While the tension between Leo and his estranged BFF, Gwen, remains thick on screen, behind the scenes, actors Greg Rikaart (Leo) and Emily O’Brien (Gwen) are overjoyed to be reunited on Days of Our Lives now that she’s back on the show. The performers have a long history of working together, dating back to 2006 when they played lovebirds Kevin and Jada on Young and Restless.
Rumor Had It…
It did not come as a shock to Rikaart that O’Brien would be reprising Gwen. “There were murmurings for quite some time before it became official, and Emily and I had been in touch,” recounts Rikaart. “It always felt when she left that it was just a matter of time before Gwen would come back, although I think we both imagined that it would’ve happened sooner. So I was absolutely thrilled. I adore Emily. She’s one of my favorite, if not favorite, scene partners that I’ve ever had. And the dynamic between Gwen and Leo is really wonderful. It’s one of my favorite things to play.”
When he found out that O’Brien’s return as Gwen was a done deal, “I was very excited and very quick to offer my congratulations,” shares Rikaart, who loved how their characters first interacted. “Leo has his back to her and she says something. Without even turning around to see that it’s her, obviously Leo knows it’s her,” he recalls. “That was a great moment filled with a lot of feeling, because Leo was excited, but also knew they are not on good terms, so he was certainly anxious and unsure of how she would receive him.”
The former best friends had a major falling out when Gwen learned that her new husband, Dimitri, was cheating on her with Leo. But especially since Dimitri soon dumped Leo, the path may be open for Gwen and Leo to make amends.
“For sure,” nods Rikaart, adding that clues in the script have given him reason to hope for a rapprochement. “Leo has referenced Gwen often and there were references to him having reached out to her. We’ve even shot scenes where Leo was leaving her a voicemail and saying, ‘I know you’re probably not going to listen to this, but…’ I think he definitely feels regret and would love nothing more than for their friendship to reignite, but certainly that’s not where Gwen is at right now.”
However uphill the battle he may be facing, Leo certainly has good reason to try to patch things up, since Gwen is the one and only true friend he’s ever had. “On the one hand, I would like [them to make up],” notes Rikaart. “On the other hand, I’d like to see it earned, and it feels like that’s the direction it’s going. Gwen’s certainly not quick to want to forgive and forget.”
But now that Leo’s had a good deal of therapy with Marlena, perhaps he has the tools to make a reconciliation happen. “I think so,” says Rikaart. “However, he’s being met with quite a bit of resistance.”
Give Peace a Chance
For her part, O’Brien is having a blast sharing scenes with Rikaart again. “Of course I am!” she says. “I mean, he’s just a bag of giggles all the time! We can barely get through our scenes sometimes. And when I was playing Theresa [Donovan, the role she assumed from Jen Lilley in 2023], I think we had one or two encounters which were impossible to get through without laughing as well. It’s just, it’s so fun. So now that I’m back as Gwen, I know that the majority of my scenes are going to be with, with Greg, and they’re always fun, always. Even when it gets heavy, we still find a way to inject some light humor into the scenes.”
The actress thinks Leo and Gwen can eventually patch things up. “It’s dragging out — understandably so because of what he did,” she muses. “But ultimately, I think that they’re both the kind of people that after all of it, they need each other. They truly need each other and they love each other. She has a lot of hate and resentment towards him now, but ultimately, I think they will come to realize that it’s much more important to set their differences aside because at the end of the day, they’re like puzzle pieces. They’re ‘Gweo!’ ”
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