Thomas A. Montalto/Montalto Photos

The peer votes have been cast, and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced the Drama Performer Pre-Nominations for the 40^th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards! Five categories have been announced, including Lead Actress and Lead Actor, Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor, as well as Younger Actress and Younger Actor. Without further adieu, here are the pre-nominees:

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

• Sharon Case as Sharon on “The Young and the Restless”
• Jeanne Cooper as Katherine on “Y&R”
• Susan Flannery as Stephanie on “The Bold and the Beautiful”
• Finola Hughes as Anna Devane on “General Hospital”
• Peggy McCay as Caroline on “Days of our Lives”
• Kelly Monaco as Sam on “GH”
• Melody Thomas Scott as Nikki on “Y&R”
• Michelle Stafford as Phyllis on “Y&R”
• Kelly Sullivan as Kate on “GH”
• Heather Tom as Katie on “B&B”
• Laura Wright as Carly on “GH”

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ABC

It was on Friday, January 25, when Soap Opera Network first reported that Prospect Park‘s “All My Children” was looking to recast the role of Cassandra Foster, the adopted daughter of Angela Hubbard (Debbi Morgan), who the good doctor found abandoned in a dumpster during her run on ABC’s “The City” back in the mid-1990′s. The character returned as an 18 year-old seeking comfort from mommy dearest in 2008 as played by actress YaYa DaCosta. Since then, the production company has now officially issued a casting call for the role. According to the casting call, the role is for an African-American in her early-mid 20′s, “gorgeous with an air of sophistication.” The character spent the majority of her time in Paris, France, which has helped her become “worldly, independent and a force to be reckoned with.” The role is contract.

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NBC’s “Days of our Lives” is continuing its nationwide fan event tour this February when cast members of the series gather throughout Universal Orlando Restort in Florida, including a meet and greet with fans at the parks Universal CityWalk. Cast members scheduled to attend are John Aniston, Camila Banus, Shawn Christian, Casey Deidrick, Galen Gering, Kate Mansi, Eric Martsolf, Peggy McCay, James Scott and Arianne Zucker. The event will be held on Saturday, February 23.

Paul Drinkwater/NBC

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On its Facebook page today, NBC’s “Days of our Lives” uploaded a congratulatory card for Gabi Hernandez (Camila Banus) and William Horton (Chandler Massey), and Nick Fallon (Blake Berris), which revealed the sex of the baby that the town of Salem is currently fighting over.

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As expected, NBC has renewed “Days of our Lives” through September 2014. The news comes just days after NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said, “I think ‘DAYS’ is going to stick around,” during NBC’s portion of the Television Critics Association winter press tour.  “I don’t know that I’m at liberty to say that officially yet, but it’s not going anywhere,” Greenblatt added. The “DAYS” renewal was announced today by Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment.

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For the past couple of years NBC’s “Days of our Lives” has been holding its “A Day of Days” fan event at Universal Studios CityWalk, where fans of the drama series could meet and great some of their favorite stars and get signed autographs. Unfortunately, this year the network has decided not to continue that event, and instead opted to branch it out a little bit (similar to how ABC canceled Super Soap Weekend, which turned into the Soap Nation Tour). Earlier this year, in a posting on the soaps operas Facebook page, the network said, “Ask and you shall receive! NBC has heard your requests and we are taking our yearly fan event on the road! Instead of holding our event at Universal City in California, members of the ‘Days of our Lives’ cast will be traveling to a few cities around the country. Dates and cities to be announced soon!” That “soon” is now.

Paul Drinkwater/NBC

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NBC

EXCLUSIVE: Beginning today at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT, cast members of NBC’s “Days of our Lives” will take part in live chats, interviews and interactions with fans of the popular daytime drama series on NBC.com, while the soap is on hiatus during the networks coverage of the Summer Olympic Games in London. Soap Opera Network already revealed who will take part during this weeks sessions, but now we can reveal exclusively who will be taking part next week!

According to a “DAYS” representative, Daytime Emmy Award nominated producer and director Albert Alarr will take part in discussion with fans of the drama series on Monday, August 6. Actress Molly Burnett (Melanie Jonas) steps up on Tuesday, August 7, while Casey Deidrick (Chad DiMera) takes part on Wednesday, August 8. Meanwhile, Gabi Hernandez’s portrayer Camila Banus checks in on Thursday, August 9, and James Scott (EJ DiMera) will hopefully give fans a preview of what’s ahead when he chats live on Friday, August 10.

All chats and fan interactions are scheduled to take place for approximately a half hour from 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT to 2:30 PM ET/11:30 AM PT.

As a recap, here are the full list of participants:

•  7/30/12 – Lisa Rinna (Billie Reed)
• 7/31/12 – Arianne Zucker (Nicole Walker)
• 8/1/12 – Shawn Christian (Daniel Jonas)
• 8/2/12 – Kate Mansi (Abigail Deveraux)
• 8/3/12 – Eric Martsolf (Brady Black)
• 8/6/12 – Albert Alarr (“DAYS” Producer/Director)
• 8/7/12 – Molly Burnett (Melanie Jonas)
• 8/8/12 – Casey Deidrick (Chad DiMera)
• 8/9/12 – Camila Banus (Gabi Hernandez)
• 8/10/12 – James Scott (EJ DiMera)

Note: Cast participation is subject to change.

“Days of our Lives” returns on Monday, August 13, when viewers learn the fates of everyone caught in the explosion that has rocked Salem.

Justin Lubin/NBC

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Will fans of same sex pairings finally get a true gay storyline on “Days of our Lives?” That’s where it looks to be headed as Entertainment Weekly‘s always spot on Lynette Rice revealed in a piece posted on Inside TV that she’s hearing the soap “may involve a current cast member [in a gay storyline] hooking up with someone new.”

While a “Days of our Lives” representative declined to comment on the EW article, and it remains unclear whether the supposed duo are male or female, fans have for sometime noticed the exuberant chemistry between Will Brady (Chandler Massey) and Chad Peterson Woods (these days known as Chad DiMera; played by Casey Deidrick). The two have the star crossed lovers plot twist, that soaps currently lack, down pact – Will is a Brady and Chad is a DiMera, a definite no-no in the town of Salem. You see, Chad’s father, Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo), stalked Marlena Evans (once the wife of Roman Brady), Will’s grandmother, who was in love with John Black (who once thought he was Roman Brady). Chad’s brother, EJ DiMera (James Scott), once upon a time raped and married (later annulled) Samantha “Sami” Brady (played by Alison Sweeney), Will’s mother. Madeline Peterson Woods (Jessica Tuck), Chad’s mother, and Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow), Will’s other grandmother, once made it their mission to keep the two friends apart as they got closer and closer to the truth of Chad’s true parentage. Even though Will is currently dating Gabi Hernandez (Camila Banus) and Chad is involved in the antics of Abby Deveraux (Kate Mansi), it would be a shame for the soap to ignore the interesting history the two share and the storyline potential the two together could create.

With that said, as previously reported, “Days of our Lives” is currently casting the contract role of Ryan who is described as a “17 to 18-year-old Caucasian or African American male” – [Ryan] “is the all-American high school idol. Gorgeous, well-built quarterback of the football team. Popular, confident and charismatic…the world is at his feet for the taking.” Based on Entertainment Weekly‘s report it looks like Ryan could be the “someone new” in the life of a current cast member, but we still don’t know if the roles in question are male or female. The character of Ryan is scheduled to debut in May on “DAYS.”

JPI

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — As previously reported, “Days of our Lives” has cast daytime newcomer Francisco San Martin in the role of Dario Hernandez, Rafe (Galen Gering) and Gabi’s (Camila Banus) brother. Interestingly, the actor previously appeared on “DAYS” in mid-November in the role of Javier Rodriguez, a sick patient that died as he was causing a deadly outbreak at Salem University Hospital while in the presence of Melanie (Molly Burnett) and Nathan (Mark Hapka).

According to sources, San Martin began taping his first scenes on Wednesday, January 5 and his first airate is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9.