Alison Sweeney (Samantha Brady) will mark 20 years in Salem in January, and the actress plans to stick around much longer than that. Sweeney has revealed that she recently signed a new one-year contract with the NBC soap.

"I am super-excited to stay, and I am so honored that they asked me to stay," Sweeney told Soap Opera Digest. "The job continues to surprise and challenge me."

In a 2009 interview with Soap Central, Sweeney reflected on her first day of work.

"I remember my first day at work. I was so excited to be a part of a show that I'd been a fan of," Sweeney recounts excitedly. "I even remember my audition. My first two weeks on the show I was sneaking around Salem, so there weren't a lot of lines to memorize. My first scene was with Wayne Northrop (then-Roman Brady), who pulled a gun on me and said something like 'Freeze or I'll shoot!'"

Due to DAYS' speedy production schedule, Sweeney has already taped her 20th anniversary episode. It is scheduled to air on January 6.