When Days of our Lives decided to cut Stephen Nichols (Steve "Patch" Johnson) from the canvas last August, he and his fans weren't sure if they'd ever see him in Salem again. But thanks to the grace of the soap gods and rallying support from fans, the actor is returning to the NBC soap opera he joined back in 1985.
"I got the call about a month ago," the actor tells Soap Opera Digest, adding that his reaction to the call was: "Well, I'll be damned!"
The show reportedly has big plans for Patch, but Nichols -- who is already back on setm filming -- is remaining mum about the exciting storyline to come. "You gotta' wait and see!" he teases.
There's one thing, however, he's not being coy about, and that is his thankfulness toward all the fans who showed unwavering support during his absence from Salem.
"These good people who are so loyal and dedicated to supporting us, mean so much to me," he says. "In my opinion, the most beneficial thing about social media has been connecting with the fans on a deeper level. So much so that I consider them true friends."
As fans may recall, Nichols revealed that he was "blindsided" by DAYS decision to let him go last year, especially as he had just agreed to a pay cut.
"I accepted their offer after trying unsuccessfully to negotiate something better than a 30% cut," he shared about his salary negotiations, adding that after accepting the pay cut, he was suddenly and unexpectedly let go. "With no warning -- written out."
Fans immediately began creating petitions to get the actor back, and the powers that be finally granted their wish.
How do you feel about Stephen Nichols returning to DAYS? What do you hope the powers that be have written for Patch? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
