Exclusive: Martha Madison And Brandon Beemer On Their DAYS Comeback

“Shelle” will soon back in the house at Days of our Lives — actors Brandon Beemer (Shawn) and Martha Madison (Belle), who were written off the soap in 2023, have inked new contracts with the show. Belle, who resurfaced first to celebrate Marlena and John’s anniversary and will be back for Doug’s funeral, will soon be joined by her estranged husband, Shawn, whose return kicks off when he arrives in Salem to mourn his late grandfather. Soap Opera Digest chatted with Beemer and Madison about being back at DAYS, and the pair also previewed the soap’s tributes to both Doug and John.

Soap Opera Digest: How did your return come about?

Martha Madison: I came back for [John and Marlena’s] anniversary, and after that I knew I was going to come back for Doug’s funeral and the 15,000th episode. That’s kind of when we started talking about, “Do you want to stay? Do you want to do this?” And I was like, “Well, what is [the story] going to be?” We had some great conversations and decided after Doug’s funeral that we would stay on.

Digest: Are you back on contract?

Madison: Yes, we’re both on contract.

Digest: I imagine that makes both of you happy.

Madison: Very happy.

Brandon Beemer: So happy.

Madison: They’ve been writing the best material for us. I think for me anyway.

Beemer: Same here this time around. I’m with Martha. She’s said multiple times that this is the most fun she’s ever had on the show. This is the most fun that I’ve ever had on the show, too.

Madison: If I had a dream wish list of everything I wanted to see happen, for both me personally as an employee and also as a character, they’ve checked every box. It’s been amazing.

Digest: When Shawn resurfaces has he beaten his alcohol problem?

Beemer: Yes, no more drinking.

Digest: What about the state of Shawn and Belle? Have they reconciled?

Beemer: They’re good. They’re getting along.

Digest: You’re both back for some major story turns – Doug’s funeral, John’s passing, Bo’s return… Were you glad to be included in all of the above?

Beemer: I definitely was. I was very happy to be there for John’s funeral. They could have not had my character there, but I got to be there to celebrate John’s life and Drake [Hogestyn], who definitely was gone way too soon. That was really sad, but the show honored him in a very, very beautiful way.

Madison: It was important for us all to be there for that.

Digest: Martha, you played Drake’s daughter dating back 20 years. What was it like filming John Black’s death and funeral? Do you think the show did justice to him and his memory?

Madison: Absolutely. It’s a tribute that I think we’ll all need our tissues through, and certainly we [actors] did. There was not a dry eye in the house for many, many days. It was really nice to have everyone there who came back for this, because we all had such an important relationship with Drake. The veil between real life and fiction life was very thin at this time. You’re going to see a lot of personal mourning through these scenes.

Digest: I’m assuming there will be some poignant moments between you and Deidre [Hall, Marlena] as mother and daughter.

Madison: Definitely. If it’s possible to strengthen the relationship between Belle and Marlena, this is what does it.