Goodbye Jacob and Joshua...
May 1 will mark the last time that Jacob and Joshua Rips will appear in the role of John Thomas (J.T.) Brady. The character will be leaving Salem to live with his biological father, Glen and his stepmother, Barb. Jacob and Joshua have played a huge role in Days storylines in the past two years. They began in the role of JT at just 16 days of age when they completed a photo shoot for Soap Opera Digest. During their first few weeks on the show and on the Soap Opera Digest cover, Joshua and Jacob played both baby Isaac and baby J.T. The baby switch in late June meant the boys took over the role of J.T. Brady, who was the biological child of Marlo and Glen, but was taken home by Bo and Hope, who believed him to be their son. However, that child had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Jacob and Joshua, who were healthy and happy boys were deemed "too healthy" to continue in the role of a child with this syndrome. Joshua and Jacob were featured on the cover of their hometown paper, "Sunday Press-Telegram" on July 2, 2001, shortly after they had left the role of J.T.
The boys continued to grow and change, although no longer in showbiz. But, then a magical call came. Days was desperate. They were trying to film multiple scenes with baby J.T. and were dealing with crying children who kept them from getting through scenes, causing a production shut down. Joshua and Jacob to the rescue! The very next day the boys were at the studio to begin filming scenes as J.T. once again. Those scenes aired on December 20, 2000, just 6 months after they had initially appeared as J.T. Throughout 2001 and the beginning of 2002, fans enjoyed their continued scene stealing as they interacted with big brother Shawn (Jason Cook) and mom and dad, Bo and Hope. However, as all soap storylines do, this one had to come to a climax. It was discovered that little J.T. wasn't Hope's son after all. His biological father came to claim him. After a custody fight, Glen won custody of his son and a heartbroken Bo and Hope had to give up their little boy. Jacob and Joshua made these scenes even more emotional as their perpetual cuteness reminded us that children that young are so innocent to all of the adult problems around them. These two boys will always hold a special place in Days history, appearing in one of the most controversial storylines on the show in years. They made history with their unprecedented return, appearing on more than 80 episodes and four soap magazine covers in the process. They will be sorely missed.
We invite you to return to our page on the night of Wednesday, May 1, for a special "goodbye JT" update to Jacob and Joshua's pages. We will feature 15-20 new scenes, including their last day on the show.
Please leave a message for the boys and their family in the Goodbye Book below. We know the character of J.T. and the boys' onscreen presence has touched many of you. Please let their family know how much you appreciate their special little boys by sending them a special message or recounting your favorite scene with JT. Please note that messages will not appear onscreen until they are approved to go online.
Return to Jacob and
Joshua Rips Return to The Children of
Salem