Camila Banus Says Goodbye to DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Over a decade after making her debut as Gabi, Camila Banus is leaving DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Although the actress taped her final episode on April 28, given the soap’s advanced shooting schedule, that show won’t air for many months.
With the recent changes at DAYS — the biggest being its move from NBC to Peacock — Banus felt that it was time for her to make a change as well. “My husband, [Marlon Aquino], and I are trying to start a family, hopefully,” she told The Wrap. “And that’s another big factor in possibly just slowing down a little bit and seeing kind of where this time takes me. But I’m also open to other opportunities and ready for big things. I’m just ready for something different.”
Banus took over the role of Gabi Hernandez back in 2010 from Gabriela Rodriguez and made it her own. While she left in 2014 when her contract expired, the actress returned in 2015 for the soap’s 50th-anniversary celebration. She was also off-screen for a bit in late 2020, but she’s extremely grateful for the consistent job, a rarity for actors. “I’ve been very blessed and very lucky to have been representing Latinas and Latinos as Gabi,” she declared. “And I’m just ready to see how I can represent further along in my career.”
The decision to leave DAYS was a difficult one because she was originally open to sticking around if they could work out a schedule where she could have more time off. “But they didn’t go for it,” Banus confided. “And certain other factors that were involved that they didn’t go for.
“But then, I talked to producers and they had a call with me and they were like, ‘Well, what can we do?’” she added. “And honestly, ‘I need to slow down. And part of that is you guys accepting this shooting schedule for me, and you won’t. So, you know, I have to respectfully bow out and say thank you and that’s all I can do.’”
As she looks to the future, in addition to starting a family, the actress is eager to tackle new challenges. “My biggest desire is to work on films,” Banus confessed. “I’m excited for cultivating new characters and possibly working on something comedic. I’m just excited for this new horizon of whatever is to come because I just love characters. The most wonderful thing about acting is playing pretend every day. I love to do that and I can’t wait to do that with a bunch of other people and make magic again.”
Please join us in wishing Banus luck in the next stage of her life and career, and keep checking back here at SoapsInDepth.com as we let you know where you can see her next!
