Ever since Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) exposed Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) for sleeping with her husband, Dimitri Von Leuschner (Peter Porte), their friendship took a steep dive, and fans watched as “Gweo” crumbled before their eyes. What was once one of Salem’s most deliciously devious partnerships seemed beyond repair.
Greg Rikaart And Emily O’Brien Reunite As Leo And Gwen
In a recent Soap Opera Digest interview, Rikaart and O’Brien are opening up about their reunion and why working together again feels like slipping back into place.
A History of Chemistry
Long before they became scheming besties on Days, Rikaart and O’Brien were scene partners on The Young and the Restless, where she played Jana Hawkes Fisher and he portrayed Kevin Fisher. Their easy chemistry carried over to Days of Our Lives, and both actors say that bond has only deepened over time.
“It did not come as a shock to me that Emily would be reprising Gwen,” Rikaart revealed. “There were murmurings for quite some time before it became official, and Emily and I had been in touch. It always felt when she left that it was just a matter of time before Gwen would come back… I adore Emily. She’s one of my favorite, if not the favorite, scene partners that I’ve ever had. And the dynamic between Gwen and Leo is really wonderful. It’s one of my favorite things to play.”
Rikaart recalled their first reunion scene fondly: “Leo has his back to her and she says something. Without even turning around to see that it’s her, obviously Leo knows it’s her. That was a great moment filled with a lot of feeling, because Leo was excited, but also knew they are not on good terms, so he was certainly anxious and unsure of how she would receive him.”
Emily O’Brien on Returning as Gwen
For O’Brien, stepping back into Gwen’s shoes — especially opposite Rikaart — has been pure fun. “Of course I am [having a blast]!” she said. “He’s just a bag of giggles all the time! We can barely get through our scenes sometimes. And when I was playing Theresa [Donovan, the role she briefly stepped into in 2023], we had one or two encounters which were impossible to get through without laughing as well. It’s just, it’s so fun. So now that I’m back as Gwen, I know that the majority of my scenes are going to be with Greg, and they’re always fun, always. Even when it gets heavy, we still find a way to inject some light humor into the scenes.”
Will “Gweo” Survive?
The big question for fans remains: can Leo and Gwen rebuild their broken bond? O’Brien weighed in with cautious optimism.
“It’s dragging out — understandably so because of what he did,” she admitted. “But ultimately, I think they’re both the kind of people that after all of it, they need each other. They truly need each other and they love each other. She has a lot of hate and resentment towards him now, but ultimately, I think they will come to realize that it’s much more important to set their differences aside because at the end of the day, they’re like puzzle pieces. They’re ‘Gweo!’”
Whether fans see reconciliation or more chaos, one thing is clear: the reunion of Greg Rikaart and Emily O’Brien has brought a spark of excitement back to Days of Our Lives.
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