JPI
“ELani” fans will have something to celebrate next week — Lamon Archey and Sal Stowers are headed back to Salem to reprise the roles of Eli and Lani. The duo arrives in Salem on February 29 to see an ailing Paulina.
Archey made his Salem debut in 2017; Stowers was introduced as Lani in 2015. The pair exited in 2022, but each visited in 2023. When this latest comeback came about, “I was excited to see Sal [Stowers, Lani],” Archey enthuses. “It had been a long time since I had had any scenes with her, so it was definitely good to come back and work with Sal again.” The chance to reconnect with other castmates was a draw, as well. “I was definitely looking forward to catching up with Jim [Reynolds, Abe] and always Susan [Seaforth Hayes, Julie],” he says. “Anytime I go there, I always go to her room and see if she’s in there, whether I have a scene with her or not. I always try to touch base with her.”
Playing opposite Stowers, even after a long break, felt natural to Archey. “It was definitely good to get back in the mix of things with Sal and have some scenes with her, and I’m sure it will be really exciting for the fans to be able to see Eli and Lani together again,” the actor offers, describing stepping back into that Eli/Lani dynamic as “easy.” “It’s always great working with Sal,” he declares. “Our friendship goes well beyond DAYS OF OUR LIVES. I knew her before [we worked together on the show] so there’s never the thing where we have to get used to each other again or feel like we have to dust off the cobwebs.”
