Will Horton

Will Horton
Guy Wilson as Will Horton
Days of Our Lives character
Portrayed by	Shawn and Taylor Carpenter (1995–2002) Darian Weiss (2002–03) Christopher Gerse (2003–08) Dylan Patton (2009–10) Chandler Massey (2010–14) Guy Wilson (2014–15)
Duration	1995–2015
First appearance	November 16, 1995 (1995-11-16)
Last appearance	October 13, 2015 (2015-10-13)
Created by	James E. Reilly
Introduced by	Ken Corday and Tom Langan (1995) Ken Corday and Gary Tomlin (2009)
Classification	Former; regular
Profile
Other names	William Robert Horton Will Roberts Will Reed
Occupation	Student Pub worker Business intern Political campaign staffer Screenwriter Journalist
Family Horton Brady Roberts Parents Lucas Horton Sami Brady Stepfather Austin Reed (1996–97) Brandon Walker (2003–05) EJ DiMera (2007–08, 2014) Rafe Hernandez (2010–12) Stepmother Nicole Walker (1999–2002) Carrie Brady (2006) Chloe Lane (2009) Sisters Allie Horton Grace Brady (non-biological) Half-brothers Johnny DiMera Half-sisters Sydney DiMera Husband Sonny Kiriakis (2014–15) Daughters Arianna Horton Grandfathers Bill Horton Roman Brady Grandmothers Kate Roberts Marlena Evans Uncles Mike Horton Austin Reed D.J. Craig Eric Brady Rex Brady Philip Kiriakis Aunts Jennifer Horton Billie Reed Carrie Reed Cassie Brady Belle Black First cousins Jeremy Horton Abby Deveraux JJ Deveraux Chelsea Brady Julie Williams Hope Williams Brady Ciara Brady Claire Brady Tyler Kiriakis

Will Horton is a fictional character from the American soap opera Days of Our Lives, known for an award-winning coming out story, and as one half of US daytime drama's first male gay wedding and marriage. The character first appeared on November 16, 1995, as a newborn child. In the show, his mother Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) acts as if Austin Reed (Austin Peck) is the father so Austin might marry her; and when she later realizes that Will must actually be the son of Lucas Roberts (Bryan Dattilo), she tries to prevent others finding out. Her ruses are eventually revealed, and Will has a "tumultous upbringing" due to his parents' ever-changing love lives, and the machinations of his mother, father, and his grandma Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow), as they fight over Will. As a child, Will does everything he can to bring his parents together, so they can be a "real family".

A succession of child actors portrayed Will, with Christopher Gerse taking on the role (then called Will Roberts) from 2003 to 2008, with the character and actor "growing up on screen". After a year hiatus, Will was reintroduced in 2009 with Dylan Patton as a sixteen-year-old, and then Chandler Massey (2010 to 2014) took the character into adulthood. Chandler Massey's era is noted for Will struggling with the discovery of his sexuality, and then coming out as gay, and beginning a same-sex relationship with Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith). Massey's performance and the coming out storyline received high praise. Glamour Magazine said it "has never been done better – not on primetime, daytime, or in feature films", and soap journalist Michael Fairman called Massey's performance "beyond sensational".Will and Sonny became the show's first same-sex supercouple (commonly referred to by the portmanteau "WilSon"), and in 2014 Guy Wilson took over the role of Will as Days broadcast the first male gay wedding in US Daytime history.