Emily O'Brien exits ‘Days of Our Lives’ after 5 years: ‘I was in tears’

Emily O'Brien bid farewell to Days of Our Lives. After half a decade, she exited the drama that led her to an Emmy nomination.

In a recent interview with Soap Opera Digest, the actress, who played two characters in the daytime soap drama, looked back on her emotional last day.

"I was in tears," O’Brien, 39, recounted. "I faced everybody on stage and looked at the cameras."

"Then I just told everyone how incredibly lucky I am," she added.

She confessed that her stint at the show lasted for quite a lot more years than her initial expectations.

"I wasn’t supposed to be on the show for as long as I was," the Young and the Restless actress continued. "I never thought that daytime would be something that was accessible to me again."

"I not only got to play one amazing role," she cherished the memorable working experience at the Days, "but I played two amazing roles."

O'Brien departed from the show as Gwen Rizczech, the character she has played since 2020, and returned to replace Jen Lilley as Theresa Donovan in the same episode.

Donovan has been a regular character on the show since 1990 and was played by Lilley from 2013 until 2023.