Legacy is everything in daytime, with soap operas passing from generation to generation both onscreen and off. And that’s why we were so

excited to learn back in February — yes, eight months ago — to learn that Days of Our Lives had cast Hank Northrop, son of the late Wayne

Northrop (Roman, Alex) and General Hospital’s Lynn Herring (Lucy) in a mysterious new role. And now, we finally get to meet him!

 

 

Northrop is making his debut at Abe’s literacy mentee and Theo’s former bully, Liam Selejko. Northrop spoke with Soaps a bit on the Red Carpet at this year’s Emmy Awards, making clear that, “My character is nothing like me. So just diving into him and who he is as a person has absolutely changed me, the backstory I’ve had to do. There was a lot of backstory I had to dive into that was very dark, and I’m a happy, optimistic person. So that was a fun challenge.”

We suppose it makes sense if Liam was as horrible to Theo as it sounds. But clearly, that’s not the end of the story. While Northrop couldn’t give away too much, he did say that Liam is “trying to turn the corner.” He’s “Turning over a new page,” and “trying to be a better human.” We suppose that’s why Liam has taken the step to sign up for a literacy program!

Back when news of joining Days of Our Lives first broke, the actor spoke to TV Insider about the process of joining. He explained that he auditioned and got a callback, but it was around when his father passed away, so his focus was, understandably, on his family. Northrop didn’t hear anything for a little while, which was fine, but then something “magical” happened. Days of Our Lives called him on his birthday to tell him he booked the job.

“It was so cosmic,” Northrop shared. “It was almost like my dad had given me a birthday present, the first birthday after his passing, to help me through the trauma of dealing with his passing.”

It was an incredibly special connection to the father he’d just lost, especially as Northrop grew up visiting the Days of Our Lives set with his father. And he knew how much the show meant to the elder Northrop. But that also lent itself to a whole lot of emotions as he started filming.

Liam, of course, will be spending a lot of time with Abe, and Northrop’s time with James Reynolds has meant a lot. “He was so kind to me,” Northrop marveled to TV Insider. “We honestly couldn’t stop hugging each other. We were kind of holding up production a little bit because we were just wanting to connect, and he was just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, you’re Wayne’s son. This is the best thing. I’m so excited. I loved your dad so much.’”

While this is the actor’s first major daytime role, it isn’t his first foray into the soap opera world, as he appeared for a few episodes in 2017 as one of Il Giardino’s bartenders (and a waiter) on The Bold and the Beautiful. He’s also made a number of primetime appearances since he started acting on shows like S.W.A.T., 9-1-1: Lone Star and opposite Reese Witherspoon on Apple TV’s The Morning Show.