Days of Our Lives Message Board

Longtime soap star Joseph Mascolo is furious after Days` bosses axed him from the show out of the blue-and did it with a cold phone call. "A show exec called and simply told him his contract isnt being renewed,"says an insider. 'He's furious and in a state of shock. He flew into a rage over the phone.' The 73 year old actor who plays baddie Stefano Dimera first joined the NBC drama in 1982 and worked there nearly 20 years until 2001, when he joined the Bold and the Beautiful for five years. He returned to Days last June reprising his popular role. The storyline put his character in a coma for the past month. "Joe believed DAYS would be his swan song" says the insider. 'He's been at the center of a strong story line since he came back. What's worse is he's not even being brought out of the coma for a major finale. He's worked his last day on the show.'