Soap legend James Reynolds has played Abe Carver on “Days of Our Lives” for 45 years, and continues to make history in the role. The actor joined the soap on October 29, 1981, and 45 years later, he’s preparing for one of his biggest storylines yet.
‘Days of Our Lives’ James Reynolds Makes History as Abe Carver
Reynolds’s milestone anniversary has him celebrating another major accomplishment. Reynolds holds the record for the longest-running black actor to play the same role on television. It’s an honor that’s not lost on Reynolds, who takes great pride in seeing just what Abe represents to the next generation.
“Isn’t that something? That’s kind of astounding, and it means a lot,” Reynolds expressed to TV Insider.
Reynolds went on to share what really stands out to him, and it’s all about the younger actors.
“One specific reason always stands out to me, and that’s when I meet young Black actors who have grown up and watched Abe, and he has become part of their dream. He made it seem possible, and that just fills me with so much pride. Sometimes they’ll run up to me and say something that is so gratifying and makes me feel so honored that I have to hold back my emotions. It fills me with the passion to continue,” he shared.
The actor has to pinch himself that he’s had such an amazing career on such a wonderful show. Reynolds has nothing but love for “Days of Our Lives” and is grateful to have been part of the soap for decades.
James Reynolds Opens Up About Two Most Meaningful Storylines
After decades on the same show and in the same role, Reynolds has been through a lot as Abe. The actor has two storylines that stand out to him the most, and they just might surprise fans.
“Number one would be when [Abe’s son] Theo was shot [in 2017]. I was very proud to have won an Emmy [for Outstanding Lead Actor] for that performance, and that storyline was so encompassing,” the soap star stated.
Reynolds explained that it had meaning for many reasons, saying, “One of the many things I loved was that there was a lot of emotion in those scenes, and that story went on for quite some time. It was Abe against the world, and it had relevance to the outer world, a young Black man being shot by police. I always enjoy stories that have a larger significance to our society around us.”
The second story was completely different and was from back in the 1990s. It was revealed that Brandon (Matt Cedeño) was Abe’s son with Faye Walker (Valerie Wildman) after they had an affair years ago. Abe was married to Lexie (then Rene Jones) when the paternity reveal happened, but his tryst with Faye happened before they met. Faye was married at the time, but her husband was in prison.
“That story was very nuanced and gave a different view of Abe. He had an affair with this woman while her husband was in jail, so that was a little twist that was fascinating. That they still held great affection for each other, and she had raised this boy on her own, helped me nudge Abe in a slightly different direction, in which he began to look at life as more complicated than perhaps he had before,” Reynolds declared.
While daytime legend didn’t tease what’s next for Abe, “Days of Our Lives” fans recently saw Abe meet with Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) over tremors and memory issues he has been having.
There’s no definitive answer as to what’s wrong with Abe yet. However, the rumor mill has been running wild that the show is setting the stage for Abe to battle either dementia, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s. If that is the case, Reynolds will have another challenging storyline on his hands.
‘Days of Our Lives’ Legend Celebrates History-Making Role on Milestone Anniversary ‘Kind of Astounding’