What role will Michael Dietz play on Days of Our Lives? Details explored

Michael Dietz is an American actor and producer, set to appear on Days of Our Lives as Dr. Jeffrey Russell from April 30, 2025. After leaving the soap world behind almost 20 years ago, Dietz is expected to take over the role of Dr. Jeffery for a short story arc, where his character is working on a miracle drug.

Dietz started his career in daytime television on the ABC soap opera General Hospital as Joe Scanlon in 1997. Since then, he has moved behind the scenes as a reality television producer. Although he made a brief appearance on 9-1-1 in 2022, he did not appear on-screen regularly.

Fans of the show can tune into Peacock on weekdays at 6:00 a.m ET or 3:00 a.m. PT.

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What did Michael Dietz say about his role on Days of Our Lives?

Michael Dietz spoke with TV Insider about returning to the world of soap opera and taking over the role of Dr. Jeffrey Russell on Days of Our Lives. In the interview with TV Insider that was published on April 25, 2025, Dietz stated:

"For the last, 15 years, since my soap days, I have had a recurring dream probably once every couple of months, that I’m on a set and I completely forget my line, and I’m pulling up the script, and it’s a minute before the scene, and I’m panicking."

He opened up about his experience of joining the Days of Our Lives cast. He said:

"So, after I said yes, I started going, ‘Oh, no. Am I going to be able to learn my lines?’ I jumped in as quickly as possible into the scripts when I got them, and it all came back, but I was still very nervous."

Dietz mentioned that getting a warm welcome from the cast provided reassurance. He also talked about seeing a familiar face in the studio, with whom he worked on General Hospital. He remarked:

"The greatest joy is I went in and, of course, everybody was beyond lovely. And when I got on set, Scott [McKinsey], the director, came out, and he was one of my last directors I worked with on Port Charles."

Despite appearing in multiple soap operas, the actor admitted that he was not very familiar with the Salem crew. He noted:

“Probably a lot of [the cast] was like, ‘Oh, who’s this new guy that just got this part?’ I’m like, ‘Oh, no, no, man, I used to do this back in the day.’ I feel so old now. I’m a little bit grayer now.”

Although his schedule was packed on the production side, Dietz said that he would not mind flexing his acting muscles from time to time. He mentioned:

"I could see doing it if stuff like this came up every now and then. Before Days, I would have said no. I felt like I had closed that chapter and moved on. But then I had that experience, and I was like, ‘Oh, there’s no reason I have to close this. This is fantastic.’ So, I would definitely have a conversation, and I am 100 percent open now to explore possibilities that come up in this space again."

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More about Michael Dietz's life and career as he prepares to join Days of Our Lives

Michael Dietz was born on February 10, 1971, in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, and is known for his roles in The Bold and the Beautiful and Beverly Hills, 90210. Previously, he appeared as a guest star in multiple films and television shows, including 9-1-1, Passions, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Guiding Light, Baywatch, and Charmed.

With the latest addition to the cast of Days of Our Lives, fans are eager to find out how Dr. Jeffrey Russell's appearance impacts the dynamics in Salem and contributes to driving the story arc forward.

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Fans of Days of Our Lives can watch new episodes on Peacock.