When it comes to diving into the twisted psyche of a villain, few actors relish the opportunity quite like Wes Ramsey. The fan-favorite performer recently opened up

about returning to Salem and stepping back into the dangerously complex mindset of Owen — a character whose darkness has left a lasting mark on Days of Our Lives.

And according to Ramsey, slipping back into Owen’s troubled world wasn’t just easy — it was exhilarating.

Returning to the Mind of a Villain

For many actors, revisiting a psychologically layered antagonist can be daunting. But for Ramsey, the process felt almost instinctive. He has long embraced roles that explore emotional extremes, and Owen represents one of the most morally fractured characters he’s portrayed.

Rather than approaching the role cautiously, Ramsey leaned into it.

“Dark roles are the most fun work,” he has shared in recent conversations. And that sentiment isn’t just a soundbite — it reflects his deep appreciation for characters who live in the gray areas of morality.

Owen is not a mustache-twirling caricature. He’s a man shaped by obsession, insecurity, and emotional instability. That complexity gives Ramsey room to explore motivations that feel disturbingly human.

Why Darkness Feels Authentic

Ramsey explains that playing darker characters often requires brutal honesty. There’s no hiding behind charm or heroism. Every action must be justified from the inside out.

For Owen, that meant reconnecting with the character’s fractured logic — understanding how he rationalizes harmful decisions and convincing himself he’s the wronged party.

It’s in those nuances where Ramsey thrives.

Rather than portraying Owen as purely evil, he taps into vulnerability. What does Owen fear? What does he believe he deserves? Where did things go wrong? These internal questions fuel the performance and elevate it beyond surface-level villainy.

The result is a character viewers love to hate — and sometimes, begrudgingly, understand.

Pushing Further the Second Time Around

Returning to a role offers a rare creative advantage: hindsight. Ramsey wasn’t simply repeating past beats; he was expanding them.

He has admitted that stepping back into Owen’s mindset came quickly, but this time he allowed himself to push further — to explore emotional territory he may have only hinted at before.

That meant heightening Owen’s unpredictability. It meant finding moments of eerie calm before explosive behavior. It meant leaning into stillness, allowing silence to carry menace.

Soap operas are known for heightened drama, but Ramsey’s approach remains grounded. He avoids theatrics for theatrics’ sake. Instead, he builds tension slowly, letting viewers feel something unsettling long before chaos erupts.

 

The Impact on Salem

Owen’s presence doesn’t exist in a vacuum. His actions ripple outward, affecting the very fabric of Salem. That interconnected storytelling is part of what makes Days of Our Lives such a compelling canvas for actors.

Ramsey’s portrayal directly influences the emotional arcs of other beloved characters. When Owen resurfaces, it isn’t just about his story — it’s about the fallout.

Victims are forced to relive trauma. Families are pulled into crisis mode. Trust fractures. And relationships that once seemed stable suddenly feel fragile.

Ramsey understands that responsibility. Playing the antagonist means fueling conflict while still honoring the emotional journeys of scene partners.

The Thrill of Psychological Tension

What excites Ramsey most isn’t the physicality of villainy — it’s the psychological tension.

He describes dark roles as creatively liberating. They allow him to explore emotional volatility in ways heroic characters rarely do. Where protagonists must often maintain moral consistency, villains can unravel.

That unraveling process — the cracks forming in composure — is where Ramsey finds artistic freedom.

Owen’s mind is a maze of obsession and wounded pride. Portraying that mental spiral requires precision. Too much intensity, and the character becomes implausible. Too little, and the threat evaporates.

Ramsey walks that line carefully, creating a performance that feels dangerous yet grounded.

Chemistry With the Cast

Another key element of Ramsey’s return lies in his dynamic with the ensemble cast. Soap storytelling thrives on long-standing relationships, and his scenes gain added weight because of shared history.

Actors who have worked together for years bring authenticity to confrontations. Eye contact carries subtext. Pauses carry memory.

Ramsey’s darker performance pushes his co-stars into equally intense territory. Emotional reactions feel heightened because the stakes are personal.

The chemistry becomes combustible — and viewers feel it.

Why Audiences Gravitate Toward Villains

There’s a reason fans remain captivated by characters like Owen. Villains often expose truths heroes cannot. They test boundaries. They force moral reckonings.

Ramsey recognizes that audiences don’t just want comfort — they want conflict. Dark characters drive momentum. They create the “what happens next?” factor that keeps viewers tuning in.

By embracing Owen’s instability rather than softening it, Ramsey ensures that unpredictability remains central to the storyline.

And unpredictability, in Salem, is everything.

A Career Built on Complexity

Ramsey’s affinity for layered antagonists isn’t new. Throughout his career, he has gravitated toward roles that explore emotional extremes.

He believes darkness provides more emotional colors to play with. Fear, jealousy, desperation, obsession — these are intense states that demand vulnerability from an actor.

Ironically, portraying cruelty often requires empathy. To make Owen believable, Ramsey must understand him. He must humanize him without excusing him.

That balancing act defines his craft.

The Emotional Toll — and Reward

While Ramsey speaks enthusiastically about dark roles, he’s also candid about their emotional intensity. Living in a troubled mindset, even temporarily, requires focus and decompression.

Yet the reward outweighs the challenge.

There’s satisfaction in creating a character that sparks conversation. Social media reactions, fan debates, and watercooler speculation all signal that the performance is resonating.

In daytime television, where storytelling moves quickly, making a lasting impression is no small feat. Ramsey’s return ensures that Owen remains unforgettable.

What This Means for Future Storylines

With Ramsey fully embracing Owen’s darker edges, viewers can expect storylines that dig deeper into psychological suspense.

The character’s return suggests unfinished business — and potentially explosive confrontations ahead. As Salem grapples with secrets and shifting alliances, Owen’s presence looms like a storm cloud.

If Ramsey continues pushing the character into more complex emotional territory, fans may witness one of the show’s most layered villain arcs yet.

The Joy of Going Dark

At the heart of it all, Ramsey’s message is simple: darkness is creatively thrilling.

While some actors chase heroic arcs or romantic leads, Ramsey finds his spark in characters who challenge comfort zones. Dark roles demand courage. They require surrendering vanity and leaning into discomfort.

For Ramsey, that’s where the magic happens.

In a genre known for epic love stories and dramatic showdowns, villains remain essential. And with Ramsey back in Salem, embracing every shadowed corner of Owen’s psyche, Days of Our Lives is once again proving that sometimes the most captivating performances come from the darkest places.

As the drama unfolds, one thing is certain: when Wes Ramsey goes dark, Salem feels it.