Brady Black is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the Peacock streaming service. Formerly portrayed by Kyle Lowder, the role of Brady has been portrayed by Eric Martsolf since 2008. Martsolf won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2014 for his role as Brady.
Brady is the son of John Black and Isabella Toscano, and the grandson of crime boss Victor Kiriakis.
Casting
The character was initially played by Alex, Max, and Dash Lucero from May 1992 to September 1994, and subsequently by Eric and Brandon Billings from October 1994 to July 1999. When news broke that the character of Eric Brady would be written out due to Jensen Ackles departing the series, Ken Corday and NBC made the decision to bring a SORAS'd Brady Black to help fill the void of the main focus and be a young hero. The character was then re-introduced as an adult with actor Kyle Lowder who debuted on August 21, 2000.
In September 2005, it was announced that NBC had passed on renewing Lowder's contract with Days of our Lives. He last aired September 15, 2005.
In August 2008, it was announced that Brady would return to the series. Former Passions actor Eric Martsolf was cast to bring the character back to Salem. He first aired in the role on November 13, 2008. In May 2020, Wes Ramsey revealed he previously auditioned for the role of Brady prior to Martsolf's casting.
Storylines
Backstory
Brady is born onscreen in 1992 to John Black and his wife, Isabella. Sadly, Isabella dies soon after, leaving John to raise Brady on his own. John later marries Marlena Evans, and the two raise Brady and their daughter, Belle, together. Eventually, Brady is sent to a private school away from Salem.
2000–2005
Brady returns to Salem as a spoiled, disrespectful college student loner who lashes out at everyone, especially Marlena. As a result, he is distrusted by many, including his uncle, Philip Kiriakis, who considers him a freak. However, Chloe Lane, Philip's girlfriend, sees a glimmer of her once ostracized-self in Brady and develops a friendship with him, which eventually turns into something more. The couple marry in 2005, and move to Vienna. By then, Brady had long-since resolved his animosity towards Marlena, becoming a loving son and brother, as well as a responsible, promising executive in his father's fashion and publishing company, Basic Black.
After leaving Salem, Brady becomes addicted to drugs. Blaming Chloe for his addiction, Brady's grandfather Victor Kiriakis kidnaps him and places him in a drug rehabilitation clinic. Brady blames Chloe for his addiction and subsequently files for divorce.
2008–present
Brady returns to Salem in November 2008 after beating his addiction. Divorced from Chloe, he comes back to Salem to talk things out with her and reunite with his troubled family. Brady and Chloe eventually come to terms with the end of their marriage and decide to remain friends. Brady sensitively deals with a father who does not remember him. Supporting Marlena in her quest to help John regain his memory, Brady foils the plot for revenge leveled against his stepmother, and masterminded by none other than his father's therapist, Dr. Charlotte Taylor. Brady also makes peace with his old flame, Nicole Walker, who was pregnant at the time with EJ DiMera's child. As a peace offering, going through his own recovery, he offers to be her shoulder if she needs help with not drinking while carrying the child. When Nicole suffers a miscarriage, she confides in Brady about it, deeming she would continue to fake her pregnancy, something Brady was not taking kindly to. Brady soon enters into a relationship with Arianna Hernandez, the sister of Rafe Hernandez. After proposing to Arianna, she is framed by Nicole for the Salem muggings. Unable to convince Brady of her innocence, she breaks off the engagement. Determined to reconcile her relationship with Brady, Nicole begins to romance him and they rekindle their broken relationship. Brady soon begins drinking once again, providing worry for his close family and friends. Brady's life continues to spiral downward when Arianna is killed in a hit-and-run car accident. Nicole and Brady subsequently end their relationship once again when Nicole makes an arrangement with EJ, to get visitation with his daughter, Sydney. But when EJ cheats on Nicole with her sister Taylor, Nicole and Brady realize they both still love each other, and are reunited. However, the relationship ends when both of them feel like they have "fizzled out", and they decide to be good friends as Nicole vows to be independent. However, Nicole is eventually reunited with EJ.