Melissa Reeves


Melissa Reeves is an American actress, known for playing Jennifer Horton on and off since 1985 on the NBC series Days of Our Lives.

Personal life

Reeves was born in Eatontown, New Jersey. Since March 1990, she has been married to soap opera actor and country music singer Scott Reeves. They have 2 children: Emily Taylor Reeves and Lawrence "Larry" David Reeves.

Career

Among Reeves' early film roles was the thriller Summer Camp Nightmare. Her first television role was as Jade Perkins on Santa Barbara from 1984 to 1985. She originated the role of the adult Jennifer Horton on Days of Our Lives in 1985, and Reeves remained in the role until 1995. Reeves abruptly left Days during the show's thirtieth anniversary season, and Corday Productions and Sony TV Entertainment sued her for breach of contract. The matter was settled out-of-court with Reeves paying an unspecified sum, which Days Executive Producer Ken Corday donated to pediatric AIDS research. The role of Jennifer had quickly been recast with actress Stephanie Cameron, who remained on the show until 1998.
In 1999, Melissa and Scott Reeves starred in the made-for-TV movie Half a Dozen Babies.
In 2000, Days producers rehired Reeves, and she made a return to the show. Reeves did a six-year stint with the show this time, and then she confirmed that she was leaving and she and her family moved to Tennessee.
Reeves returned to Days of Our Lives on June 9, 2010 and continues to play the role of Jennifer Horton.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984-1985Santa BarbaraJade PerkinsContract role
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Daytime or Nighttime Television Series
1985-1995, 2000-2006, 2010-Days of Our LivesJennifer HortonContract role
Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Daytime Super Couple
Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Daytime Wedding
Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Primetime or Daytime Love Story
Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Female Star
Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Daytime Series
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Drama Series
1987The HitchhikerDenise O'MellEpisode: "Homebodies"

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Awards
Soap Opera Digest Awards
Young Artist Awards
Reeves made headlines in July 2020 for liking social media posts by a conservative commentator against the Black Lives Matter movement, after previously drawing criticism for liking Chick-fil-A during LGBT protests against the fast food chain's founder.