Judith Chapman Joins the Cast of Days of Our Lives

Fans of Judith Chapman’s Gloria Bardwell on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS are going to want to start tuning in to DAYS OF OUR LIVES starting on Tuesday, Jan. 29, when she joins the NBC soap! And Y&R fans who remember her playing mom to Greg Rikaart’s Kevin in Genoa City will feel right at home since she’s now going to be playing the mother of his DAYS character, Leo Stark! “What a great way to start 2019!” Chapman exclaimed on Twitter when the news broke.

The actress has appeared on DAYS before, playing the role of Anjelica Deveraux from 1989-90 and again briefly in 1991. Chapman also made a special appearance during DAYS’ 2018 Halloween episode. But this time, she will be playing the role of Diana Cooper, who not only is Leo’s mom, but shares a romantic past with Drake Hogestyn’s John Black. Will and Sonny have been trying to track down Leo’s mother so they can use her to get Leo out of their lives, but it sounds like bringing her to Salem is just going to cause even more trouble!

Chapman and Rikaart will be reunited on-screen again! (Photo Credit: sean smith/jpistudios.com)

Chapman has quite a storied history in daytime, starting with her role as Natalie Bannon on AS THE WORLD TURNS in the mid-‘70s. She also appeared as Charlotte Greer on RYAN’S HOPE, Ginny Blake on GENERAL HOSPITAL, and Sandra Montaigne on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. After a brief stint subbing in for Jess Walton as Jill on Y&R, the actress joined the cast full-time in 2005 taking over the role of Gloria from Joan Van Ark. Although her screen time diminished in 2014 and 2015, Chapman returned again in 2016, though Gloria hasn’t been seen since October of 2018.

For more DAYS casting news, keep reading Soaps In Depth magazine!