She Lost Doug On-Screen and Bill Off—Why Didn’t DAYS’ Susan Seaforth Hayes Get a Daytime Emmy Nod?
The nominations for the 52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are trickling out in phases. On Wednesday, July 9, many of the soap opera-centric categories were released. And it took about two seconds to realize something. That the legendary Susan Seaforth Hayes, who plays Julie on Days of Our Lives, was missing from the list of lead actress nominees.
Awards Show Snub
Unfortunately, Daytime Emmy voters neglected to recognize one of the emotionally powerful performances of 2024. Seaforth Hayes has been the vibrant, larger-than-life Julie Williams for over 50 years. In late November 2024, she kicked off a storyline that hit too close to home. Julie lost the love of her life, Doug Williams, formerly played by her husband, Bill Hayes. Doug passed away peacefully in his sleep right around the holidays.
What made these scenes hit hard was the fact that her real-life husband died in January 2024. So she had to mourn the man and then the character he embodied for decades. Seaforth Hayes made fans’ hearts break as she delivered an incredible and inspiring eulogy for the partner who was the love of her life.
Seaforth Hayes provided a realistic portrayal of a woman who suddenly found herself a widow after spending 50-plus years with her husband. She instilled Julie with strength and vulnerability, and for that, Soap Hub voters overwhelmingly chose her as DAYS’ Performer of the Month in December 2024 and again in January 2025.
Social Media Feedback
Soap fans on social media couldn’t believe Seaforth Hayes’ name wasn’t included on the list of leading actresses. For weeks, Julie drove this devastating story as she faced a life without Doug. She had to stay strong for the friends and family who wanted to support her. And she couldn’t bring herself to sleep in the same bed that she and her husband had slept in for years.
Seaforth Hayes’s costar, Cherie Jimenez, who plays Julie’s sometime nemesis, Gabi Hernandez, responded in support of the actress. On X, Jimenez replied to one of Soap Opera Network’s posts featuring a list of the 2025 leading actress nominees.
“No disrespect to all the incredibly talented women who are nominated, but I find it incredibly hard to believe that our Queen Susan Hayes was not nominated for her incredible performances this past year,” the post stated. “With that said Congratulations to all these beautiful women 👏🏽.”
One fan expressed her shock and shared her thoughts on X. “She poured her heart and soul into every excruciating scene dealing with the loss of Doug/Bill and had us feeling every ounce of her pain.” An Instagram fan said, “She was amazing. This is a travesty. The soap fan had commented on Amy Jean Schaughnessy’s post about the snub.
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In support of Seaforth Hayes, Schaughnessy said, “I watched up close and personal a woman witness the decline and death of the love of her life— a man she was married to for almost 50 years. A man she fell in love with on a beloved daytime soap opera 55 years ago.
She filmed a death scene with a body double, 3 months after lying next to her actual husband in a hospice bed and saying goodbye to him.
We talked every morning during the week of fliming about how to breathe, take breaks, and channel the real life emotions of grief and loss into her performance so she could reach fellow audience members who had lost beloved ones.”
In the post’s comments, Seaforth Hayes’ DAYS costars shared their love. Paul Telfer hearted the message. Meanwhile, Martha Madison (Belle) shared her support with “100% This! ❤️” Julie Dove, who formerly played Connie, said, “Very disappointed she wasn’t on the list because it was indeed an award worthy performance.”
The Daytime Emmys
Seaforth Hayes has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the acting categories six times. In 2018, she and her husband picked up a much-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award and gave one of the most memorable and entertaining speeches.
The 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards take place on October 17 in Pasadena.
Do you think Susan Seaforth Hayes was snubbed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
