JULIE WILLIAMS LOVES HER FAMILY…SOMETIMES A LITTLE TOO MUCH
TL;DR: Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes) is BACK on DAYS in October 2025, and longtime fans are thrilled. The beloved Horton family matriarch appears in episodes welcoming her great-nephew Jeremy Horton (Michael Roark) back to Salem—standing strong without her late husband Doug Williams (Bill Hayes).
As DAYS celebrates its 60th anniversary, we’re honoring Julie’s incredible legacy as the ONLY character to appear in all seven decades of the show, remembering magical moments and exploring what’s next for this daytime legend who continues to grace our screens with elegance, strength, and unforgettable performances.
Julie Williams Is Back—And Fans Are Emotional
In October 2025, Julie Williams returned to Days of Our Lives screens, and the reaction from longtime fans has been overwhelming. Seeing Susan Seaforth Hayes back as the beloved Horton matriarch—resilient and elegant as she carries on without her soulmate Doug—had many viewers reaching for the tissues.
On October 3rd, Julie welcomed a family member back to Salem: Jeremy Horton, her great-nephew who’s been away from town for years. Julie appeared alongside Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer Horton Deveraux (Melissa Reeves), celebrating the Horton family reunion that she’s known for hosting with grace and love.
It’s always bittersweet seeing Julie’s without her beloved Doug—her husband in real life and on screen for over 50 years. Bill Hayes passed away in January 2024 at age 98, and the show honored both the actor and character with a beautiful tribute storyline where Doug died on Thanksgiving.
Susan Seaforth Hayes filmed those heartbreaking goodbye scenes, delivering Doug’s eulogy on screen using nearly the same words she spoke at their real-life church service. Fans who watched Julie say goodbye to Doug were devastated, and seeing her back on screen carrying forward without him puts all the feels on the front burner.
The Only Character to Appear in All Seven Decades
Julie Williams isn’t just a beloved character. She’s Days of Our Lives HISTORY. Susan Seaforth Hayes is the only actress to appear on the show in all seven decades since it premiered in 1965.
Let that sink in: SEVEN DECADES. From the 1960s to the 2020s, Julie has been part of Salem’s story. She’s witnessed everything—scandals, weddings, births, deaths, returns from the dead, possession storylines, and every dramatic twist DAYS has thrown at viewers.
As DAYS gets ready to celebrate its 60th anniversary in early November, the show has been honoring Susan Seaforth Hayes with special tributes. A recent Instagram video featured the actress reflecting on her six-decade journey with the show, discussing how her character evolved alongside the changing times—from the turbulent 1960s culture reflected in the costumes to the modern storylines of today.
Julie is the last remaining character from the pilot episode. She’s the bridge between DAYS’ past and present, carrying the legacy of the Horton family forward into the future.
From Rebellious Teen to Beloved Matriarch
When Julie Olson first appeared in 1965, she was a rebellious 16-year-old getting into trouble. The very first episode showed her stealing an expensive mink coat and getting arrested! She moved in with her grandparents Tom and Alice Horton when her parents moved to Europe.
Susan Seaforth Hayes took over the role in 1968 and transformed Julie from a troubled teen into one of daytime television’s most complex, compelling characters. Over the decades, Julie went through multiple marriages, affairs, heartbreaks, and scandals before finding her true love with Doug Williams.
Now, Julie is the wise, elegant matriarch of the Horton family—the keeper of traditions, the voice of reason, and the woman who holds family gatherings together with grace and love. She’s come full circle from that rebellious teenager to the heart of Salem’s most important family.
Doug and Julie: Daytime TV’s First Supercouple
You cannot talk about Julie Williams without talking about Doug and Julie—daytime television’s FIRST supercouple. Their love story set the template for every soap opera romance that followed.
Bill Hayes joined DAYS in 1970 as Brent Douglas, a con man who was hired to break up Julie and Scott Banning. Using the alias Doug Williams, he was supposed to seduce Julie and ruin her relationship. Instead, he fell genuinely in love with her.
The chemistry between Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth was INSTANT and UNDENIABLE. Viewers fell in love with them. The actors fell in love with each other too. They married in real life in 1974, and Doug and Julie finally married on screen in 1976.
On January 12, 1976, Bill and Susan Hayes became the first and ONLY daytime actors to ever appear on the cover of Time magazine. That’s how huge Doug and Julie were. They transcended soap operas and became part of mainstream American culture.
Their real-life romance mirrored their on-screen love story. They were married for 50 years until Bill’s death in 2024. Susan has said that viewers fell in love with Doug and Julie because “we fell in love with each other in front of our viewers, and they knew it before we knew it.”
Magical Moments: Singing with Dick Van Dyke
One of the most magical moments in Doug and Julie’s history came when they sang with legendary entertainer Dick Van Dyke. Doug was a singer and entertainer in Salem (he owned Doug’s Place, the nightclub), and the show featured many musical performances by Bill Hayes.
Doug would sing to Julie that she was “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” and those romantic musical moments became iconic. When Doug, Julie, and Dick Van Dyke performed together, it was a moment that longtime fans still talk about decades later.
Music was always central to Doug and Julie’s love story. At Tom and Alice’s anniversary celebration, Doug sang “I’ll Be Loving You Always” to the Horton family gathered around a long table, and it became the core love song for the entire Horton family.
These musical moments weren’t just entertainment. They were expressions of the deep, abiding love between Doug and Julie that resonated with viewers for over five decades.
Standing Strong Without Doug
Susan Seaforth Hayes has spoken openly about how difficult it’s been to continue without her husband of 50 years.
“Being without Bill is quite a change,” she told Variety earlier this year. “I really appreciate what the producers have done to honor him—to allow me to give pretty much the same eulogy [on the show for Doug] that I gave [Bill] at our church.”
The DAYS cast rallied around Susan during Bill’s final days. Deidre Hall (Marlena) visited and was in the room with them. The support from her soap family helped Susan through the darkest time of her life.
But Susan isn’t retiring. She’s committed to continuing Julie’s story and honoring Bill’s legacy by remaining part of DAYS.
“I don’t want to be separated and go away and have a private life,” she explained. “I prefer to work and do one of the few things I can do. I don’t know how to make change, but I do know how to be Julie the character.”
Susan wants to be “as good as he was, as good a person and as good a performer.” She’s dedicated to making the years ahead on DAYS as meaningful as possible—for herself, for Bill’s memory, and for the fans who’ve supported them for decades.
Many hoped the powers-that-be would honor those terrific performances with a Daytime Emmy award but fans were shocked when she was not announced in the Outstanding Lead Actress category for 2025.
After delivering the most emotionally devastating performance of the year—playing out Doug‘s death on screen just three months after saying goodbye to Bill in a hospice bed in real life—viewers and fellow actors alike were outraged by the snub. Actress Amy Shaughnessy (daughter of DAYS director David Shaughnessy) penned a powerful statement: “NO one deserved a nomination this year more than Susan Seaforth Hayes for her absolutely brilliant performance processing and living through Bill Hayes’ and Doug Williams’ deaths.
She exposed her soul and shared her real life grief with the entire daytime audience.” But Susan responded with characteristic grace and class, posting an open letter on Instagram thanking fans for their support. “I have not been snubbed by all the judges of NATAS over time,” she wrote, reminding everyone of her previous nominations, her co-hosting stint, and the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Emmy she shares with Bill that sits on their piano.
She acknowledged her journey “from fresh, then hot, cooled down, and for now, mellow,” and addressed the heartbreaking Doug death scenes: “Perhaps the judges felt I wasn’t acting… No matter, my truth was based on a love that was real for an audience that loved him, too.” The 52nd Daytime Emmy Awards will air on October 17, 2025, from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, and while Susan won’t be competing this year, fans can hope her work is honored in 2026—because this legendary performer deserves recognition.
What’s Next for Julie Williams?
In October 2025, Julie’s welcoming Jeremy Horton back to Salem with open arms. As the Horton family matriarch, she’s thrilled to have another family member return—especially after losing Doug.
What Julie doesn’t know is that Jeremy has a dark past with Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein). He was abusive toward her years ago, and his return to Salem is stirring up trauma for Stephanie. The timing of his appearance—right after Stephanie published a book about her experiences—has raised questions about whether he’s been stalking her.
This creates a complicated situation for Julie. The Hortons are supposed to be the “good” family, the moral center of Salem. But they have a violent criminal in their midst, and Julie’s rolling out the red carpet for him without knowing the truth.
How will Julie react when she learns what Jeremy did to Stephanie? Will she stand by her great-nephew, or will she side with the victim and demand accountability? These are the kinds of moral dilemmas that Julie Williams has navigated throughout her decades on DAYS.
Julie will also continue to be the keeper of Horton family traditions. Christmas ornament hangings, family gatherings, weddings, and celebrations, Julie is the one who holds these traditions sacred and passes them down to the next generation.
A Daytime Legend at 81
Susan Seaforth Hayes turned 81 in July 2025, and she’s still working, still delivering powerful performances, and still stunning with her ageless beauty. Recent photos of her out and about in Los Angeles showed her looking gorgeous in a black blazer, turquoise accessories, and her natural silver hair.
She has been nominated for five Daytime Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Julie (more nominations than any other actress on DAYS). She won two Soapy Awards in 1977 for Best Actress and Favorite Romantic Female. In 2018, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
But the numbers don’t capture the impact Susan Seaforth Hayes has had on daytime television. She’s a LEGEND. She’s an ICON. She pioneered the supercouple genre. She’s appeared on the show for 57 years across seven decades. She’s the bridge between DAYS’ past and its future.
And she’s still here, still working, still honoring her late husband’s memory, and still bringing Julie Williams to life with grace, strength, and unforgettable performances.
The Bottom Line
As DAYS celebrates 60 years on the air, Julie Williams is here to remind us why we fell in love with soap operas in the first place. It’s the multi-generational families, the enduring love stories, the actors who become part of our lives for decades, and the characters who feel like family.
Susan Seaforth Hayes is a daytime treasure. Julie Williams is a Salem institution. And seeing her back on screen—honoring Doug’s memory, welcoming family home, and carrying forward with strength and grace—is a gift to fans who’ve watched her for decades.
Days of Our Lives streams daily on Peacock. Tune in to watch Julie Williams continue her incredible journey and to honor the legacy of daytime television’s most enduring legend.
What’s your favorite Julie Williams memory? Did you watch Doug and Julie’s original love story in the 1970s? How are you feeling seeing Julie back on screen without Doug? Tell us your thoughts and share your favorite Julie moments in the comments!
