Exclusive: DAYS's Julie Dove On Going From DAYS Busybody to Murderer

Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com

Days of our Lives unleashed a bombshell on its Friday, July 5th episode. Li Shin’s murderer was finally revealed via a flashback, and the culprit, shocker of shockers, was quirky Connie Viniski. Julie Dove, the actress and soap fan who debuted in the role in 2021, certainly didn’t see that twist coming. She spoke to Digest about the mind-boggling turn, her upcoming story arc, and overall run in Salem.

As a character who comes and goes, is it safe to say that every time you leave DAYS you’re thinking, "This could be my last scene?"

“Absolutely. Every time I go, I'm thinking, 'That's it.' Because I'm just like, ‘Oh, they're popping me in for fun or whatever.’ People that do the day player or the under-five parts just come in and help the story move along. I never really thought much about [returning], after I filmed my episode [in the summer of 2023] that aired in February [2024]. I remember I confronted Melinda and said it was her fault that Li was dead , and was like, 'Oh my gosh. I wonder what this has to do with anything. This seems odd.' But I'm always grateful every time I get to pop into Salem.”

Then, months later, the show asked you to come back for this story arc. Were you told from the start that Connie was going to be Li’s killer?

“Well, it's interesting. They don’t say anything [except that] Connie's coming in for some episodes, and they want to check my availability. Of course, I write back, ‘Oh my God, yes. I'm available.’ It was a few weeks before I got any scripts. When I got the first script, I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It was very shocking. I was like, ‘I’m not just a busybody. I’m a bit… troubled. I’m a murderer.’ ”

Viewers saw a flashback of Connie plunging a knife into Li’s back. What was it like filming such an aggressive scene?

“It was very intense. I didn't take it lightly. It made me feel uncomfortable. I was having all this fun — ‘Oh, I'm playing this kooky character' — but then it was, 'Now you have to kill this person.' When you [rehearse it], you have a prop knife. Then at some point, they do a take with an actual knife. So they hand you a real knife and say, ‘Be careful. Only do this.’ It's a little scary, but everyone on set was very supportive and encouraging. And there was a stunt coordinator there to make sure everything went the way it was supposed to.”

In between takes, was there any joking going on between you and Remington Hoffman (Li)?

“There was lots of joking between me and Remington, because I use humor for deflection, also self-deprecation, and [to release] nervous energy. I was constantly nervous when we were filming it. Sometimes I would get so nervous around Remington that I would call him Li. He was like, ‘Call me whatever.’ I’d only been around him [on set] once in person before that, and then all of a sudden I was around him a lot. But I watch the show, so I know him as Li. It was kind of funny.”

Is Connie's motive for murder the classic "woman scorned?"

“It's a lot deeper than that. There are a lot of motives, and they'll continue to be revealed over the coming weeks. [On the murder reveal episode] you’re just getting a tease that Connie did it. It's going to be a little bit before you see the full scene from beginning to end, but her true intentions will be revealed, her true motives. I think the viewers will like this storyline and the way it plays out. It's very well written and has a lot of twists and turns. I read a lot of fan feedback online, and people say, ‘I want stories that involve a lot of characters interacting together.’ I feel like this story is going to do that.”

Do you watch the show when you're not on it?

“I do. It's interesting. People say I'm a super fan, and I very much appreciate that. I was one of the biggest soap fans in the '80s. I have not watched it continuously since I was a kid, but I did watch it through all of the beginning of Bo and Hope until they sailed away on the Fancy Face. I watched pretty much every soap on television. I was watching All My Children , General Hospital , Another World … I was going to the store every week and getting Soap Opera Digest . I have a Soap Opera Digest scrapbook that I have a little video post about on my Instagram page. I saved all of the Days of our Lives covers from during that time period. When I went to college, I didn't watch very much. Everything wasn't as accessible as it is now. I watched again some in the late '90s, but then I was just so upset that Bo and Hope weren't really together. I started watching again in the 2000s, but then Zack died, and that was honestly just too much. It was really heartbreaking. But since I booked the show again in 2021, I've watched it every day since... I'm hooked back in.”