EMILY O’Brien is leaving Days of Our Lives after four years on the show.

The soap actress was left in tears over the decision after playing two roles.

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Emily O’Brien played Gwen Rizczech and Theresa Donovan on Days of Our Lives from 2020 to 2024Credit: Getty

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Emily O’Brien, on the red carpet for The Daytime Emmy Awards, airing live on Friday, June 7, said she was in tears when she left the showCredit: SONJA FLEMMING/CBS
In October 2023, Emily left the role of Gwen Rizczech, whom she has played since 2020.

The same day, she took on another role of Theresa Donovan, which was previously played by Jen Lilley.

Now, Emily is saying goodbye again, except this time it’s from the whole show.

On the August 8 episode, Theresa was shipped off to Statesville.

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And now the Days of Our Lives actress is sharing how she feels about leaving.

“This is the announcement I made, actually, when I left,” she told Soap Opera Digest.

“I was in tears, and I faced everybody on stage and I looked at the cameras. Then I just told everyone how incredibly lucky I am. I wasn’t supposed to be on the show for as long as I was.”

“I never thought that daytime would be something that was accessible to me again [after leaving The Young and the Restless and her role as Jana back in 2011]. And I not only got to play one amazing role, but I played two amazing roles,” Emily went on.

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‘SO GRATEFUL’

Emily went on to say that she ended up falling in love with Theresa and “who she is and the circle that she’s involved in.”

“The fact that [the powers-that-be at DAYS] put their trust in me to play both of these roles.… I just feel so grateful for that experience,” she continued.

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Emily said that her time on Days has been a “crazy wild ride.”

“It’s the hardest job ever, and I’m so grateful that I got to experience that with this group,” she said.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Emily revealed that she has kept in touch with some of her former co-workers including Stacy Haiduk and Paul Telfer, who she saw at a fan event.

“I also went to Stacy’s house recently and saw everybody for a screening that she did, so I still feel very much involved,” she said.

I was in tears, and I faced everybody on stage and I looked at the cameras. Then I just told everyone how incredibly lucky I am. I wasn’t supposed to be on the show for as long as I was.

Emily O’Brien

“I feel like I’m there, but I’m not; [I feel like] that I’m just doing my own thing for a while. I miss everybody, but who knows what will happen. You never know.”

Soap Opera Digest teased that this might not be the last fans see of Emily on Days.

ABOUT EMILY

Before joining DOOL, Emily was a cast member on The Young and the Restless.

She played Jana Hawkes Fisher until she was killed off in May 2011.

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That role earned her three Daytime Emmy nominations.

Then before joining Days, Emily did a lot of voice-over roles for TV and video games.

The soap star, at the 49th Daytime Emmy Awards on June 24, 2022, said that she fell in love with the role of Theresa and was so grateful for her time on the showCredit: Getty

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Emily O’Brien said that she keeps in touch with a few of her Days of our Lives co-starsCredit: Getty

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The actress teased that fans might not see the last of her