‘Days of Our Lives’: Mary Beth Evans on Kayla’s New Romance & Stephen Nichols’ Return

Jim Halterman November 18, 2019, 12:00 pm

NBC’s Days of our Lives may have gone where no daytime soap has gone before with its one year time jump in the November 8 episode, but the surprises keep coming.

One of the biggest shocks was in the November 15 episode when it was revealed that Dr. Kayla Johnson (Mary Beth Evans) and lawyer Justin Kiriakis (Wally Kurth) are romantically involved. Wait… what?!

Kayla, who first showed up on the show in 1982, is known for her “super couple” status with bad boy Steve “Patch” Johnson (Stephen Nichols). And even though Nichols has been absent from the show since last year (don’t worry, he’s coming back later this month), Kayla has remained loyal to her man.

“I was so devastated when [Nichols] left — personally and my character,” Evans told TV Insider at the recent Day of Days event. “I was glad that [the writers] wrote in some phone calls and some things where Kayla could cry and talk to him but those were real tears!

Stephen Nichols as Steve Johnson, Mary Beth Evans as Kayla Johnson(Chris Haston/NBC)

She continued, “It never feels the same to me when he’s not there. We’ve been apart a few times on the show and I’m always like ‘hurry up and come back!'”

As for Nichols’ upcoming return, how surprised will fans be once he’s back in Salem? “It’s going to be a fun ride,” she teased with a smile. “Put on your seatbelts!”

'Days of Our Lives' Stars Reassure Fans Amid Shocking Hiatus

Of the entire time-jump device, Evans said the past eight months of shooting has been “an adventure” and even she was blown away by what she was seeing once the storyline really kicked in. “As soon as I started getting the scripts… I normally pull my [scenes] out because I need to hurry and memorize my stuff. But I found myself reading the scripts because what everybody is doing is so different and I think it’s so fun,” she shared.

And that big Kayla/Justin reveal in last week’s episode? “I hope everyone can just ride the ride,” Evans said before admitting that she loved reunited with Kurth, who also plays Ned Ashton on General Hospital. Evans played Katherine Bell on the ABC soap from 1993-1999 and Katherine and Ned were involved for a brief period in Port Charles. “I love Wally and I’ve known him for a lifetime.”

Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) welcomes Justin (Wally Kurth) home on the November 15, 2019 episode.

Evans is also glad that the Kayla/Justin relationship is being played as more grounded. “We wanted to play it very grown-up and peel all the onion [layers] away. I think for both of us it was a nice experience to go through this thing. They’re a complicated relationship but a grown-up relationship and it’s been really, really fun.

“And because [Kayla and Justin] have both been with one person forever and a day, and the funniness of us coming together as friends, there was nice electricity to them. It was like childish romance, it was very sweet.”

Behind the Scenes With the 'Days of Our Lives' Cast at 2019 Day of Days (PHOTOS)

But, what did happen with Kayla’s relationship with Steve? And what about Justin’s longtime love Adrienne (Judi Evans)? We know that Will Horton (Chandler Massey), the husband to Adrienne and Justin’s son Sonny (Freddie Smith), is in prison for her death (what?!) but we have yet to find out exactly what happened.

The preview for this week’s episode promises to shed more light on it, as per the tweet from the show’s Twitter handle on Friday.

Adrienne is dead, and everyone wants to know what happened and why. Watch #DAYS, weekdays on @NBC. pic.twitter.com/NoVGdunrCu

— Days of our Lives (@nbcdays) November 16, 2019