Despite claims by “Days of our Lives” executive producer Ken Corday that any character killed after September 2015 would remain dead, rumors are running rampant that the soap has secretly been in negotiations with three-time Daytime Emmy Award Winner Chandler Massey to reprise his role as Will Horton, who was murdered in October by the necktie killer (Ben Weston, played by Robert Scott Wilson) during Guy Wilson‘s turn in the popular role. Adding fuel to the fire are recent comments by Massey’s former publicist, Jeffrey Ballard.
After congratulating the soap and co-executive producer Greg Meng on the successful renewal of the daytime soap opera, Ballard said in a posting on his Facebook page, “I’ve been getting quite a few calls about this — so for the record — I can neither confirm nor deny that my former client and good friend, three-time Daytime Emmy Award winning actor Chandler Massey will be returning to his role of Will Horton on Days of our Lives later this year. 😜 I guess you will all have to keep watching!! 😀”
The last sentence of his statement is what has people worked up.
On the Facebook page for Ballard’s PR firm, in reference to another publication’s posting on Ballard’s comments above, the post wrote: “Apparently the flames have been fanned — or where there’s smoke there’s fire?”
Continuing to comment on the matter, Ballard said, “More of the same about ‘Days of our Lives’ and Chandler Massey — gotta go with the ‘they only talk about you if you’re important’ thing —” in response to yet another publication’s reporting on Massey’s possible return to daytime and “Days of our Lives.”
Talk of Massey’s possible return is being fueled even further by a recent posting on social media of a picture of someone supposedly looking like Freddie Smith in the background, seemingly confirming rumors that the actor was also on his way back to Salem as Sonny Kiriakis.
It’s wonderful working with this special lady again after 30 years! #BethLujack #SalemRocks #Days50 Days of Our Lives
Posted by Vincent Irizarry on Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Massey departed “DAYS” in 2013, weeks after winning his second Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal as Will Horton, the son of Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) and Lucas Roberts (Bryan Dattilo).
After winning the Emmy, Massey told reporters he planned to depart the soap when his contract expired in December of that same year but producers got the jump on him by informing him they planned to recast early. Guy Wilson took over the role in January 2014. In June 2014, Massey won again for his work on “DAYS,” but controversy ensued when producers used clips of Wilson as Will instead of Massey.
“Days of our Lives” does not comment on rumors or speculation.