As we inch toward the end of 2025, we’re still busy rolling out the best of the best from this year. Now, we’re back with another list, this time spotlighting the Top 10 Returns to Soaps in a new role that had us cheering, gasping, and occasionally double-checking the credits.
In this category, we’re shining a light on actors who’ve graced our soap screens before but made their way back in brand-new roles or as a recast.
2025 has been the year of the comeback. We’ve seen a flood of returns; some expected, some surprising, and some that came in swinging, absolutely slaying the genre all over again.
So, dive into the list below and let us know: Which soap star’s return in a new role stole the show for you this year?
Honorary Mentions:
4. Michael Dietz – Dr. Jeffrey Russell, Days of Our Lives
3. Matt Cohen – Detective Bowen, The Young and the Restless
2. Daniel Cosgrove – Ezra Boyle, General Hospital
- Michael Roark – Jeremy Horton, DAYS
Top 10 Soap Actor Returns in New Roles for 2025:
10. Daniel Goddard – Henry Dalton, GH
9. Lucas Adams – Noah Newman, Y&R
8. Roger Howarth and Tamara Braun – Matt Clark & Sienna Bacall, Y&R
7. Nathan Owens – Holden Novak, Y&R
6. Mike Manning and Brandon Claybon – Smitty and Martin, Beyond the Gates
5. Chris McKenna – Jack Brennan, GH
4. Daphnee Duplaix – Nicole Dupree, BTG
3. Erika Slezak – Veronica “Ronnie” Bard, GH
2. Tamara Tunie – Anita Dupree, BTG
1. Karla Mosley – Dani Dupree, BTG
We love every single person on this list — they all brought so much to the genre this year — but we’ve got to shine an extra bright spotlight on our top three. They didn’t just show up; they showed out.
First up: Karla Mosley, who came back to this genre swinging. Around here, we call her Queen Mosley, because… well, that’s exactly who she is. Every storyline, every scene, every moment — she plays it with this passionate heartbeat that never misses. Emotional? She nails it. Comedy? She lands it. A simple everyday scene? She somehow elevates it.
Karla Mosley brought that fire, that spark, that heat that reminds soap fans why we fell in love with soaps in the first place. Beyond the Gates was already a win for us, but having Mosley back on our screens every weekday? That was the bonus we didn’t know we needed.
And speaking of bonuses — bringing THEE legendary Tamara Tunie back to the genre? A gift. A blessing. A moment. Tunie brings the magic every single time. Beauty? Check. Acting chops? Check. Chemistry with literally anyone they put her near? Double check.
She missed not one beat — not even half of one. She’s a powerhouse, a force, a walking masterclass. Acting like hers is why we tune in day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. She feels like the heartbeat of the genre itself.
Then came 2025, serving us yet another treat: the return of Erika Slezak. Yes, even if it was a short stint on General Hospital from September to November, she slid right back into daytime like she never left.
She brought the spunk, the precision, the emotional weight — all the things that made us adore her back in her One Life to Live days. And she left such an impression that it’s basically impossible not to hope we’ll see Ronnie pop back up on GH every now and then. She came in, did the work, and reminded everyone exactly why she’s a legend.
Three queens, three returns, and one unforgettable year for the genre. We were well fed.
Photo Credit: CBS/ABC/Peacock.
Follow Soap Opera News on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, spoilers, recaps, interviews, and more.
Leave a Reply