Although he just recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as Chad DiMera on “Days of our Lives,” actor Billy Flynn is exiting Salem and is heading to Genoa City later this spring when he joins the cast of “The Young and the Restless” in a newly created role.
In an interview with TV Insider, which first reported the news, Flynn said, “I am grateful for my years at ‘DAYS’; it changed my life in the best ways.” He adds, “I’ve always said these stories we tell are like doing a play, and I’ve spent the last 10-plus years playing this amazing character and telling one of the all-time great love stories. And now I’m excited for this opportunity and to test myself in a new way.”
Flynn first appeared on “Days of our Lives” in the September 12, 2014 episode, replacing Casey Deidrick in the role, and quickly became a fan favorite as one half of the popular Chad and Abby pairing, dubbed “Chabby” by their fans. By 2019, the couple was featured in an online companion series, “Days of our Lives: Chad & Abby in Paris,” which helped expand storylines encompassing the adventures of some of the show’s most popular characters.
Flynn received his first-ever Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 2017 in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category for his portrayal. He went on to receive two additional nominations in the same category in 2019 and 2023.
In 2021, he was a featured performer in both “Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem” (Chapter One), a limited series spinoff of the mothership series that aired on Peacock, and the Christmas movie “Days of our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas,” also released on Peacock. The projects later proved successful, with the main show moved to Peacock exclusively starting in September 2022.
More recently, Flynn made a memorable appearance in an episode of the hit CBS drama “Matlock,” playing Atticus Waverly, an employee at a tech startup that had its trade secrets stolen.
“We support Billy as an actor and friend, and wish him nothing but continued success and happiness, personally and professionally,” said “Days of our Lives” executive producer Ken Corday. “He will certainly be missed in Salem.”
In a statement, “The Young and the Restless” executive producer and head writer Josh Griffith said, “On behalf of the entire company of ‘The Young and the Restless,’ we look forward to welcoming Billy to the show.” He noted, “He will be a wonderful addition to ‘Y&R’s stellar cast.”
Despite joining daytime’s most popular soap opera, fans of “Days of our Lives” can expect to continue seeing Flynn in Salem for a bit longer due to the show’s advanced tape-to-air schedule, currently set at nine months, which means he’ll appear on the show well into 2026.
