‘Days Of Our Lives’: Kate Mansi On Emmy Nomination, Billy Flynn, And Her Grandmother’s Secret Gift

Days Of Our Lives fans miss Kate Mansi, who used to play Abigail Deveraux. The actress received an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of the soap opera character. Find out what she had to say about it, as well as her thoughts on Billy Flynn, and her grandmother’s secret gift that got her into acting.

Possible DOOL spoilers might be ahead. If you are not caught up on the long-running series, then do not continue reading.

It was a shock when Kate Mansi announced she was leaving Days Of Our Lives. Her character had been through a lot, but her exit storyline was heartbreaking and tragic. Thankfully, writers didn’t kill off Abigail. Instead, they gave her a mental health diagnosis, had her flee Salem, and fake her death. When Abby returned, it wasn’t Mansi that viewers saw, but her replacement, Marci Miller.

In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest, she was asked about her first Emmy nomination. Naturally, Kate is excited. She expressed gratitude for former co-stars Billy Flynn (Chad DiMera), who is also a nominee, and Robert Scott Wilson (Ben Weston).

“I’m very happy for him [Flynn]. I was nominated because of my work with him and with Rob Wilson, so I’m very, very grateful to both of them, and really happy to see Billy get recognized for his good work.”

The former Days Of Our Lives actress also took the time to say a few words about her Emmy nomination on social media.

“Honored to be included in this list for my last year on @nbcdays, and especially grateful to have had the opportunity to tell a story about what mental illness can look like. Congratulations to my fellow nominees whose work I so admire. Can’t wait to see everyone again on the big day!!”

There are others who were nominated in the Supporting Actress category. Mansi was particularly impressed with one of them and for a specific reason.

“I remember watching Stacy Haiduk’s submission twice because I was really moved by her work. I was first drawn to it because it was another character that was struggling with mental difference, so I thought that was really cool and I wanted to watch and learn more.”

Kate said she most likely will bring her boyfriend, but wished she could take her grandmother to the Emmy awards. It turns out that she is the reason Mansi got involved in acting. While she was attending college, her grandmother secretly paid for acting lessons.

“My 90-year-old grandmother basically is the reason I’m an actor. She paid for my acting class secretly while I was at Pepperdine University. She is a really big influence in my life, and I wish so badly I could take her but I can’t, so I’ll probably end up FaceTiming her or something.”

Recently, Kate shared a photo of herself on Instagram visiting the Days Of Our Lives set. Some fans wondered if she was returning to the NBC soap opera. However, it isn’t likely, at least not right now.

Since leaving DOOL, Mansi has been busy with other projects. She played Amy on Unwanted Guest, starred as Krystal Kellers in Boyfriend Killer, and was cast as Marissa in the television series Small Shots. She has also worked on Muse and Mother Of All Secrets. In addition to acting, Kate has also been doing some modeling and sharing some of the photos on Instagram. The actress also has been focusing on auctions and mental health awareness campaigns.

What do you think of Kate Mansi receiving an Emmy nomination for the role of Abigail Deveraux on Days Of Our Lives? Were you impressed with how the actress portrayed someone with mental illness?

[Featured Image by Fernando Leon/Getty Images for Corday Productions]