. I just try to stay humble and be in the moment and whatever will be, will be. I’ve just been very lucky.”

Days of our Lives, Weekdays, Peacock