Days of Our Lives has lost Bill Hayes, who has been a cast member for a very long period.
It has been confirmed by individuals that the actor, whose birth name was William Foster Hayes III, has passed away at the age of 98.
Our dearly loved Bill Hayes has passed away, and it is with a sad heart that we share this news with you. According to a representative for the television series, who spoke with People on Friday, “Bill is one of the characters who has been on Days of our Lives for the longest amount of time. He first played the character of Doug Williams in 1970 and has continued to portray him throughout his entire life.”
The representative went on to say that “he and his wife, Susan Seaforth-Hayes, remained the foundation of the Williams-Horton family for more than fifty years over the course of their marriage.”
Ken Corday, the executive producer of Days of Our Lives, said, “I have known Bill for the majority of my life, and he embodied the heart and soul of Days of our Lives.” Bill’s indelible legacy will continue to live on in our hearts and in the tales that we tell, both on and off the screen, despite the fact that we are mourning and will miss working with him.
During the summer of 2017, the talented individual who was born in Harvey, Illinois celebrated his 98th birthday on the set of the Peacock soap opera. In order to commemorate the momentous event, his co-stars presented him with a bespoke cake that included a photograph of him when he was younger.
One of the words that was inscribed on the bottom of the delicious treat was “Happy Birthday Bill.” During the momentous occasion, his wife Susan, who is 80 years old, was by his side.
During the time that she was presenting him with the cake, she informed everyone who were assembled on the set that Bill was the very first person to ever sing on daytime television. The members of his cast and the personnel working on site applauded him for his achievement.
In 2018, Bill was honored with the Daytime Emmy’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his role of Doug Williams on the soap opera, which spanned many decades.
In more ways than one, the performance had proven to be a memorable experience for him. They had a chance encounter on the set of the soap opera, and in July of 1970, they kissed each other on television. In October of 1974, they finally tied the knot and became a couple in the midst of their relationship.
On October 1, 1976, the couple’s television characters also exchanged “I do” expressions with one another, which resulted in a second wedding for the pair.
It is Bill’s son, William Foster Hayes IV, who will carry on his legacy.In a video that was uploaded to the couple’s shared Instagram account, the homage was recorded on tape and shared with the world. When she finished telling everyone in the room about his historic first, she gave the signal for the other people to sing “Happy Birthday” to him.
On set today, we celebrated Billy’s 98th birthday, and we would want to express our gratitude to that cast and crew. Furthermore, the double chocolate cake was a delectable treat! 🎂❤️,” the caption of the carousel appeared.
