Galen Gering has played Rafe Hernandez on DOOL for over 15 years. He shared his thoughts on the soap opera recasting the role of his character’s sister, Gabi.
Galen Gering Had Doubts About Losing Camila Banus
Galen Gering made his soap opera debut on the NBC show Passions. He played police officer Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald through the show’s entire run, from 1999 to 2008. It wasn’t long before he booked his next acting gig after the soap was canceled.
He was quickly snatched up by Days of Our Lives as FBI agent Rafe Hernandez, who was assigned to protect Sami (Alison Sweeney) while she was in witness protection. The show eventually expanded the Hernandez family, including sister Gabi.
The role was originated by Gabriela Rodriguez but Camila Banus took over in 2010. She played the character off-and-on until her departure in 2023 when Gabi was sent to prison for the murder of Li (Remington Hoffman.)
Galen Gering got candid about the show’s decision to recast the role of Gabi after the previous actress left. He told Soap Opera Digest that he had doubts at first about recreating the real-life sibling bond that he had with Camila Banus after working together for over a decade.
“First and foremost, I was like, ‘Oh, God. How do you move on from there?’ Because that was certainly one of my favorite elements or aspects to working with Camila, the relationship we had [off camera].”
DOOL hired Cherie Jimenez to take over the role of Gabi. She made her on-screen debut last week when Gabi was released from prison after being exonerated in Li’s death. What was it like for Galen Gering to work with his new cast-mate?
How He Feels About Cherie Jimenez As Gabi Recast
Despite his initial concerns, Galen Gering is a professional and welcomed the newcomer with open arms. He admitted it was an adjustment from his former co-star, but quickly connected with Cherie Jimenez.
“It was great, because when she just got here, we sat and talked for hours. We hit it off from day one about life and [our] journeys and all that stuff. So it was cool, because we could hit the ground running knowing that there was an understanding and trust there.”
He added that she is a great actress who did her research on Gabi Hernandez, including questions about Gabi’s daughter, Arianna. The actor is hopeful that he will develop a strong bond with Cherie Jimenez similar to the one he had with Camila Banus.
“They did a great job in casting Cherie, and I’m excited about what the future holds for the Hernandez family.”
What do you think about the recast Gabi so far? Sound off in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
