You’d be hard-pressed to name someone whose life has taken more unpredictable turns than that of Days of Our Lives’ Ben Weston. But portrayer Robert Scott Wilson comes close — without the serial-killing, thankfully! And we aren’t just talking about the fact that he’s three years into his second Salem character, Alex Kiriakis.

The music-video hunk (who’s appeared in clips for everyone from David Guetta to Toni Braxton) went from being the first male model ever to point out a showcase on The Price Is Right to the role of Opal and Palmer Cortlandt’s shirt-averse son Pete on the short-lived online reboot of All My Children. Finally, Days of Our Lives tapped him to take over from Justin Gaston (later briefly Chance on The Young and the Restless) as Ben Weston. (May 22, 2014, was his first airdate.)

Did we mention that only a year later, the then-NBC soap decided to make its resident hottie the nefarious Necktie Killer? Yeah, that was a pretty pointy fork in the road. But trouper that he is, Wilson rolled with the punch. “I saw it not really as a door closing,” he told Soap Opera Digest in 2020, “but an opportunity.”

One with which he ran, so impressing the powers that be that even after Ben’s murder spree, they brought Wilson back to the show and, against all odds, transformed him into a not just a good guy but a guy good enough for Bo and Hope’s daughter, Ciara. That he and Victoria Konefal went on to create a supercouple goes — or could go — without saying.

“I remember the very first day [we] worked together,” he told Digest in 2019. “We didn’t try to force a romance or try to make it something it wasn’t… We showed up prepared and did the work.” And it worked. Big time.

Once “Cin” were given their happy ending, Konefal took her leave (as least as a contract player). But Wilson wanted to stay on as much as Days of Our Lives wanted him to stay. So in 2022, he was thrown another curve ball: He was dropped into the new role of Justin Kiriakis’ libidinous son, Alex.

And while we were initially skeptical of Alex (he was a bit of a shallow ladies’ man), he’s grown since those early days. He’s gained a fortune and lost it, found love with the woman who made him want to change his ways, lost it, then found it again. Much like his dad did, back when he moved out of his womanizing days, Alex has grown into a well-rounded, formidable character — with a bit of a wild side and a propensity to act out spicy erotica!

And while we don’t see Ben returning in any permanent capacity with Alex around, there’s still room for him here and there — especially with Bo’s imminent return, along with Hope and Ciara tomorrow! According to spoilers, the ladies are going to face Bo’s mortality and come to grips with saying goodbye once again. And Ciara could surely use the support of her loving husband in this trying time.

Fortunately, we’re pretty hopeful that the folks in Salem will find a last-minute miracle to save Bo, and we’d be sorely disappointed if there wasn’t a giant family reunion after that. After all, Bo has to meet his grandson and namesake. And both of the tots parents should be there to share in the special moment. Then there’s the show’s 60th anniversary coming up in November.

Both of Wilson’s characters are tied to giant legacy families, so surely there’d be a way to tie Alex and Ben (maybe not at the same time) to the anniversary.