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Emily O'Brien will be returning to Days of Our Lives on July 8, 2025, recast in her role as Gwen Rizczech. The British actress previously played Gwen from 2020 through October 2023, and then portrayed Theresa Donovan from October 2023 till August 2024, when Theresa's story arc concluded with her being sent to prison.
O'Brien's comeback as Gwen was confirmed by the actress herself in an exclusive interview with TV Insider dated July 7, 2025. Following her completion of work as Theresa, O'Brien was recalled to Days of Our Lives to resume playing Gwen, whose story will now start airing on Tuesday, July 8.
About Days of Our Lives actress Emily Roya O'Brien
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Emily Roya O'Brien is a British actress, novelist, and voice-over artist with credits for daytime TV, film, animation, and video game voice work. She earned widespread recognition with her character of Jana Hawkes Fisher on The Young and the Restless from 2006 to 2011, for which she was nominated for several Daytime Emmy Awards.
O'Brien has also provided the voice for several of the most popular characters in animated series and video games, such as Y'shtola in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Camille and Samira in League of Legends, and Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series.
The actress attended MiraCosta College to major in theater and went on to receive training from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. O'Brien has also produced, written, and directed independent work, with her first being a film called Beatrice in 2011.
O'Brien's work on Days of Our Lives
Emily O'Brien started on Days of Our Lives in June 2020 as the character Gwen Rizczech, the daughter of long-running character Jack Deveraux (played by Matthew Ashford). Gwen was a principal character in various multi-month-long storylines, including family trauma and romances. Eventually, her story came to an end in October 2023, bringing the character's last appearance in the series.
Following this, the actress started playing the character of Theresa Donovan. Theresa is the daughter of Shane Donovan and Kimberly Brady, both legacy characters on the soap opera. Theresa was last seen in August 2024 when she went to jail, which ended O'Brien's temporary stint on the show.
Confirmation of her return on Days of Our Lives
During an exclusive conversation with TV Insider, O'Brien highlighted that in late 2024, casting director Marnie Saitta reached out to her to come back to the show. Originally asked to complete Theresa's storyline, she was then offered to revive the character of Gwen Rizczech starting October 2024, with her episodes set to be broadcast in July 2025.
Discussing the conversation with the casting director, the actress recalled:
''She said, ‘Two things. Would you be willing to come back for two weeks to finish the story arc with Theresa? And then we have a storyline with Gwen; would you be interested? That would start October [2024].''
O'Brien then confirmed her return to the show as Gwen, saying she's eager to reprise the role. She further explained that Gwen has changed since she was last seen, acquiring wealth and social status following her marriage to Dimitri von Leuschner. The character's new behaviors and interactions with other Salem denizens are slated to be a focus of future episodes.
''The new writers have refined her. She went away and spent time with the elite, and now she has knowledge and status, so that’s been a different twist to come back and play her. ''
Gwen's return to Salem places her in a significantly changed position from her previous storyline. Having married, she now possesses riches and increased social status. As suggested by O'Brien, the character is now more assured and sophisticated, having been formed by her time away from Salem.
Although specific plot points remain under wraps as of now, Gwen can be expected to interact with both recurring and newcomer characters, dealing with complicated personal and social relationships. This is all part of the show's larger plans for summer 2025.
Catch the latest episode of Days of Our Lives streaming on Peacock.
