Days of our Lives and General Hospital’s Greg Vaughan breaks silence on his legacy roles amid his next big career move

Greg Vaughan has worn two identities that never quite let go: Lucky Spencer on General Hospital and Eric Brady on Days of our Lives. Both still sit in the room with him when he talks about what’s next. He’s starting a new chapter, stepping into a fresh series, Beyond the Gates, as Dr. Kial Rollins, after a year where everything went still, and in his new interview, he finally cracks the door open on what that stretch meant, what he learned, and what he’s bringing with him into the next job.

What Days of our Lives and General Hospital Taught Him — and What He Carried Into the Hiatus

Vaughan spoke with Woman’s World and didn’t sugarcoat the quiet months. Work dried up for him, but life didn’t. He explained how that can be a strain when you have kids in college: “Trust me, I’m itchy and OCD, so when I’m not working, it’s, ‘Got tuition to pay! Oh my God, another check for the school!’ ” The man likes motion. Standing still does something to him. But he steadied himself with, “Faith over fear,” and that line came out like someone who’s had to repeat it more than once.

What surprised him most was how much that time gave back. He was there for everything with his boys — every game, every ceremony, the whole last year of high school. No studio call to pull him away. No long commute taking up time in his day. He said being present like that “was amazing,” and it rings true because you can tell he means it.

Then, the iconic Michele Val Jean called — someone who remembered him from their GH days — and she didn’t ask; she declared. Vaughan laughed re-telling it: “Michele verbally grabbed my wrist… and said, ‘I’m calling you because you’re taking this role.’” And just like that, he was back in motion again.

His Next Move, His Legacy Roles, including Eric on Days of our Lives

He described his Beyond the Gates character Kial with a calm certainty. Not flashy. Not built to dominate the canvas. A surgeon, a widower, and a traveler trying to read the map of his own life. He said the role arrived with a “boom,” but doesn’t need to be huge to matter. He likes playing men who are still sorting themselves out — the ones whose edges haven’t hardened yet.

And when the conversation slid back to General Hospital, he spoke with real affection. Anghony Geary and Genie Francis (Luke and Laura)...he remembered how those scenes felt, how big that world was when he first stepped into it. “I’ve crossed paths with many incredible daytime players and been the child of iconic legends,” he said, and there’s a reverence there, not nostalgia. Days of Our Lives’ Deidre Hall got a separate glow of respect from him. He laughed, describing her precision: “We’re professional! Let’s be ready to film.” He further noted, “She’s just as talented and fun, but she likes to know her stuff.” His short return to DAYS to honor John Black (and the late Drake Hogestyn) hit him deeper than he expected. “It was a somber day, because he gave his blessing to do this, and he was still in our hearts and our prayers. It was special,” he stated simply.

And now he’s reading for films, writing more, still chasing the next role with the same fire he had in his twenty-something years. When asked how younger Greg would feel seeing him now, he didn’t hesitate: “It’s still building!”

Trending

And you believe him because clearly he’s nowhere near finished.

Days of our Lives is available on the Peacock streaming app.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

Quick Links

More from SoapCentral