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It’s sublimely fitting, we think that Thaao Penghlis’ Days of Our Lives anniversary falls so close to the show’s anniversary and right in the middle of a true Tony/André mystery. Because it was 44 years ago today that the Australian actor brought Tony DiMera to Salem. His legendary father, Stefano, would soon follow, and then, shortly after that, Penghlis added Tony’s lookalike cousin turned brother André to the mix. Whether pulling double duty as both characters or playing each one off and on, it’s been a wild ride ever since.

Right now, of course, fans are running wild with the theory that the man we’ve been told is Tony is, in fact, André. It would make sense, from his disappearances, his scheming attitude and his sudden, cutthroat corporate interest. On top of that, it’s far from the first time that’s happened! If you’ll recall, Tony languished on a deserted island for twenty years while André wreaked havoc in his brother’s name. Most notably, by sending half of Salem to Melaswen Island.

His portrayal of Tony, André, and André/Tony has kept Penghlis in and out of Salem romancing Anna and plotting with — and against — the DiMeras over the course of four decades. He even managed to redeem both his alter egos. In case you forgot, Tony was far from an angel when he first arrived in Salem — just ask his first wife Liz — but he did manage to find a soft spot in the hearts of viewers as both DiMera brothers.

A DiMera to His Core

The characters are clearly in Penghlis’ heart as well, as before we saw him onscreen for this latest return, the actor couldn’t help but sing the new writers praises and the fact that “DiMera is back!” Though admittedly, we aren’t quite sure which DiMera is back at the moment! And just a few years ago, the actor was tweeting about new and old Days of Our Lives memories over the past few months. Just look at some of his tweets below.

Who remembers Quinn Redeker as the shady Alex Marshall? (You might also remember Redeker from The Young and the Restless as Rex Sterling.)

Though Tony’s romance with Anna has been one of the character’s main throughlines for much of his run on Days of Our Lives, Penghlis’ scenes opposite the late Joseph Mascolo’s Stefano were always a highlight. Not just for fans, but the actor as well.

Now, of course, we seem to be inching ever closer to a Stefano return — with Tony (or André) right in the middle of it. Of course, as Mascolo has passed away, the only way for Tony’s father to come back would be as a recast. Whatever Days of Our Lives and the DiMeras throw at us next, though, we’re just thankful that after more than four decades, Penghlis and possibly both his characters are front and center where they belong!