In 2025, Rikaart got to show a different side of Leo on Days of our Lives as he bonded with baby Jude as his “dad” — a turn that led to Greg being nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actor category. While he normally submits more humorous scenes, he decided to change it up this year. The actor submitted a monologue in which Leo holds baby Jude and expresses his concerns about the child’s future.

Key Takeaways

• Greg Rikaart has been a fixture in the soap community since he joined Y&R in 2003. He even pulled double duty for a while, debuting as Leo in 2018.
• He is nominated for a 2025 Daytime Emmy Award for Lead Actor.
• He’s a previous Daytime Emmy winner.
• Rikaart was thrust into a more serious storyline with baby Jude.

Leo Stark’s History

Leo Stark first arrived in Salem in 2018 as part of a scheme targeting Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith) and quickly made a name for himself in Salem with his sharp wit, bold personality, and flair for trouble. Over the years, Leo transitioned from con artist to comic relief to complex antihero, occasionally seeking redemption while remaining one of the soap’s most unpredictable residents. His past included blackmail, manipulation, and even a few romantic entanglements, all of which cemented his reputation as a fan-favorite troublemaker.

In 2024, Leo became a central figure in one of DAY’s most dramatic storylines — the baby Jude saga. After discovering that Sloan Petersen (Jessica Serfaty — here’s what you should know) and Melinda Trask (Tina Huang) had stolen Nicole Walker’s (Arianne Zucker — who settled her harassment lawsuit) newborn son and passed him off as Sloan’s adopted child, Leo found himself torn between his conscience and his instinct for survival.

Leo initially used the secret to blackmail Sloan for money, but the situation soon became far more personal. The longer he kept quiet, the more guilt consumed him, and viewers saw a new side of Leo—one capable of genuine compassion and emotional turmoil.

Leo’s connection to baby Jude deepened as he spent more time with the infant, caring for him tenderly and speaking to him about his future in scenes that revealed real vulnerability. When Leo finally tried to tell Nicole Walker and EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) the truth, they refused to believe him — with EJ even lashing out in anger.

His attempts to come clean spiraled into chaos, but his remorse and emotional breakdowns made for some of Greg Rikaart’s most powerful performances. By the time the truth began to surface, Leo had evolved from a schemer into an unlikely hero, his role in the baby switch story adding depth and humanity to a character once defined purely by mischief.

Actor Seeking His Second Daytime Emmy

In 2005, Rikaart won the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Emmy for his role of Kevin Fisher on The Young and the Restless. He was nominated in the same category in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, & 2018 for his role on Y&R.

In 2019, he scored a nomination for the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Emmy, this time for his current role on DAYS. Rikaart is a solid performer who often steals the scenes he is in. Whether Leo is being snarky, plotting, or being sweet and loving with Javi (Al Calderon).