Shane Donovan | |||||||||||||||||
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Days of our Lives | |||||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Charles Shaughnessy Joseph Mascolo (disguised as Stefano DiMera) Steve Hart (body double as Stefano) | ||||||||||||||||
Current status | Former; Recurring | ||||||||||||||||
Duration | 1984–92, 2002, 2010, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2021, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
First appearance | July 31, 1984 | ||||||||||||||||
Last appearance | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
Cause/reason | Left Town | ||||||||||||||||
Created by | Margaret DePriest and Sheri Anderson | ||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Betty Corday and Al Rabin | ||||||||||||||||
Profile | |||||||||||||||||
Alias(es) | Stefano DiMera (2017) | ||||||||||||||||
Gender | Male | ||||||||||||||||
Occupation | Retired ISA Agent Head of the ISA | ||||||||||||||||
Residence | Los Angeles, California | ||||||||||||||||
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Shane Donovan is a character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Charles Shaughnessy. He is an agent of the ISA and husband to Kimberly Brady. Donovan and Brady were a supercouple.
Storylines
Shane Donovan arrived in Salem in 1984. He was tasked by the ISA to investigate Stefano DiMera's illegal activities and posed as Larry Welch's butler. Shane learned Stefano had acquired two of the three prisms that Larry's father had designed. Later that same year, Shane learned Stefano was about to acquire the final prism through a Russian ice skating troop that had come to Salem. Bo Brady and Hope Brady got the prism, but it ended uo imbedded in the ice rink after a scuffle with Stefano's men.
In 1985, Shane went with Kimberly Brady, Bo, and Hope to stop the terrorist known as the Dragon from assassinating Lady Joanne. Bo and Hope managed to trap the Dragon in the tower of London, but he escaped and headed to the US. Shane learned the Dragon was his old friend the Duke of Earl and he later fell to his death during a scuffle with Shane. Shane and Kim fell in love, but Kim started suffering from temporary blindness and Shane learned his wife Emma Donovan was alive. Emma had been kidnapped and brainwashed by the Dragon. Shane and Emma officially divorced, so he could he with Kim.
Shane purchased a mansion that would be called the Donovan Manor, complete with a secret ISA room. Shane's ISA mentor and friend Levina "Peachie" Peaches came to Salem, and posed as Shane's housekeeper. Shane and Peachie were tasked with taking down Victor Kiriakis. In 1985, Kimberly came to possess a roll of film that contained some prints to a treasure that Stefano and Victor were both after. While in Miami, Shane, Bo, Hope, and Kim set out to destroy Victor's plan. Victor had Shane imprisoned, but Kim slept with Victor to spare his life. Shane escaped, and saved Bo and Hope, who were trapped with an explosive to kill them. Victor and his accomplices Savannah Wilder and Steve Johnson were arrested for being apart of Salem's crime syndicate. They were all released when Victor blackmailed Larry Welch with the knowledge that he had accidentally killed Stefano's daughter Megan Hathaway. Shane and Kim became engaged, but then Kim discovered she was pregnant and feared that Victor could be the father. She hid this fact from Shane, who eventually overheard her confess her fears, and he broke up with her.When Hope was kidnapped by Larry Welch, Shane returned to Salem in the Winter to help find her. Shane left town again after Hope was found and brought home.
Shane later returned in 2010 and was revealed to have been held prisoner in a South American prison while on assignment with the ISA. Shane escaped with the help of Rafe and both returned to Salem in time for Alice Horton's funeral. Shane reconnected with Kimberly, who was in town for Alice's memorial service, and admitted that he wanted his future with her and the family and not with the ISA. Shane and Kimberly reunited and moved to LA to be together as a family.
In 2012, Jeannie Donovan came to town now going by her middle name of Theresa. Theresa was a trouble maker and addicted to drugs. She ended up overdosing and Shane and Kim came to Salem to see her. They worried about Theresa and wondered if they should leave her in Salem.
In 2015, Shane had a health condition and Eve and her daughter Paige left Salem to visit him. Shane was devastated when Paige was murdered in 2014 by The Necktie Killer, later revealed to he Ben Weston. In November 2016, Shane and Kim returned to Salem to warn Theresa about her ex-boyfriend Mateo. They tried to get her to run, but Theresa wanted to help Shane bring Mateo down, so she could eventually come home to her family. To do this, Theresa pretended to get back together with Mateo. Shane also met with his friends, and said he would do whatever he could to help clear Hope of Stefano's murder.
In December 2016, Shane said they have reason to believe Stefano is still alive and faked his death. After discovering the body buried in Stefano's grave was not Stefano, a team composed of Marlena, Rafe, Steve, and Paul Narita left to find Stefano. They finally caught Stefano on February 8, but he escaped on February 9. On February 10, it was revealed that Shane had posed as Stefano, so they could get Hope out of prison.Shane and Steve felt sure their plan had worked and that the real Stefano was dead and buried. As Shane was going over footage, Steve laughed at the notion that "Stefano" was feeding pigeons. Shane laughed that it was cute, but added that it wasn't him. Steve was shocked, and Shane reiterated that that wasn't him.
Steve thought Shane was joking, but Shane said he never went to that park and he never fed any pigeons. Steve started to worry and told Shane that they both know Stefano is dead and there just happens to be someone out there who looks like him. Shane sarcastically scoffed that he believed that too.
By 2021, Shane was the new head of the ISA. The ISA had been tasked with reclaiming jewels of the Alamanian Peacock, and Shane went to see John to ask for his help. Shane explains the history of the Almanian and how the peacock had been stolen by Hope when he had been under Stefano's control. The jewels had been fenced and now the ISA wanted John's help in reclaiming the jewels.
Shane explained that one of the jewels was up for auction and he wanted him and Marlena to go and bid on it. The other two jewels had already fallen into the wrong hands. Shane gave John a gun that Marlena noted looked like a toy. Shane said it had been 3D printed to avoid a metal detector. He said the ISA isn't anticipating any trouble, but they should be prepared just in case.
Shane was still woozy from being attacked and initially pointed the gun at Ben until he found out that someone who looked like him had already visited them and took the jewels. Shane quickly realized it was Drew, and was dismayed to find out he had also taken the jewel that John had acquired.
Shane went to leave to find Drew, and stop him. Ben wanted to talk about Page, but Shane said he can't deal with that now while innocent lives are at stake like his granddaughter had been innocent when he killed her. Ciara attempted to calm Shane, who asked Ciara if she was sure Ben was worth it. Ciara said she is, and Shane said he hopes so for her sake.
In 2022, it was revealed that Andrew had followed in his father's footsteps, and became an ISA agent. This made Shane vulnerable and helpless in 2023 when Andrew was kidnapped and held captive by Dimitri Von Leuschner, who has prevails worked for the ISA under the alias of Kyle Graham.
Dimitri wanted immunity for himself and Megan Hathaway, but also later added Kristen DiMera. Desperate to save his son, Shane granted all three immunity despite the risk they could pose to the world.