Judi Evans Claims Another World's Jake And Paulina Could Have Reunited On DAYS

It's been a harsh reality for long-time soap opera fans that when once there were nearly 20 daytime serials on the air, there are now only four. The ABC network famously had a shared universe with its soaps and having characters cross over from one to the other, while rare, was a treat for the viewers. On July 12, Walt Willey brought his "All My Children" character Jackson Montgomery over to "General Hospital," whetting the fans' appetite for more beloved characters from defunct shows to make appearances. NBC not only had characters from "Another World" move over to "As the World Turns" when the former show was canceled, they even had an inter-network crossover between "Another World" and "Guiding Light."

In December 2022, "Days of Our Lives" made an obscure reference to Salem's city council president, Cass Winthrop. Stephen Schnetzer had played that character on "Another World" in 1982, and fans were quick to eagerly note the mention. Judi Evans has made an impressive career out of playing characters on various soaps, including "Guiding Light," "As the World Turns," and "Another World" over the decades. She currently plays Bonnie Lockhart on "Days," and recently revealed that there had been a potential reunion in the works at the show involving her and her erstwhile "AW" co-star, Tom Eplin who played the devious Jake McKinnon.

On November 26, 2022, "Days of Our Lives" star Judi Evans told Soaps that if "Another World" had continued instead of being canceled in 1999, "I think she [Paulina] would have been with Jake McKinnon (Tom Eplin) in the end. I think that he was the love of her life." Soap veteran Linda Dano, whose "All My Children" character Rae Cummings had crossed over to "General Hospital" in 2002, also played Felicia Gallant on "AW." Now, she has a podcast called "IN with Linda Dano," and in her ninth episode on July 28, she spoke with Evans. When Eplin's name was brought up, Dano asked if she'd been keeping in touch with him. "I haven't in a few years, but I reached out to him. [The producers] wanted him to come on 'Days,' and play Bonnie's ex-husband in flashbacks, but it didn't work out scheduling-wise, and I was so bummed," she said. 

Evans further elaborated, "I thought it would just be so cool. And with a lot of the viewers on 'Days' they watched 'Another World.'" She added that "He said, 'Maybe next time.' I didn't get to speak to him, I reached out but he was able to talk to our casting director." Fans were probably as bummed out as Evans upon learning what could have been, so our fingers are crossed that we might see Eplin on "Days" in the future.