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Days of Our Lives is turning 60 and its cast is celebrating with a photo almost as legendary as the soap’s run on TV.
PEOPLE has the exclusive premiere of the Days of Our Lives 60th anniversary cast image. And while some photos are worth 1,000 words, well, this one is worth over 15,000 episodes.
Featuring 42 actors and actresses who’ve helped bring the suspense, romance and joy to the small screen, the image shows plenty of familiar faces standing close by as they mark a milestone. To commemorate the anniversary show’s premiere on Nov. 8, 1965, the cast got together and smiled for the camera — with Deidre Hall, Alison Sweeney, Susan Hayes, and more catching up with PEOPLE about the anniversary during a set visit earlier in the year.
“It’s completely unheard of to go 60 years, and yet here we are, and I think it’s due to a lot of people doing a lot of things right,” Hall, 78, says.
The Emmy winner, who took on the role of Marlena Evans in 1976, adds that “everybody is pulling in the same direction as hard as they can,” making Days a show with no true “standouts.”
“The lighting guy, the sound guy, the makeup people… everybody is giving 110%,” she says. “And that’s what you see on the screen. My favorite part of Days is being part of a true ensemble where everybody is there doing the best possible job they can.”
Sweeney, who stepped into the role of Sami Brady in 1993, adds that its “unbelievable” to be part of the show’s enduring legacy, noting that she meets people “every day” who share stories about the show. The actress, who return to the show last year after leaving briefly in 2022, says that she carries “the lessons I learned being a part of this cast and this crew” wherever she goes.
“Just being a part of this family, how to treat people, how to be a professional, how to come to work on time, know your lines,” she says. “And it’s just an incredible experience. It’s made me a better person. It’s taught me so much that I use.”
Chris Haston/Peacock
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“Also the relationship with the fans. I can’t stress enough that being a part of a show like this where every day where you can go online and see how the fans felt about the scenes, that it gives you such immediate feedback and then you have a chance to try again and do something different tomorrow,” Sweeney, 49, adds. “There’s so much relationship back and forth between the fans when you’re on every day.”
Hayes, who began playing Julie Williams in 1968 and has appeared in each decade of the show’s lengthy run, tells PEOPLE that her “whole life has turned out to be driven” by the show and its impact.
“I met my husband through lucky casting on the show. Great marriage lasted 50 years. My mother became a professional writer because of Days of Our Lives. My closest friends, the people that I talked to and depend upon, have all been connected to this show,” she says.
“It’s wonderful to be proud of where you work, to not have to apologize, but to accept gratitude from the audience,” the actress continues. “And my gratitude for the audience I think is perhaps larger than most people just because my run has been so long.”
For Hayes, the show has been a “a win-win” throughout her life and “often brings me to tears of happiness.”
“Be prepared. Be patient. Stand up straight, do the best you can,” Hayes, 82, adds of the lessons she’s learned from her decades on Days. “That’s all you can do. And that works. No matter what you’re doing in life, don’t come in unprepared. Whatever the situation, be patient with everyone around you and lift up what you’re supposed to lift up and enjoy it.”
New episodes of Days of Our Lives premiere weekdays on Peacock. The series has recently been renewed for two additional seasons on the streamer.
