left open for his character to return. He revealed that he wanted to pursue other endeavors such as producing and directing. Not even his Daytime Emmy win could make Smith rethink his decision to vacate the role of Sonny. "During the press conference after his win, Smith said "I think it’s a reminder [of DAYS] but it’s also pushing me into the future; letting me spread my wings and move on. It represents a lot of things — the future and the past, if you will." "Working 60 hours a week on DOOL, I had all my focus on the show. In order for me to direct and pursue films, I had to make the tough decision and leave the show." Smith had signed a four-year contract, and "I knew my contract was coming to an end and the big decision had to be made." He continued "as an actor, I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone." Smith met with executive producer Ken Corday and the production team to inform them of his decision. "They even said the door was always open, which is the best compliment I could have received" the actor said of the show's support of him. Smith's final scenes aired on August 18, 2015 and he posted a heartfelt message to fans on his Facebook page. "As Freddie I was genuinely sad, and so was the character" Smith said of his final day on set. "It was very emotional." Smith explained that his desire to try other things contributed to his decision not to sign another contract earlier in the year. "I have a few films that are already in preproduction. They'll go into production very soon." In story, Sonny leaves town to work for his uncle Victor in Europe after his marriage to Will falls apart due to Will's affair with Sonny's boyfriend, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean). Smith appreciated that the character had experienced some pain and drama. "Before the story [with Paul and Will] start, I remember thinking, 'Sonny's so happy. Can he just yell once in a while?'" Smith insisted that Sonny could definitely return. Only a month after Freddie Smith's final scenes aired, rumors circulated that Guy Wilson's Will Horton was to be killed off in October. Days historian Jason47 reported that Smith would briefly reprise the role of Sonny to help facilitate Wilson's departure. Smith told Soap Opera Digest