Kristen Blake - Casting

Casting

The role of Kristen Blake is played by soap actress Eileen Davidson, who was best known for her portrayal as Ashley Abbott on the CBS Daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless and as the final actress to portray the character of Kelly Capwell on the soap opera Santa Barbara on May 17, 1993. During Davidson's run on the soap, she also portrayed four other characters; Susan Banks (1996–98), Sister Mary Moira Banks (1997–98), Thomas Banks (1997) and Penelope Kent (1998). Davidson departed the role of Kristen on April 24, 1998. Davidson's five roles earned her a daytime emmy nomaintion for outstanding lead actress in 1998. After Davidson's 2006 release from The Young and the Restless, rumors began to circulate that she would return to Days of our Lives. This speculation was later debunked when it was announced that her Y&R alter-ego would crossover to its sister series The Bold and the Beautiful.

In May 2012, Davidson informed followers on her Twitter page that she had been let go from The Young and the Restless. Davidson further confirmed she did not know why she was let go, but was seeing the positive light from it. It was then announced by Nelson Branco that Sony Pictures Entertainment wanted Davidson on both The Young and the Restless and Days of our Lives, but that Y&R would not share the actress, leading to Sony terminating her contract with the show, believing that DAYS needed the actress more than the prior series. Thus it was announced that Davidson would reprise her dual roles of Kristen Blake and Susan Banks on the NBC Daytime soap. The Hollywood Reporter later confirmed that Davidson had signed on to return to Days of our Lives in the role of Kristen, and possible some of her other Salem alter-egos down the line. In a statement she said, "I'm thrilled to embark on this new adventure at Days and excited to revisit Kristen and who knows who else! Not to mention my old friends in the cast and crew."

Davidson made her on-screen return on October 11, 2012. In an interview with Megan Masters of TVLine, Davidson discussed what brings her and her Salem alter-ego back to town. She revealed: "I've said in so many scenes, which I've loved, she's years of intense therapy; a lot of therapy. And she wants to come back now and show the world how she's changed. And how she's grown. And there's also, ah, some business matters in Salem that she needs to attend to."