Exclusive: Eric Martsolf Was 'Blown Away' By DAYS's New Rachel, Alice Halsey

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Girl Power: Alice Halsey (Rachel) made a strong first impression on her new DAYS dad, Eric Martsolf (Brady).

Learning that Days of our Lives had recast Brady and Kristen’s daughter, Rachel, came as a bit of a shock to Eric Martsolf, who portrays the child’s father. “Honestly, at first, I deeply questioned why she was being recast,” admits Martsolf, referring to Finley Rose Slater, who had played the incorrigible character since 2021. “I thought Finley just did a terrific job while she was here. She brought a spiciness and a rebellious flavor to the character that I just thought was lovely.”

Girl, Interrupted

Once Martsolf began working with his new on-screen daughter, Alice Halsey, he quickly came to understand the rationale for the switch. “Now that we have Alice in the role, I’ve got to tell you, it’s just another perfect example of a maturation of a character,” says Martsolf. “We tend to make big jumps when it comes to soaps. Take Tate — he was eight, and now he’s 18. What I can tell you and tease is that the character of Rachel becomes even more centralized and even more important in some upcoming storyline that honestly required some deep, deep chops. I think it was time for Rachel to just grow up a little bit, and with her increase in age has come an increase of storyline.”

Because of the show’s rapid shooting schedule, Martsolf and Stacy Haiduk, who plays Rachel’s mother, Kristen, really didn’t have much time to welcome their new TV daughter to the fold when she arrived on set. “We spent some time with her mom and her dad,” notes Martsolf. “But the way we move over here is hyper speed, so there’s not time to sit down and have a welcome party with balloons and cake. It’s a handshake and a hug. You say, ‘Hi, I’m your TV dad.’ She says, ‘Hi, I’m your TV daughter.’ And you just go at it. There’s not a big welcome mat. [The attitude is] just, you’re expected to perform. You’re expected to do it well and quickly. And Alice is certainly up to the task.”

Martsolf was instantly impressed by how well Halsey handled her new gig. “She’s extremely good,” he raves. “Quite honestly, I was really blown away. We’re all taking acting tips from this little girl. She is seasoned. She has a wonderful résumé, and she came in guns blazing. I’m really excited for people to see her. She’s just a terrific addition to the cast, and I think folks are going to love her.”

Martsolf certainly does. “Without saying too much, there’s this one particular group scene,” begins the actor. “This is going to come right around when she starts airing. It involved a majority of the cast. She’s up front, and we have this little scene together. When the director yelled, ‘Cut,’ everybody applauded for this little girl. Everyone was moved with not just what she was saying, but how she said it. I remember going home that night, and my wife [Lisa Martsolf], as she usually does, asked, ‘How was your day?’ I looked at her and said, ‘This little girl they just got for Rachel blew me away today.’ I was like, ‘She made me feel like I have to get back into [acting] class.’ ”

On the subject of Slater, Martsolf says that the little girl will forever hold a special place in his heart. “I will miss Finley very, very much, because she is the OG,” he declares with a smile. “And she really did a great job with Rachel.”