James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson's Diagnosis, Storyline Follows

James Reynolds, who has played Abe Carver on Days of Our Lives since 1981, revealed Tuesday that he has Parkinson's disease.

James Reynolds told Entertainment Tonight he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease after tremors that would not go away, and Days of Our Lives is writing the condition into his character Abe Carver's storyline, Page Six reported November 11, 2026. [Page Six — 'Days of Our Lives' star James Reynolds reveals Parkinson's diagnosis (November 11, 2026)]

Reynolds did not say when he received the diagnosis. He described tremors that would not go away, sometimes falling out of bed, and being out of breath. The Daytime Emmy winner has played Abe Carver since 1981, which makes him the longest-running Black actor in a single series in television history. His health is now being written into Carver's storyline on the soap. Co-star Jackée Harry joined him for the Entertainment Tonight interview and said she does lots of research to support him. [Page Six — 'Days of Our Lives' star James Reynolds reveals Parkinson's diagnosis (November 11, 2026)]

Reynolds was photographed in September 2025 attending the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame Awards Gala in New York. The decision to put the diagnosis on screen, in the character he has played for 45 years, means the storyline will unfold in front of the audience that has watched Carver since the early 1980s. Reynolds chose to disclose the condition in a sit-down interview rather than a statement, with a co-star beside him and the show aligning its writing with his reality. [Page Six — 'Days of Our Lives' star James Reynolds reveals Parkinson's diagnosis (November 11, 2026)]