There’s a new Doug Williams on Days of our Lives, and fans have questions about him.
Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes) was shocked to learn Doug’s grandson, Doug Williams III (Peyton Meyer), existed and was in Salem.
No, he will never be the Doug Williams portrayed by the legendary Bill Hayes.
However, the writers seem to be paving the way for Doug’s legacy to continue with a new namesake.
If you are confused about how this new Doug can be Doug’s grandson, join the club.
That is why we have a little refresher on the new Doug Williams in Salem.
Who is the new Doug Williams on Days of our Lives?
The backstory of how Doug could have a grandson who isn’t Julie’s goes as follows: When Hope was a child, Doug wanted to give her a sibling. Since he and Julie were separated, Doug turned to Neil (Joseph Gallison) to have a baby via a surrogate.
When Julie and Doug reunited, he opted out of trying to have a baby, but the surrogate, Hope’s nanny, Rebecca North (Brooke Bundy), was already pregnant. Rebecca married Robert LeClaire (Robert Clary), who believed the baby was her ex Johnny’s.
The baby was born as Dougie LeClaire, but Robert adopted him and changed his name to Charles. After Rebecca and Johnny reunited, they took baby Charles to Japan to live.
Years later, Johnny and Rebecca were killed, leading Robert to reveal to Doug that Charles was his son.
Robert and Charles spent time in Salem so Doug and Julie could help raise the boy. It had been years since Doug’s son was mentioned until his new grandson appeared to Julie.
We don’t know much about the new Doug other than he seems to be a chip off the old block, and not in a good way.
The new Doug seems to have inherited his grandfather’s con artist and criminal ways. He did steal the diamond necklace and let Julie’s brother Steven (Stephen Schnetzer) take the blame.
There is still much to uncover about the new Doug, but we know quite a bit about the talented actor playing him.
Who is playing the new Doug Williams on Days?
Actor Peyton Meyer has stepped into the role of Doug Williams III. Peyton is no stranger to the acting world, having been involved in it since he was 10 when he began modeling.
At age 12, Peyton booked the role of Lucas on Girl Meets World, working alongside Sabrina Carpenter. The show lasted for three years. Then he moved on to playing Trip on American Housewife for four seasons.
The actor also appeared in He’s All That with Addison Rae and Tanner Buchanan. Petyon splits his time between Los Angeles, where he films Days of our Lives, and Nashville, where he lives with his wife and son.
Peyton has enjoyed his time on the hit Peacock soap. Speaking with TV Insider, he admitted his first day was sad, and he was unaware of what the cast and crew were dealing with while honoring the late great Bill Hayes.
Peyton is new to the pace of soaps, and he credits watching Susan with helping him learn because, as we all know, she is a pro.
“I didn’t understand how the process worked and it was so difficult. Watching Susan do it so effortlessly was something that I’ll carry with me forever. She was so professional,” he said to TV Insider.
What are your first impressions of the new Doug on Days?
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on Peacock.