‘Days of Our Lives’ Bad Boy Derek Yates Teases Return & What Could Happen Next

Martin Holmes January 24, 2025, 9:34 am

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Derek Yates on Days — Derek Yates Instagram

Days of Our Lives star Derek Yates has made his short stints on the long-running daytime soap memorable, and he hopes he’s done enough to warrant a return to the series somewhere down the line.

Speaking to The U.S. Sun, Yates, who portrays the character Kerry Youmans, revealed how his latest return to the show came about and shared a shocking idea for how his character could make a comeback in the future.

Yates made his first appearance on Days in 2024, where his character became involved in a love triangle with Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) and Javi Hernandez (Al Calderon). His role was initially intended to be brief, but the actor ultimately got asked to come back.

“Two episodes, that’s kind of what it was going to be,” Yates explained. “It was a love interest for one of the leads on the show. It didn’t work out, so my character is just gone. I get a call six months later, and they’re like, ‘You’re coming back!’”

“I found out I am a part of a new love triangle situation. Now it’s been revealed that I’m kind of a villain. We’re going to see how it wraps up here soon!” he added.

Yates’ episodes are due to wrap up later this month, but he’s been given reason to believe he could be back. “After I was done with my final day, the director did come up to me and say, ‘Don’t count yourself out yet.’ That’s all I can stay at the moment,” he revealed.

The actor even has a future storyline suggestion for his character, sharing, “Now that I have the shorter hair, it would be fun to come back. They’re already doing a twin thing, so maybe not a twin thing, but maybe a twin thing.”

“I can come out as the same character and be like the reformed version of my character,” he continued. “He cut his hair, seeks therapy, wants to be a good person, do better, and be friends with Leo. It would be interesting to do that flip.”

Yates, who has also appeared in episodes of The Upshaws, How I Met Your Father, and General Hospital, described his time on the Days set as a positive one, noting how the show is run like a “well-oiled machine.”

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“They turn and burn very quickly,” he stated. “I wasn’t even fully prepared for it. The only time you have to rehearse is when you’re doing it with your scene partner before. You get one quick take while they’re making sure camera angles and lighting are good. Then you film it. You usually get one take.”

He added, “There is no room for mess-ups. There is no room for ‘I feel like I could do more.’ They got the shot. It tells the story, we got to go on. It forces actors to come and bring their game. They have to really nail their character.”

As for what’s next, Yates said his current acting schedule is open, noting how the 2023 actors and writers strikes “flowed into last year, making it difficult for a lot of projects to green-lit, they were cutting roles.”

He said he was “thankful” to land his part on Days, adding, “Now that we’re in the New Year, I am crossing my fingers that all this publicity from Days will help me push into the next project and you’ll see me in more stuff.”

Days of our Lives, Weekdays, Peacock