Dan Gauthier will make his Days of Our Lives debut as Peter Blake on December 19, marking his return to the genre after 15 years.

Gauthier, who played One Life to Live‘s Kevin Buchanan from 2003-2010, welcomed the opportunity to return to daytime. “I knew a lot of the actors on the set, like [John-Paul] Lavoisier [Philip Kiriakis], and Stacy Haiduk [Kristen DiMera] is someone that I have known for years, so it was really fun to reconnect with those folks,” Gauthier says. “Everybody was so kind and accepting and welcoming. Everybody had a great attitude, and it was fun right away. I couldn’t ask for anything better, to be honest with you.”

Despite the familiar faces, Gauthier admits he had some jitters before arriving at the studio. “There’s always nerves,” he notes. “It’s no different than the first day of school, when you’re meeting new people. There’s a nervous energy about getting on a new set and feeling it out and what to expect and what happens, but because I’ve been doing it for a long time, I’m kind of used to that. But certainly, it was probably a little more comfortable knowing that I was going to see people that I knew as opposed to not knowing anyone so that certainly took away a little bit of the nerves.”

As did tackling the role of Peter, played by Jason Brooks from 1993 to 1998. With nearly three decades since the character was last in Salem, Gauthier felt he could put his own spin on the role. “I had no idea what the storyline was going to be until I got the script, so I just went in with, ‘This is my own take on this thing. Whatever the dialogue and whatever the storyline is, it’s just my own take on this,’” he explains. “I didn’t watch anything or do any research as far as what had happened in the past. I just took what was in front of me and went that way.”

While Gauthier is keeping details under wraps, Peter’s return immediately places him in the thick of the DiMera family drama, involving Billy Flynn (Chad DiMera), Thaao Penghlis (Tony DiMera), Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), Tyler Joseph Andrews (Theo Carver), and Haiduk. “The mystery is kind of the enjoyment of this whole thing,” he teases. “I don’t want to give up too much because that’s the fun. I don’t want to use certain words that would foreshadow exactly what it is, so it’s a surprise. What I can say is this is probably a surprise to viewers of him being there or how he is.”

Sharing the screen with his fictional sister Haiduk was a particular highlight. “Most of my stuff was large group scenes with various people, but for the most part, it was between the two of us and then other characters interjecting things at certain times,” he previews. “But the dynamic between the two of us, brother and sister, she’s just terrific. She’s such a nice human being to begin with, but also just a terrific actor, so working with her was fantastic, and it felt like we’ve been acting together for years, and yet we’ve never worked together before, so it was interesting.”

While Gauthier is enjoying his time in Salem, his days in Llanview still hold a very special place in his heart. “It was an extraordinary time for me,” he reflects. “It couldn’t have been more enjoyable. Living in New York City and being on a soap opera is one of the great jobs of all time. Just being able to walk through the city and go to work was really incredible. It’s a shame there aren’t any more soaps in New York City.”

The relationships he formed during those years continue to resonate. “Trevor St. John [Todd Manning/Victor Lord] is one of my best friends, and we’re still incredibly close,” he relays. “Kassie DePaiva [Blair Cramer] was so welcoming to my family. We spent a lot of weekends with her and Jimmy [DePaiva, Max Holden], and they had kids, too, and so my son was really welcomed in. Kristen Alderson [Starr Manning] and Eddie Alderson [Matthew Buchanan] were there, and Kristen and my son are the same age, so my son spent a lot of time on the set with Kristen, and they became good friends, especially in the first year we lived in New York. It was just a really magical thing for me. It was the best job I ever had. It was extraordinary.”

Over the course of his career, Gauthier has taken on a wide range of roles, and fans recognize him for several of them. “It used to be for Teen Witch a lot, and I get recognized for Son-in-Law, but Friends is pretty big too,” he notes. “People don’t expect the Friends thing, so I think they’re more surprised when they figure out that I’m on Friends, because it’s just one episode as opposed to a movie.”

These days, he’s auditioning and staying busy teaching an acting class in Cathedral City, CA, and he’d gladly return to Days if Peter’s story continues. “I had a great time,” he raves. “It was nothing but positive for me.”

Days of Our Lives, Weekdays, Peacock