Bad news, Days of Our Lives, fans. One year after he began reprising his role as Harris Michaels, Steve Burton has confirmed he is leaving the long-running soap opera once again.
In a recent clip on Daily Drama’s YouTube channel, Burton broke the news of his Days of Our Lives departure. “Wow! Well, I just shot my final scenes here on Days of Our Lives,” he stated. “and I just want to say, thank you so much to the cast [and] to the crew. It’s been amazing.”
Steve Burton also gushed about his 2023 return to the famous daytime soap opera. “I can’t believe it’s been a year already! So, thank you so much to the fans. It’s just… I’m always so full of gratitude. So thank you. Stay tuned.”
According to Us Weekly, Burton made his Days of Our Lives debut in 1988 as Harris Michaels. He left the show later that year. Among the other daytime soap operas he has appeared in over the years are The Young and the Restless and General Hospital. He earned several Daytime Emmy awards for his role on General Hospital.
Steve Burton first appeared on General Hospital from 1991 to 2023 before returning from 2017 to 2021. He was notably fired from the soap opera after he refused to comply with the show’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Speaking about leaving General Hospital over the mandates, Steve Burton stated in an Instagram video, “I did apply for my medical and religious exemptions and both of those were denied, which, you know, hurts. But this is also about personal freedom to me. I don’t think anybody should lose their livelihood over this.”
After leaving General Hospital, Burton reprised his role as Harris Michaels for the Days of Our Lives spinoff Beyond Salem, which ended after one season. He ended up getting a one-year deal for Days of Our Lives not long after.
Steve Burton Didn’t Expect to Return to ‘Days of Our Lives’ at a ‘Streaming Standpoint’
During an April 2023 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Steve Burton spoke about his unique return to Days of Our Lives.
“Even if I thought [returning to Days of Our Lives] would happen at some point, I sure didn’t think it would happen this way,” he explained. “Starting from the streaming standpoint. then how it all went down and got me to this path here… It’s pretty cool. It’s been a blast being back.”
Burton also said that there had been talks about a possible Beyond Salem 3, but plans shifted with Days of Ours Lives moving to streaming services. “It was kind of like, ‘We already have an idea for 3. Could you come back to Days and maybe finish the arc?’” he recalled. “That’s how it led into the story coming to Days. It’s a continuation of Beyond Salem.”
In regards to working on Days of Our Lives, Burton added, “It’s a great environment to work, and I feel like I’m getting a real run at things.”