After months of significant casting changes at NBC soap opera, Days Of Our Lives the shakeup continues with Natalia Livingston (Taylor Raines) out and Tamara Braun in.

According to Soap Opera Digest, Gary Tomlin, Days Of Our Lives Co-Executive Producer, the decision to replace Natalia Livingston with Tamara Braun was borne of a desire “to take the character of Taylor in a new direction.” He also had nothing but praise for Natalia Livingston.

Natalia Livingston, an Emmy award winning soap opera actress, began airing as Nicole Walker’s younger sister, Taylor only three weeks ago. Prior to that, she was known to daytime soap opera audiences for her portrayal as Emily Quartermaine and later Rebecca Shaw on General Hospital. She won her Daytime Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2005 for the role of Emily.

Tamara Braun, Natalia’s replacement for the Days Of Our Lives character of Taylor, should also be familiar to General Hospital viewers. From 2001 to 2005, Tamara Braun played Carly Corinthos, the wife of Sonny Corinthos.

Like Livingston, Braun is also a recipient of a Daytime Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Daytime Series. Braun received the award in 2009, for her portrayal as Ava Vitali on Days Of Our Lives. The role of Taylor Raines will be the second character she portrays on Days Of Our Lives.

Ava Vitali was introduced in 2008 as a woman from Steve Johnson’s past. She was the unstable daughter of a crime boss that even Stefano DiMera and Victor Kiriakis feared. Ava, was responsible for the mechanical failures and explosion on John Black’s private jet en route from Ireland to Salem. The damage resulted in the death of Shawn Brady, Senior.

Ava, obsessed with Steve, Ava kidnapped him, and Hope (believing she was Kayla). In a bungeld rescue attempt the real Kayla was captured by Ava and also held hostage. Kayla was instrumental in realizing that Ava’s deranged behavior was the result of her father keeping her drugged. Ava left Salem to avoid prosecution in Shawn Brady’s death.

Given Taylor is to receive a personality overhaul with this recast, and the type of character’s Tamara Braun has successfully portrayed in the past, it is likely we’ll see Taylor become a more edgy, forthright character. A little more like her sister, Nicole.

Natalia Livingston’s Taylor, has had a sweeter disposition, more suited to being Theo’s Carver’s governess, than taking on EJ DiMera romantically. And in a fight with Nicole for EJ’s affections, Taylor may need to sharpen her claws.

Natalia Livingston will be seen onscreen as Taylor until late April. Tune in to see how the transition from Livingston to Tamara Braun plays out.

Days Of Our Lives airs weekdays on NBC at 1pm in most markets.