Greg Rikaart gets Outstanding Lead actor in a Drama Series Daytime Emmy nod for “Days of Our Lives”

Happy Friday everyone! Sorry for lack of posts this week – I’ve been on a little vacation. I want to celebrate with you the Daytime Emmy nomination for the oh-so-talented Greg Rikaart who plays the dastardly, sinister, yet undeniably charming and witty Leo Stark on Days of Our Lives.

He had been best known for playing Kevin Fisher on The Young and the Restless since 2003 – a role that won him an Emmy in 2005. About a decade ago at the Daytime Emmys, Greg told me he wanted his character of Kevin to be gay (Greg is an openly gay man). It never happened and Kevin was shockingly written out as a full-time character a few years later. Although Kevin has returned to Y&R on occasion, this made Greg available for Days and the role of Leo. He was sensational from the start and best of all, Leo is a complex and wonderfully entertaing gay character who writers clearly enjoy writing for.

Greg writes on social media: “This is so thrilling. I love my job. I love this genre. I love the incredible talented company of people I get to play with every day. This is the most delicious icing on a very decadent cake. Big congrats to the other nominees!!”

Would be GREAT if Greg were to win (it’s his sixth nomination overall) but the competition is awfully stiff: Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott, The Young and the Restless); Eric Martsolf (Brady Black, Days of our Lives); Paul Telfer (Xander Kiriakis, Days of our Lives); and Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri, General Hospital).

The Daytime Emmy’s will take place on October 17, 2025.