Cherie Jimenez still sounds a little awestruck when she talks about how Gabi Hernandez came into her life on Days of Our Lives. She has been in Salem for one year now. However, for Jimenez, landing the role was not just another job offer—she says it felt like something that finally clicked into place after years of trying. This was a random audition in Hollywood that became a “dream role” for her.

Cherie Jimenez speaks about her Days of Our Lives character, Gabi Hernandez

Cherie Jimenez reminisced about how casting came together for Days of Our Lives back in 2023. She says it was a time when the industry was frozen, primarily due to the strikes. The projects were stalled, and work was scarce.

Despite it all, Jimenez was able to get an audition for Days of Our Lives. But soon, it turned out to be a full-circle moment. She says, “I got the audition for Days of Our Lives and thought, ‘Wow, I haven’t auditioned for DAYS since I was 22 for the role of Gabi.” (via Talk About It with Franjez podcast)

Back then, the timing was not right for her. However, this time, the script pages came with a fake character name; thus, Jimenez assumed she was playing a relative of Gabi, not Gabi herself. She says, “I thought it was to be her sister because we kind of look alike, or to be a cousin or something.”

Later, when official paperwork arrived from the show, it revealed that Gabi Hernandez would be played by Cherie Jimenez on Days of Our Lives. After a screen test, the producers called her and confirmed her for the role. They said that nobody else compared to her.

Jimenez says that sentence is one she will carry with her for the rest of her life. For an actress who had endured years of near misses, the feeling was overwhelming. She said, “For the first time, it was my turn.”