Forward Motion

After 35 years on DAYS, James Reynolds is still going strong as Abe Carver — and has no plans to slow down

- Robert Waldron

When James Reynolds debuted as DAYS’s ace crime fighter, Abe Carver, in October 1981, he thought it would be a short stint. “I had just finished a wonderful nighttime series TIME EXPRESS,” he recounts. “I was cast on DAYS on a Friday, and showed up for work on Monday. I had never done a soap before and I thought, ‘Well, this will be good for a year or so [laughs].’ ”

On day one, Reynolds worked with John Clarke (ex-Mickey) and Bill Hayes (Doug), but doesn’t recall the specifics of what they did. “I don’t know where people find this stuff, but somebody sent me Abe’s first scene,” shares Reynolds. “He was sitting in the police office, with his feet up on the desk, and Mickey Horton came busting in, wondering what Abe was going to do about all these murders [taking place in Salem]. It was fascinating because I didn’t remember that scene at all. I do remember that on my first day, everyone was very giving and welcoming.”