James Reynolds revealed not only that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but that the condition will be written into his character’s storyline on “Days of Our Lives.”
In an interview with ET published Tuesday, Reynolds explained that his diagnosis was being woven into the long-running daytime soap opera. The actor, who has played Abe Carver on the show for 45 years, initially tried to continue working while hiding his symptoms. But as they became harder to conceal, he and the show’s writers agreed that the diagnosis could be incorporated into the larger story.
“Well, it kind of goes back to when I thought I was hiding it,” Reynolds said. “The writers also wanted to incorporate because it was obvious. It was obvious. And we play life here.”
He added: “And there are many other characters who have gone through real-life issues that then are mirrored on the show, and this is an issue that it is going to be mirrored on the show and there’s nothing any of us can really do about it.”
Reynolds was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease several years ago but kept the news private, sharing it only with close family members. However, symptoms such as tremors and balance issues grew harder to conceal, eventually prompting him to speak publicly about his diagnosis and incorporate it into the show. Fortunately, Reynolds believes the storyline is a natural fit for his “Days of Our Lives” character.
“I feel like the value of Abe as a character [is he] overcomes a lot, has tremendous amount of strength, deals with a lot of things with humor as well as understanding,” Reynolds said.
