The dastardly Stefano DiMera had a sassy secretary named Rita for decades, and apparently, Days of our Lives fans never knew. As Stefano died and rose from the ashes countless times while wreaking havoc through Salem since the 1980s, he also had a secretary to put him in his place and keep him in line. At least, that's what Rita claims -- and who are we to not believe her?
Rita made her DAYS debut on May 1 and spent two days as the breath of fresh air who refused to put up with E.J.'s office shenanigans, the same way she says she refused to put up with his father's ways. She had a snappy comeback for everything E.J. asked her to do and was an absolute delight as she made E.J. squirm.
Maggie Carney is the actress bringing Rita to life and comes to the role with an impressive list of primetime credits, including appearances on Little Fires Everywhere, Lucifer, American Horror Story, The Rookie, and Abbott Elementary.
Carney describes herself on her Instagram page as a "bespectacled smart aleck," so she slips into the role of Rita with ease. On her website, she markets herself as: "The nosy neighbor who calls 911 on your 3-year-old's birthday party. The librarian who lies about her Weight Watchers points. The cat-lover who is allergic to cats."
It's been several years since DAYS has had a female comic relief character who offers a break from the high drama. While the soap has Leo Stark for his ramblings and one-liners, DAYS has been missing a working girl like Rita since the disappearance of Anne Milbauer, played by Meredith Scott Lynn from 2012 to 2017. Here's hoping Rita sticks around. With Kristen vying to take E.J.'s place at the DiMera Enterprises helm, Rita could really give Stefano's daughter a run for her money.
Was Rita a breath of fresh air? Did you enjoy Rita's banter with E.J.? 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.
