Eric Brady is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network, played since 2012 by Greg Vaughan, the longest tenured actor in the role. Eric was introduced in the episode of October 16, 1984, together with his twin sister, Sami Brady.
Initially played by a series of child actors, Jensen Ackles was cast in the role of Eric when the character was rapidly-aged from a pre-teen to a young adult in July 1997 under the pen of headwriter James E. Reilly. Ackles' Eric appeared for three years until August 2000, when he departed. Vaughan has played Eric for eleven years; the longest of any prior performer.
Eric and Sami are the children of supercouple Roman Brady and Marlena Evans. The twins Eric and Sami care deeply about each other, but have completely different personalities. Eric's saintly behavior sets him up as the better half to his very troubled and trouble-making sister Sami. A notable storyline for Eric is his passionate, but frustrated, love affair with Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker). Having once been a priest, Eric is a community-orientated person, briefly running the Horton Center, which helps people in need.
Both Ackles and Vaughan's performances have been met with favorable reception from audiences and critics. Ackles received three Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 1998, 1999 and 2000, as well as a Soap Opera Digest Award in 1998. Vaughan received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2018.
Casting
As a baby, Eric was portrayed by Rory Beauregard (October 19, 1984 to May 30, 1985) and Jesse Davis (December 6, 1985 to March 17, 1986). Child actor Edward Palma appeared briefly when Eric was rapidly-aged about two years (August 7 to September 9, 1986), and then child actor Bradley Hallock played Eric over an almost six-year period (December 18, 1986 to July 1, 1992). In 1997, Scotty Hauser portrayed Eric in a voiceover.
Jensen Ackles took up the role of Eric as a regular player on July 28, 1997. Ackles had auditioned for the role of Eric several times before he was actually hired. The extensive process led to him rethinking his budding career as an actor. In the summer of 2000, during an interview Soap Opera Digest, Ackles revealed he would soon exit from the series after obtaining a development deal with ABC. Ackles' final appearance was on August 23, 2000, but Ackles thought that he might return. In December 2000, it was reported that NBC had approached Ackles to reprise the role in early 2001, but he had respectfully declined. Reports also surfaced that the producers had considered actor Shane McDermott, who was previously known for his portrayal of Scott Chandler on ABC's All My Children to take over the role, but executive producer Ken Corday shot down the rumors, saying there were no plans to recast the role.
In February 2011, it was reported that Greg Vaughan, known for his roles as General Hospitals Lucky Spencer and The Young and the Restlesss Diego Guittierez, had turned down a testing deal with Days. But when in June 2012 Soap Opera Digest announced that Vaughan would star in the Hallmark movie Second Chances alongside Alison Sweeney (who plays Eric's twin sister Sami on Days) rumors abounded that Days might really be interested in Vaughan for the role of Eric, with TV Guide's Nelson Branco reporting that several sources were saying Vaughan had signed on as Eric, despite no confirmation from NBC. The next month Soaps In Depth confirmed that Vaughan was set to join Days, and on August 8, 2012, Soap Opera Digest revealed he had begun taping as Eric Brady. His first air date was later confirmed as November 13, 2012. Vaughan told soap journalist Michael Fairman that when he initially auditioned for the role of Eric, he was rejected – but now he was happy that he had earned the job instead of having it handed to him.
Vaughan had a short break from Days of Our Lives in 2016, when he took up opportunities to appear on Queen Sugar and Lucifer. Vaughan returned to playing Eric in the episode of January 17, 2017. In July 2020, he announced he wrapped up his run as Eric prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown; he exited during the September 23 episode. He then returned in July 2021, and from December 27 to 29 of that same year. He also appeared on the spinoff movie, Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas, which premiered on December 16, 2021.