financially" Christopher explained of his expecting to take a pay cut. However, the actor was instead told that a "pay cut was not an option," though it was an option for others. The actor was angry over the decision and said "I felt like I earned my spot as a permanent fixture on the show." Christopher filmed his last scenes on May 20, 2011 and last appeared in June. Christoper revealed that things felt awkward on his last day because "nobody really knew what to say to me." While the manner in which the situation was handled gave Christopher a "bad taste in my mouth," the actor had already agreed to a three episode return stint under newly appointed head writer Garin Wolf by the time his final scenes aired. Those scenes would air in late July 2011. In January 2013, executive producer Frank Valentini revealed he had met with Christopher about potentially reprising the role of Nikolas in celebration of show's 50th anniversary. In February 2013, Christopher's co-star Nancy Lee Grahn—who played Alexis Davis—revealed that Christopher had been on set. However, there was speculation that Christopher's return was supposed to be a surprise because there was no prior announcement from the network. Christopher himself announced his return on Twitter a month later and reappeared on March 22. "It's an absolute honor" Christopher said of being included in the 50th anniversary storylines. Though the possibility of his return had always been a thought, the actor did not expect anything to come of it. Valentini told Christopher his return would be open ended while the actor awaited news on production for The Lying Game. While renewal of The Lying Game was stalled, Christopher revealed that he would remain with the series longer than planned. Soap Opera Digest announced in June 2013 that Christopher had been placed on contract. In the summer of 2014, Christopher revealed that he would be going on a four-month-long road trip with his family leading to immediate speculation that he would be off screen for the duration and would not affect his airtime. Head writer Ron Carlivati quickly clarified that Christopher's trip would occur during the weeks in which the show went on hiatus. In May 2016, actor Nick Stabile was temporarily cast in the role of Nikolas, with Christopher being unavailable, for an undisclosed amount of time. Stabile's tenure began on June 17, 2016 and ended