Hayes commemorated his 50th anniversary of appearing on the soap opera, which made its debut on NBC in 1965. The year 2020 marked the occasion.
The loss has occurred of Bill Hayes, a well-liked soap opera performer who was a mainstay on the show Days of Our Lives. He aged to 98.
Sadly, Hayes passed away on Friday, according to ET. At this time, the cause of loss remains unknown. “It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved Bill Hayes,” said a statement that was sent by his representative.
“One of the longest running characters on Days of our Lives, Bill originated the role of Doug Williams in 1970 and portrayed him continuously throughout his life,” according to the announcement. “He and his wife, Susan Seaforth-Hayes, remained the foundation of the Williams-Horton family spanning more than 50 years.”
“I have known Bill for the majority of my life, and he embodied the heart and soul of Days of our Lives,” said Ken Corday, the executive producer of the iconic soap opera. “Everything about him was perfection.” “Although we are grieving and will miss him, Bill’s indelible legacy will live on in our hearts and the stories we tell, both on and off the screen.”
Within the context of the variety show Your Show of Shows, Hayes was also known by the name Sid Caesar. In addition, he was well-known for his extraordinary skill as a vocalist, having achieved success with the song “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” in that year, 1955. He would join Days of Our Lives in February of 1970, and his soon-to-be-wife, who portrayed the role of the heiress Julie Olsen Banning Anderson Williams, would join him on the soap around 15 months later.
The wedding between Hayes and Seaforth-Hayes took place in October of 1974. Hayes is said to have stated in the past that he and Seaforth-Hayes “got married in my living room with sixteen people.” This information comes from The Hollywood Reporter. But when their characters were married on the program in an episode that aired in 1976, “we had 16 million people.”
Although they would finally quit the program in 1984, the pair would continue to make cameos on the show from time to time. In point of fact, the pair made their comeback to the program in 2022, after the soap opera had relocated to Peacock.
Two nominations for Daytime Emmys were given to Hayes in the years 1975 and 1976. After that, in 2018, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys.
Hayes began his professional life as a radio broadcaster for NBC and for Oldsmobile. He also worked as a pitchman for the company. In fact, he even performed in their ads with Florence Henderson, who played the role of The Brady Bunch! He has appeared in a number of films and television shows, including Matlock, Hooperman, Cop Rock, and Stop! You’re Killing Me, among others. Moreover, he was a Broadway star. In 1953, he made his movie debut with the film Me and Juliet.
Hayes celebrated his 98th birthday in a magnificent manner in June of last year, when his wife and his castmates from Days of Our Lives toasted his big day with a cake and a song.
Seaforth-Hayes, their five children, twelve grandkids, and twenty-seven great-grandchildren are the only people who will remember Hayes.