Search results
Will Horton is a fictional character from the American daytime TV soap opera Days of Our Lives, known for a highly praised coming out story, [3] [4] [5] award-winning performances by actor Chandler Massey, [6] [5] [7] and as one half of US daytime drama's first male gay wedding and marriage. [8] The character first appears in the episode of ...
- November 16, 1995
- James E. Reilly
- February 16, 2023
- Arianna Horton
- Overview
- Casting
William "Will" Robert Horton (formerly Roberts, originally Reed) is a character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, most recently portrayed by Chandler Massey.
Identical twins Shawn and Taylor Carpenter originally played Will. They were only six weeks old when they started, and they portrayed Will from babyhood until six years old (1995 to 2002). In 2002, Days decided they wanted a trained young actor playing Will, and nine-year-old Darian Weiss was cast, and the character was rapidly-aged three years. A year later (2003), Christopher Gerse took over as Will. Gerse was able to attend regular school whilst working on Days, including playing on his school's basketball team, just like his character. In 2005, Days were again planning to rapidly age Will, and were "actively seeking out a new actor to play the role" — but the plans were shelved when new storyline for the younger Will "became available", and Gerse was retained to "preserve the believability of Alison Sweeney and Bryan Dattilo as his parents". Will was not aged again, and Gerse continued until 2007 when Will was temporarily written out (by having the character go to live with his uncle and aunt in Switzerland). In addition, for one episode in January 2008, Gerse provided Will's voice for a phone call.
In 2009, Will now sixteen, was reintroduced with actor Dylan Patton. In 2010 the role was again recast with Chandler Massey, the first adult in the role, reportedly to facilitate a new storyline. Before he started, Massey watched as many old episodes as he could find to familiarize himself with the character. In 2013, his younger brother Christian played Will in flashbacks for the episode of February 8. In June 2013, after Massey's second Emmy win, he told reporters he would vacate the role to return to university when his current contract expired. Executive Producer Ken Corday said, "I wish he would stay. I keep telling him to change his mind, don't go away …. The door will always be open here to Chandler. We are not going to recast Will, but I wish him well". Massey said he supported a recast, saying "I don’t want Will and Sonny to break up. I want them to be together forever and go off and get married", and "I want what is best for WilSon!"
In August 2013, it was reported Massey had left Days, and the show had recast due to the character's current storyline "and the timely discovery of new talent"; and in September 2013, it came out that Guy Wilson was cast in the role of Will. Wilson later revealed that when he tested for the role with his costar Freddie Smith, Smith did not know that Wilson was reading for the role of Will, saying "I wasn't supposed to tell him". Wilson said "the whole experience was a soap opera, because everyone knew something that someone else didn't know." Smith said the on-screen switch between Massey and Wilson would happen as quick as the news of the recast, saying, "If you blink and open your eyes, you’ll be like, 'Wait, there's a new Will?!' … It’s literally just 'BOOM!'" Wilson first appeared on January 8, 2014, and his last airdate was October 13, 2015, with the character portrayed as dead.
On May 8, 2017, Entertainment Weekly announced that Massey was reprising the role of Will, airing in September. Massey told the publication: "I am so excited to be bringing Will back […] I can’t wait for the fans to see what we have planned"; and Wilson expressed "joy" about Will's revival, and happiness that Massey was "back in the saddle as the steward of such an important LGBTQ icon". Massey made his return in the episode of September 15, 2017. In February 2020, it was revealed that Massey was let go from the serial, with his last expecting appearance scheduled for September 18, 2020.
In an article entitled "Sonny Kiriakis & Will Horton Had the Most Important Relationship in TV", and subtitled "WilSon need to be a thing again" Kristyn Burtt of SheKnows said: "The return of Chandler Massey to Days of Our Lives this fall has been a huge watershed moment for NBC. The character of Will Horton and his love story with Sonny ...
- Horton, Brady, Roberts, Kiriakis, Johnson
Sep 2, 2020 · Will Horton is a popular character on the soap opera DAYS OF OUR LIVES. He has faced many challenges, such as coming out, being murdered, having amnesia, and a brain tumor. Learn about his history, family, relationships, and more.
Chandler Massey. Chandler Abit Massey (born September 10, 1990) [1] [2] is an American actor and singer, best known for his portrayal of Will Horton on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives . Massey was awarded the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series three years in a row – in 2012, [3] 2013, [4] and 2014 ...
People also ask
Who is Will Horton?
Who are Will Horton parents?
Does will Horton want a boring life?
Who are Will Horton & Sonny Kiriakis?
Lifeline. Born in Salem on November 16, 1995. Aged to 16 in February 2009. Graduated high school on June 23, 2011. Said to be 18 in on March 19, 2012. Arianna's birth certificate listed Will as 20 in June 2013. Died October 9, 2015. Tombstone listed birth as November 16, 1992. Cause of Death.
