Days of our Lives fans were crushed when Lucas Horton took off to Europe in December with not much of a fulfilling goodbye storyline. But it turns out the character's time on the canvas doesn't end there: Bryan Dattilo reveals that he will be back in Salem this May.
The actor spoke with Soap Opera Digest about receiving the summons from the powers that be, sharing: "It was really a pleasant surprise for me, for Bryan, but Lucas, I think, just gets dragged back."
Um, come again? As it turns out, Dattilo reveals that much like his last return, Lucas comes back to Salem for an ailing relative -- which is likely his son Will (Chandler Massey), who recently found out he has a brain tumor. The actor wasn't able to reveal much more about the storyline surrounding his return, but he does share that he was surprised to receive the call to come back because he thought his December 2018 scenes with Chloe (Nadia Bjorlin) would be his last ever.
"I thought that was the time it was gonna be [the end]. I actually really did think that was it," he says. "Once you're in the Horton living room and you're hanging your ornament you're like, 'Ah, one last time for the Gipper.' And you feel like, 'Oh, that could be it'. But then Julie [Susan Seaforth-Hayes] said, 'This will always be your home,' so then I kind of thought, 'Well, maybe the door's open.' I definitely was surprised, but pleasantly."
Dattilo took on the role of Lucas in 1993 and is no stranger to an uncertain fate that eventually led to Lucas' return to the canvas. Executives at the NBC soap opera decided to give Lucas "a rest" amid a series of moves to keep the show's budget in check back in 2001. Fans were pleasantly surprised when he reprised the role the following year.
At this time, it's unclear how long Dattilo will be sticking around in Salem and when in May viewers can expect to see Lucas come to the side of an unhealthy family member. But one thing is for certain: Dattilo will be giving the storyline his absolute all.
"Not only has [playing Lucas] changed my life, it's become my life," the actor shares. "Pat Muldoon [ex-Austin Reed] used to tease me back in the day, 'Bro, you're gonna be Lucas forever! Hey, bro. You're gonna be Lucas when you're sixty.' And I always use to be like, 'No! No! I'm gonna be a great actor and have a film career.' And it turns out Pat Muldoon is right. I'm almost fifty, and I'm still Lucas. My job in life now is to just play Lucas to the best of my ability."
What do you think about Dattilo returning to Days of our Lives? Which ailing relative do you think convinces Lucas to come back to Salem? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
