In 2020, Hayes celebrated his 50th anniversary of being on the soap, which premiered on NBC in 1965.
Bill Hayes, the beloved soap star who was a staple on Days of Our Lives, has died. He was 98.
ET can confirm Hayes died on Friday. The cause of death is not known. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved Bill Hayes," a statement from his rep read.
"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," the statement continued. "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 most of my life and he embodied the heart and soul of Days of our Lives," said Ken Corday, executive producer of the popular soap. "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."
Hayes was also known as Sid Caesar on the variety program, Your Show of Shows. He was also known for his incredible talent as singer, after scoring a hit in 1955 with "The Ballad of Davy Crockett." He would join Days of Our Lives in February 1970, and his soon-to-be wife, who played the heiress Julie Olsen Banning Anderson Williams, joined him on the show some 15 months later.
Hayes and Seaforth-Hayes tied the knot in October 1974. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hayes once said that he and Seaforth-Hayes "got married in my living room with 16 people." But when their characters tied the knot on the show in a 1976 episode, "we had 16 million people."
The couple would eventually leave the show in 1984, but they'd make appearances here and there. In fact, the couple returned to the show after the soap moved to Peacock in 2022.
Hayes earned two Daytime Emmy nominations in 1975 and 1976. He went on to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys in 2018.
Hayes started his career as an NBC radio host, and also served as a pitchman for Oldsmobile. He even sang in their commercials alongside The Brady Bunch's Florence Henderson! Some of his TV and movie credits include Matlock, Hooperman, Cop Rock and Stop! You're Killing Me. He also graced Broadway. He made his debut in 1953 with Me and Juliet.
Hayes celebrated his 98th birthday in grand fashion last June, when his wife and their Days of Our Lives castmates celebrated his big day with a cake and a song.
Hayes is survived by Seaforth-Hayes, their five children, 12 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
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