Bill Hayes, known for his role in “Days of Our Lives,” passed away Friday in Los Angeles at 98-years-old, according to a press release.
Hayes’ Hollywood career started with acting and singing in the 1950s, rising to his most notable role on NBC’s soap opera, “Days of Our Lives,” in 1970, according to Deadline. Hayes had played the role of a con artist/lounge singer known as Doug Williams on and off up until 2023, the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘Sopranos’ Star Richard Romanus Dead At 80)
“It’s with a heavy heart that we report that Bill Hayes, who played Days of Our Lives’ beloved Doug Williams for 54 years, has died at the age of 98. And those words — or some variation of them — are ones that we always knew we’d have to type at some point,” the soap opera show stated in a press release.
“Everyone dies. That’s life, right? But we did not realize until we actually had to click-click-click on the keyboard how doing so would make us feel.”
During his time on the “Days of Our Lives” show, Hayes had worked alongside his wife, Susan Seaforth-Hayes, who had portrayed an heiress by the name of Julie Olsen Banning Anderson Williams, joining just 15 months prior to Hayes, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
“When we think of Days of Our Lives, we think of a few things automatically: the hourglass, Deidre Hall and Marlena Evans, donuts and Hayes and his on- and off-screen wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes, who plays Julie. The chemistry that the two of them struck up was so palpable that not only did it spill over into real life, it landed them a 1976 cover of Time magazine,” the show’s statement continued. “It doesn’t get a whole lot more iconic than that.”
Both Hayes and his wife later went on to receive a lifetime achievement award in April 2018 at the Daytime Emmys, THR reported.
Along with his successful acting career, Hayes additionally had many achievements within the music industry as well, according to Deadline. In 1955, the “Days of Our Lives” actor had a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, selling over two million copies, the outlet reported.
The soap opera legend is survived by five children, 12 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren, according to THR.