‘Days of Our Lives’ Star Suzanne Rogers “Shocked” She’s Been on the Show For 50 Years Amid Golden Anniversary

Suzanne Rogers is celebrating her golden anniversary on Days of Our Lives. After 50 years of playing Maggie Simmons Horton Kiriakis, the soap opera star is being honored on today’s episode of the long-running series.

Rogers, 80, got her start as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall, before making her Days of Our Lives debut on Aug. 18, 1973. She eventually went on to win the first-ever Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1979 — and is currently credited as one of the longest-running actresses still actively appearing on the show.

“I’m kind of shocked that I’ve been on the show for 50 years; I mean, how many people can say that? Not many,” she recently told Soap Opera Digest. “I’m touched that they wanted to do something. I’m honored and very moved, and I’m grateful.”

She continued, “I guess it’s a testament to the fact that the show wanted to keep me around, and the audience liked the character. And I still love what I’m doing, so it’s all a win.”

In the same interview, she recalled signing her first contract with the show back in 1973 — which, at the time, was only for three years.

“I thought that was so long,” she said. “Then, when that contract was coming to an end, about six months down the road, they wanted to sign me to seven years. I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness.’ But by that point, I realized how much I loved what I was doing and how nice it would be to have a steady job.”

Today’s episode paying tribute to her lifetime of work on the show features a number of flashbacks as Maggie looks back on her life in Salem — and her romances with Mickey Horton (John Clarke) and Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston), in particular. Aniston, who died in November 2022, was officially killed off the soap opera earlier this week after his character perished in a plane crash.

Last month, Days of Our Lives veteran Susan Seaforth Hayes, who plays Julie Williams on the show, honored her friend’s casting milestone in a social media post.

“Suzanne and I have celebrated our July birthdays together for 50 years!” she wrote alongside a photo of the women with birthday cake. “And this week Suzanne becomes a golden girl of Salem! ❤️⏳1000s of episodes to remember, 50 years on air, tears and triumphs! Congrats to her… and to me, too!”

Days of Our Lives airs weekdays on Peacock.