“Days of Our Lives” has faced some major casting changes over the past year. Actor Dan Feuerriegel (EJ) got brutally honest about the casting shake-up happening at the hit Peacock soap.
Dan Feuerriegel Talks Saying Goodbye to Billy Flynn and Welcoming Conner Floyd
Last year, “Days of Our Lives” fan favorite Billy Flynn (ex-Chad) left the show after a decade to go over to “The Young and the Restless” to take on the role of Cane. In an interview with Michael Fairman TV, Feuerriegel spoke candidly about losing Flynn as a co-star.
“It was a bit of a bummer because I had developed a close bond with him, and he was a lovely guy. We shared a lot of the same kind of humor and views on the world and things like that. We were able to chat, and it was shame,” the soap star expressed.
However, he felt about Flynn leaving personally, Feuerriegel completely understands that Flynn needed to do what was best for him and his family. Flynn is married to producer Gina Comparetto, and they have two children.
Just when Feuerriegel adjusted to Flynn leaving, it was revealed that “The Young and the Restless’ star Conner Floyd would be taking over the role of Chad. Feuerriegel couldn’t be more excited to have Floyd as his on-screen brother and part of the DiMera family.
“Connor is just as lovely,” he gushed, before joking about how handsome Flynn and Floyd both are compared to Feuerriegel.
If that wasn’t enough, Feuerriegel had to say goodbye to two more of his favorite co-stars in a shocking turn of events.
‘Days of Our Lives’ Kicks Off 2026 with More Cast Changes
Earlier this year, news broke that the hit Peacock soap had let go of four cast members: Carson Boatman (Johnny), Raven Bowens (Chanel), Leo Howard (Tate), and Ashley Puzemis (Holly). Due to “Days of Our Lives” advanced filming schedule, the four stars will be on-screen until later this year.
However, they all filmed their last scenes months ago, which meant Feuerriegel had to say goodbye to Boatman. The two played father and son on the show, and losing him was hard for Feuerriegel.
Much like with Flynn, Feuerriegel and Boatman were very good friends in real life, making his exit even harder for him.
“Carson and I were friends outside of the show. We would hang out and just like me and Billy, we’d talk to with each other and everything like that, and that just translated into (our on-screen) father/son dynamic.” Feuerriegel said.
Adding more to his heartache was the fact that Stacy Haiduk (Kristen) hasn’t been filming “Days of Our Lives” for months and is now working on “The Young and the Restless” as Patty. While the hit Peacock soap hasn’t said that Haiduk was let go, the actress admitted when she joined “The Young and the Restless” that Kristen has been put on ice.
“To be able to work with her was really, really lovely. She’s an amazing woman and a fantastic actor. I know she’s at Y&R now, which is great. But, that’s another a bummer for me,” the soap star shared.
All of the changes have been tough for Feuerriegel, who reiterated that all the changes have been “little heartbreaks” for him over the past year.
“It’s like the people that I loved the most moved on from the show, and it’s sad,” he stated.
