When Cherie Jimenez took over the role of Gabi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives, fans saw a confident star stepping into one of daytime TV’s most recognizable characters. But long before she ever walked onto the set in Salem, Jimenez survived a childhood marked by sudden hardship and sheer resilience.
Growing up in New York City with her young single mother and abuela, her life changed in an instant when she was just five years old. A catastrophic fire destroyed their home, taking everything they owned—from basic necessities to family photo albums.
Key Takeaways
- Cherie Jimenez lost her home in a devastating fire when she was just five.
- She and her young mother and abuela moved around New York City afterward.
- Jimenez once auditioned for Adrianna Cramer on One Life to Live, but lost the role to Melissa Fumero.
- She first auditioned for Gabi on DAYS when she was 22, but Camila Banus got the part.
DAYS Star Cherie Jimenez Opens Up About Her Past
“After I was five, we basically had somewhere to live, and then we had nowhere to live,” Jimenez recalled during an interview on Soapy with hosts Rebecca Budig (The Bold and the Beautiful) and Greg Rikaart (Days of Our Lives). “Unfortunately, I was in a tragic fire with my abuela, and we lost everything. We lost all baby pictures, everything that we had.”
In the years that followed, the three of them moved constantly across the city, finding shelter wherever they could—from the Bronx to Alphabet City and Washington Heights. Through it all, Jimenez credited the people who helped them along the way.
“No matter what, we always had somewhere to sleep,” she said. “We had angels along the way.“
Almost Landing One Life to Live
That steady grit followed her as she built an acting career. At a young age, she was modeling and doing commercials.
But before finding her way to Days, Jimenez almost landed a major gig on One Life to Live. She revealed that she auditioned for the role of Adrianna Cramer. It turns out it was not meant to be, and the part eventually went to Melissa Fumero.
Later on, Jimenez came close to joining Days of Our Lives when the role of Gabi Hernandez was first created. She was 22 at the time and made it far in the process, but the part went to Camila Banus.
The Role of Gabi Comes Full Circle
Years later, after taking time away from the industry to become a mother and navigating a tough bout of postpartum depression, the universe brought the opportunity right back to her front door.
“Days, the audition came around,” Jimenez explained. “I thought, ‘I haven’t auditioned for Days since I was 22. How wild that this is coming back around?’“
At first, because casting used alias names for the recast, she assumed she was reading for a new family member. It wasn’t until she received her contract for the screen test that she realized what was actually happening.
“I saw for the role of Gabi. My heart dropped,” she said. “I called my reps and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is Gabi! This is the role that got away. It’s back.’“
She went into the test with a simple mindset: give it everything and accept whatever came next. A few days later, the call came in confirming the role was hers. For Jimenez, stepping into Salem wasn’t just a career milestone—it was full-circle proof of how far she had come.
Of course, taking on the role came with its fair share of challenges because it is a recast. But fast forward to now, and she is loving it more than ever.
Watch the full interview with Cherie Jimenez below!
What do you think of Cherie’s inspiring journey to playing Gabi on Days of Our Lives? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting Inc.
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