Louise Sorel Opens Up About Her Difficult Return to DAYS
It’s official: Vivian Alamain will be heading back to DAYS OF OUR LIVES later this year, according to daytime icon Louise Sorel. The actress recently chatted with judge-turned-podcaster Harvey Brownstone on his YouTube interview series about her lengthy career — including her upcoming return to Salem!
According to Sorel, she returned to the DAYS studio in mid-March for the first time in over three years, since before the pandemic began. And being back on the set these days is a much different experience. “I was in shock,” she confessed of the soap’s stringent COVID protocols. “You get tested before you even get into the building, practically. Then you sit in your [dressing] room and wait until they tell you you’re clear. Which could be two hours, at 5:30 in the morning.”
As if that wasn’t enough of an adjustment, Sorel explained that filming each day’s pages is even more hectic than it had been. “They shoot twice as fast as they ever did,” she shared. “There’s a quick rehearsal and then they shoot it.”
Trying to get back into the routine again left Sorel feeling “God-awful” and apologizing over and over again to her co-workers, she admitted. “I was fumbling all over the place because they’re loading me up with dialogue, and it’s been a while.
“It’s even harder now for all the actors, for the crew, for everybody, because it’s bare,” Sorel continued. “They’re taking the time away from the work. It’s just ‘Get it done, get it done.’ I’m not blaming anyone, but that’s the way it is. It’s hard.”
Sorel’s last run on DAYS was back in 2020, although Vivian’s voice was heard this past January during a phone call with Stefan. The soap asked her to return in 2021, but when Sorel declined, the role was briefly recast with daytime veteran Linda Dano. “I live in New York and the last two times they called me, it was heavy COVID and I didn’t want to fly,” Sorel explained. “I just did not want to get on a plane.”
Luckily for viewers, the actress felt more comfortable about getting on a plane to Los Angeles this time around! Since DAYS tapes several months in advance, look for Vivian to appear on the screen later this year.
