January has been nothing short of devastating for Leo Stark—and absolutely electrifying for Greg Rikaart. As winter storms battered much of the U.S.,

Days of Our Lives delivered its own emotional blizzard, one that left Leo’s marriage in ruins and his sense of self in tatters. Through heartbreak,

self-destruction, and agonizing self-reflection, Rikaart turned Leo’s unraveling into a masterclass in daytime performance. The result? A standout month

that earned him Soap Hub’s Performer of the Month and reignited awards-season buzz.

For Leo, the new year began with promise and ended in ashes. His marriage barely survived its vows, collapsing almost instantly under the weight of unresolved love and impossible choices. For Rikaart, however, the chaos proved fertile ground. January became a showcase for everything he does best—layered vulnerability, razor-sharp dialogue delivery, and emotional transparency that never feels performative. When Leo fell apart, Rikaart soared.

A Marriage Doomed by the Past

Leo’s downfall was swift and merciless. Just moments after saying “I do,” his marriage began to crumble with the sudden return of Dimitri Von Leuschner (Peter Porte), the man who once held Leo’s heart. The reappearance of Dimitri didn’t just complicate Leo’s present—it detonated it. Torn between the man he married, Javi Hernandez (Al Calderon), and the love he never truly let go of, Leo found himself paralyzed by indecision.

Rikaart played this internal conflict with exquisite restraint. Leo wasn’t simply confused; he was haunted. Every glance, every pause, every brittle laugh suggested a man terrified of what his heart might choose if he stopped fighting it. The implosion of Leo’s marriage wasn’t melodramatic for the sake of it—it felt tragically inevitable, and Rikaart made sure viewers understood exactly why.

Spiraling, Drinking, and Self-Loathing

As the fallout set in, Leo reverted to old habits—drinking too much, lashing out, and drowning in self-doubt. The character’s regression could have felt repetitive in lesser hands. Instead, Rikaart infused it with specificity. This wasn’t the same Leo as before; this was a man who knew he’d grown, and feared he was losing that progress.

Scenes with Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn) and Xander Cook (Paul Telfer) offered moments of raw confession. Leo didn’t hide behind sarcasm or manipulation. He admitted his fear, his shame, and the uncomfortable truth that Dimitri still mattered. Each admission pushed him deeper into despair, because acknowledging those feelings meant confronting what they could cost him.

Javi wanted Leo fully—heart, soul, future. And Leo desperately wanted to be that man. The question Rikaart made impossible to ignore was simple and devastating: Could Leo give Javi everything when part of him still belonged to someone else?

The Black Hat vs. the White Hat

One of the most compelling elements of Rikaart’s January performance was the moral tug-of-war playing out behind Leo’s eyes. Leo has always been a character defined by duality—the schemer versus the romantic, the survivor versus the saboteur. With Javi, he’d begun to believe in a better version of himself. With Dimitri’s return, that belief was shaken.

Rikaart conveyed this conflict not just through dialogue—though his stream-of-consciousness monologues were delivered with breathtaking clarity—but through silence. The heartbreak was etched into Leo’s gaze. The fear of becoming someone he didn’t want to be again was palpable. Reuniting with Dimitri promised passion, familiarity, and danger—the “black hat” life Leo once wore so comfortably. Staying true to Javi meant choosing growth, honesty, and stability—the “white hat” he wasn’t sure still fit.

That hesitation, that refusal to choose too quickly, became the emotional spine of the month. Leo knew the cost of both paths. Rikaart made sure the audience felt it, too.

Javi’s Exit and the Weight of Abandonment

As if the emotional stakes weren’t high enough, Javi’s departure delivered another crushing blow. While he left town to care for his father, the deeper wound was his lack of faith in their relationship. He could have invited Leo to go with him. He didn’t. That choice spoke volumes—and Rikaart’s reaction said even more.

The devastation wasn’t explosive. It was quiet, hollow, and deeply human. Another relationship had ended badly, and Leo was left wondering if he was the common denominator. Rikaart captured that moment of reckoning with heartbreaking precision, portraying a man who wanted to believe in love but no longer trusted himself to sustain it.

A Month to Remember—and a Year to Watch

There’s no question that January gave Greg Rikaart exceptional material. But great writing only goes so far without an actor capable of elevating it. Rikaart didn’t just hit every emotional beat—he expanded them, layered them, and made them linger. His work this month recalled why he won a Daytime Emmy in 2005 for The Young and the Restless, and why he earned a Days of Our Lives nomination last year.

It may only be January, but awards chatter is already bubbling. If this is how 2026 begins, Rikaart should absolutely be considered a serious Emmy contender. His portrayal of Leo Stark isn’t just compelling—it’s fearless, honest, and resonant.

As Days of Our Lives continues to explore the fallout from Dimitri’s return and Leo’s unresolved heartache, one thing is certain: Greg Rikaart has set the bar high. Leo’s world may be in pieces, but Rikaart’s performance proves that sometimes, from the wreckage, greatness emerges.