If you’ve spent any time in Salem over the last thirty years, you know the name Kristen DiMera is synonymous with absolute, unadulterated chaos. But when we talk about Days of Our Lives Eileen Davidson, we aren't just talking about one character. Honestly, we’re talking about a small army.
Think about it. Most actors struggle to keep one soap role fresh for a decade. Eileen Davidson? She rolled into the NBC studios and basically told the writers, "Hold my beer," before proceeding to play five distinct, wildly different people—often in the same week. It was a feat of acting gymnastics that changed the way daytime TV looked at doppelgängers.
The Wild Origin of Kristen DiMera
When Davidson first landed in Salem in 1993, Kristen Blake wasn't the "demented priest-rapist" (Eileen's words, not mine!) she eventually became. She was actually a heroine. She was kind, elegant, and tragic—the adopted daughter of the legendary villain Stefano DiMera.
Then James E. Reilly took over the writing.
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Reilly was known for "out there" storylines—think Princess Gina or Marlena being possessed by the Devil. He saw what Eileen could do and just kept pushing. By the mid-90s, Kristen had morphed into a desperate, scheming vixen who would do literally anything to keep John Black away from Marlena Evans.
The Banks Family Invasion
It wasn't enough to just have Kristen. To pull off a truly insane plot involving a fake pregnancy, the show introduced Susan Banks.
Susan was the polar opposite of the polished Kristen. She had big teeth, thick glasses, a Southern drawl that could peel paint, and an obsession with Elvis Presley. Davidson didn't just play her; she inhabited her. And then came the rest:
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- Sister Mary Moira Banks: A stern, ruler-wielding nun.
- Thomas Banks: A sleazy, menacing brother.
- Penelope Kent: The long-lost "dead ringer" triplet who died in a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Why Eileen Davidson Still Matters to Soap Fans
You've probably noticed that Stacy Haiduk plays Kristen and Susan now. She’s great—don't get me wrong—but there is a specific "Eileen-ness" that fans still crave. Why? Because Davidson brought a weirdly human vulnerability to even her most "out-there" characters.
When Susan was heartbroken, you actually felt for the lady with the buck teeth. When Kristen was spiraling, you saw the little girl who was raised by a monster like Stefano. It wasn’t just "soap acting." It was high-wire performance art.
The 2014 Emmy Win
It took a while, but the industry finally gave her the flowers she deserved. In 2014, Davidson took home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for her work on Days of Our Lives. It was a huge moment. Only a handful of actors have won that award for different soaps (she also won for The Young and the Restless), cementing her status as soap royalty.
The Brutal Reality of Playing Five People
You might wonder why she’s left and come back so many times. Honestly, the schedule was a nightmare. In interviews, Eileen has been pretty candid about the fact that playing all those characters simultaneously nearly "worked her into the ground."
"The speed is brutal! I was doing seven or eight shows a week, with tons of dialogue and very long days, and I just couldn’t keep doing that." — Eileen Davidson to TV Guide.
She wasn’t just memorizing one person's lines. She was memorizing arguments between two people she was both playing. Imagine the costume changes. The hair. The makeup. It’s enough to give anyone "soap opera PTSD."
Where is Eileen Now?
As of 2026, Eileen is mostly hanging out in Genoa City on The Young and the Restless as Ashley Abbott. It’s a "home base" that seems to fit her lifestyle a lot better these days. She’s also busy with her family and her writing career (she’s written several mystery novels set in the soap world—talk about meta).
While she occasionally pops up for a Peacock limited series like Beyond Salem, the days of her being a full-time resident of Salem seem to be in the rearview mirror. But in the world of soaps, "never" is a dangerous word.
How to Keep Up With Eileen Davidson
If you're missing that specific Eileen Davidson energy, here’s how you can stay in the loop:
- Watch The Young and the Restless: She’s still a recurring powerhouse there. Ashley Abbott is a lot more "sane" than Kristen DiMera, but the drama is just as thick.
- Stream Beyond Salem on Peacock: If you haven’t seen the spin-offs, do it. It’s where Eileen gets to let loose with her Days characters without the grind of a 52-week production schedule.
- Check out her books: If you want a fun beach read that feels like a soap episode, look for her "Soap Opera Mystery" series.
- Follow her social media: She’s surprisingly active and often shares behind-the-scenes memories of the "Banks Family" days.
The legacy of Days of Our Lives Eileen Davidson isn't just about the ratings or the awards. It’s about that one-of-a-kind ability to make us believe that five different people were standing in a room when there was really only one woman with incredible range and a very good wig.