Jen Lilley is returning to Salem to pay tribute to her late Days of Our Lives costar John Aniston, who died in November at 89.
The actress will reprise her role as Theresa Donovan on the long-running NBC and Peacock soap opera as part of the show's emotional send-off to Aniston's character, Victor Kiriakis, starting Aug. 28.
Soap Opera Digest first reported the news, which Lilley confirmed in an Instagram post Tuesday. "[Cat's] out of the bag," she wrote, "and there's so much behind the scenes y'all don't know."
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Jen Lilley as Theresa Donovan on 'Days of Our Lives'. JUSTIN LUBIN/NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY
On her Instagram story, Lilley shared a collection of article screenshots centered on her character's homecoming. "Oh snap," she captioned one story post. On another she wrote, "Let's go."
Representatives for Days of Our Lives didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
Lilley also teased that she isn't the only DOOL alum headed back home for Victor's memorial. She shared screenshots of two articles reporting that Zach Tinker, who starred as Victor's nephew Sonny Kiriakis, will be returning for a final farewell after departing the sudser in February. "Tink is one to watch," Lilley wrote, adding the hashtag "#rockstar."
Lilley, 39, starred as the young-adult version of Theresa, the daughter of Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy) and Kimberly Brady (Patsy Pease), from 2013 to 2016. She reprised the role for a three-month stint in 2018 before going on to star in a series of Hallmark holiday movies, including Mingle All the Way, USS Christmas, and Snowkissed.
Aniston, a legendary member of the Days cast, played Victor Kiriakis for more than 35 years. His daughter, Jennifer Aniston, presented him with a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on the series last summer, calling him "a true icon in the daytime television world."
"For over 30 years, his dedication to that show has gained him respect and admiration of his fellow actors, deep friendships, and thrilled millions of fans around the world," she said. "His career is literally the definition of lifetime achievement."
