Who was Will Horton on Days of Our Lives? Character explored

Will Horton, a beloved character on Days of Our Lives, first appeared in the storyline in November 1995. The character debuted on the show as the infant son of Sami Brady and grew up on the soap.

Many children actors initially portrayed the character as Will grew up on the show. However, the most prominent actor who essayed the character is Chandler Massey, who played Will from 2010 to 2014 and then again from 2017 to 2023.

The full timeline of actors who portrayed the character starts with the twins Shawn and Taylor Carpenter in 1995, followed by Darian Weiss in a brief stint during 2002 episodes. After that, actor Christopher Gerse took on the role for five years, from 2003 to 2008. He was followed by Dylan Patton in 2009.

In 2010, Chandler Massey took on the role. He took a brief break from Days of Our Lives in 2014, when the role went to Guy Wilson. However, Massey returned to the soap in 2017, and many fans identify him with Will most often.

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Will Horton's character arc and plot dynamics on Days of Our Lives explored

Will Horton in a still from the soap Days of Our Lives (Image via Peacock)

Will Horton was born to Sami Brady. He was initially presumed to be the son of Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives. However, after a blood test, Sami realized that Lucas Roberts was the child's biological father. After this reveal, the child went through many years of custody battles as Sami fought Kate Roberts over Will's parentage claim.

As a child, Will seemed a little unruly due to the strife at his home. He even ran away to Chicago at one point, worrying his parents before he was returned safely. He was later sent to Switzerland to pursue his studies away from the stressful environment at home.

One of the most prominent storylines involving the character was his coming out. After gaining support from his family and former girlfriend Gabi, Will even got into a relationship with Sonny Kiriakis. However, Gabi got pregnant from a previous night with Will. After the birth of the baby girl, Arianna, Gabi moved in with Will and Sonny to raise the child together as a unit. In April 2014, Will and Sonny got married.

Another storyline involved Will and closeted basketball player Paul Narita. Will tried to help him come out but ended up getting seduced by the athlete during his journalism stint. Later, it was revealed that Paul was also Sonny's ex. The infidelity and shock of the reveal put much friction between Sonny and Will in their marriage.

Will was even presumed dead briefly before 2017, during the story arc of The Necktie Killer. Ben later revealed that the character was alive, providing much relief to Sonny and Will's family. After an emotionally trying time when Will suffered from memory loss, he finally reunited with Sonny.

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Audiences can watch Days of Our Lives streaming online via Peacock. New episodes of the soap are released on all weekdays.