Soap Opera Comings and Goings: Week of March 24th

Some big names are heading your way this week…and some departing the scene. Get the scoop on all the latest soap comings and goings for the week of March 24th.

Comings and Goings

Beyond The Gates

* Deadline is reporting that Maurice Johnson is OUT and Keith D. Robinson is IN as plastic surgeon Ted Richardson. Robinson’s first scenes are scheduled to air in May.

The Bold and the Beautiful

* The soap’s female cast members take center stage this week in a special episode written and directed by star Heather Tom (Katie Logan) in honor of Women’s History Month. In addition to Tom, Rebecca Budig (Taylor Hayes), Annika Noelle (Hope Logan), Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan) Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy Forrester Finnegan), and Jennifer Gareis’ rarely seen Donna Logan Forrester will all take center stage.

Days of our Lives

* Onscreen lovers (and friends) Christopher Sean (Paul Narita) and Colton Little (Andrew Donovan) are reprising their respective roles on Friday.

* AlexAnn Hopkins (ex-Joy Wesley) is out at Days of our Lives, with the March 19th episode serving as her swan song.

In that installment, Joy informed former lover Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) that she’d chucked in her job and was skipping town for the Big Apple — while also keeping mum about the baby she was carrying!

A spokesperson for the Peacock sudser confirmed the actress’ exit to TVInsider and said in a statement: “We enjoyed having AlexAnn bring the character of Joy to life, it was a short yet important story arc, and we hope the fans enjoyed watching it unfold.”

* Ros Gentle has finished her turn as mad momma Rachel Blake…maybe. “As you know, in any soap, every door is always open no matter what,” the actress cracked to Soap Opera Digest. “They’ll reincarnate me. The door was nailed shut before, right? [Rachel] was killed or so they thought 25 years ago or something.”

* Emily O’Brien’s short but sweet stint as Theresa Donovan has come to an end. As previously reported, the actress will be back later in the year as Gwen Rizczech.

General Hospital

* James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) will put in further appearances this week.

*  Daytime dial hopper Daniel Cosgrove (ex-Aiden Jennings, Days of our Lives; ex-Christopher Hughes II, As the World Turns; ex-Bill Lewis, Guiding Light et al.) checked into General Hospital on Friday as Ezra Boyle. Cosgrove told TVInsider, “[Ezra] comes across as maybe a little arrogant and full of himself, but it’s definitely been fun so far. I’m working with such a fantastic cast.”