Philip returns to Salem today and gets right back in the thick of all things Kiriakis. “I can’t believe it’s been nine years,” marvels Jay Kenneth Johnson, who originally portrayed Philip from 1999-2002 and then again from 2007-11. “It’s great to be back. It’s great to be working at DAYS again. The story is going to be really good.” His homecoming wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. “It’s kind of odd,” he admits. “I worked for about three weeks. I had just gotten started and then the coronavirus hit and they called off production. We’re about to start back up again in September and I’m looking forward to it.” After filming the digital series “Last Blast Reunion” in 2019, the show followed up with him about a longer return in early 2020. “They said they wanted to do a few storylines, so I came out and got to work,” Johnson says, noting that the first people he saw when he walked into the studio were his TV parents, John Aniston (Victor) and Lauren Koslow (Kate). “They were both in the hallway. We caught up and shared a hug. It was a happy moment. I love both of them, and it was good to see them.” For the full story, pick up the new issue of Digest, on sale now, and tune into NBC’s DAYS today!
