Billy Flynn is bidding farewell to Days of Our Lives, but he isn’t stepping away from the soap opera world just yet.
“I love acting, and I love stories, and I never imagined I would just tell one story for the rest of my life,” Flynn, 39, shared in an interview with Variety on Thursday, March 13, reflecting on his time on Days.
“The fact that I’ve been here 10 years and it’s gone by in the blink of an eye is amazing to me. I wasn’t a baby when I started here; I was 30. I didn’t start acting until I was 26. So it’s gone by really fast.”
After portraying Chad DiMera for a decade, Flynn has made the decision to move on and take on a fresh role in another beloved soap opera: The Young and the Restless.
“I think with this character, I’ve done everything I can with it,” he said of playing DiMera. “I’m looking forward to doing something new. I’m about to start a new journey and tell another story. It really is just that simple.”
Beyond the shift in setting, Flynn is eager to experience a new work dynamic that differs from what he’s been used to.
“We do the best work we can despite the obstacles that we’ve faced as a show. Part of that move I’m excited about is [that] they move slower and there’s more time to do stuff.
Billy Flynn
But I was trained like a warrior here,” he told the outlet. “There’s a different pace [here], but it’s made me the actor and the person I am today.”
While he looks forward to this new chapter, Flynn admitted that leaving Days of Our Lives is a “bittersweet” experience, especially given the connection he shares with the show’s devoted audience.
“The outpouring of well wishes and love since this came out has been humbling,” he said. “It’s been incredibly moving to me, and I’m gonna take that with me. I hope [fans] continue to watch Days and support Days and support whoever might come in and play Chad, if there ever is that case.
I hope they do that and give somebody the same love they gave me. And I hope that they come with me on this journey that I’m on and support me doing that too.”
Because of Days of Our Lives’ advanced filming schedule, Flynn will continue appearing on the series until 2026 while also working on The Young and the Restless simultaneously.
Details about Flynn’s new role on The Young and the Restless remain under wraps. However, the show’s head writer, Josh Griffith, who previously collaborated with Flynn on Days of Our Lives, released a statement to Variety welcoming him to the cast.
“On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we look forward to welcoming Billy to the show,” the statement read. “He will be a wonderful addition to Y&R’s stellar cast.”
Flynn first joined Days of Our Lives in 2014 and, during his time on the show, earned three Daytime Emmy nominations.
