John Aniston, cleaning soap opera villain extraordinaire and father of Jennifer Aniston, has died on the age of 89.
The Buddies actress introduced the information of the Days of Our Lives star’s demise Monday on social media.
“Candy papa… John Anthony Aniston,” she wrote. ”You had been probably the most lovely people I ever knew. I’m so grateful that you just went hovering into the heavens in peace — and with out ache. And on 11/11 no much less! You at all times had good timing. That quantity will endlessly maintain an excellent larger which means for me now. I’ll love you until the top of time. Don’t overlook to go to.”
She shared a sequence of candy pictures of them collectively via the years, together with one the place she is a new child in his arms. The final picture was a remaining shot of John.
The official Days of Our Lives account posted a tribute to the actor who performed unhealthy man Victor Kiriakis for many years. “Your legend will stay on,” it mentioned, partially.
John was born Yannis Anastassakis in Greece and emigrated to the U.S. along with his household as a baby. His father settled the household in Pennsylvania, the place they opened a restaurant, and anglicized the household title, altering it to Aniston.
John obtained a bachelor’s diploma in Theater Arts from Pennsylvania State College. After commencement, he served as an intelligence officer within the U.S. Navy, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.
He began appearing on the New York stage earlier than touchdown small TV (Kojak, I Spy, Mission: Unimaginable) and film roles. He quickly discovered regular work on cleaning soap operas, first on Love of Life, adopted by Seek for Tomorrow. In 1985, he landed the position of Victor Kiriakis on Days and it was an element he performed on and off for the remainder of his life.
Victor was certainly one of daytime TV’s biggest villains, inflicting a great deal of bother in fictional Salem. He obtained an Emmy nomination for Excellent Supporting Actor in a Drama Collection in 2017. In June, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award on the 2022 Daytime Emmys. Jennifer made a video for the event.
He advised the Tv Academy Basis that it was extra enjoyable enjoying unhealthy than good on the daytime drama. “The factor is: Being a goody two footwear on a cleaning soap opera isn’t any good. You gotta combine it up a little bit bit.” And he did. His character had mafia connections and ran prison enterprises. Victor plotted murders, blackmailed folks and faked his personal demise.
Whereas on Days, which now steams on Peacock, he additionally appeared in episodes of The West Wing, Mad Males, Chilly Case and Star Trek: Voyager, to call a couple of. He nearly did a visitor spot on his daughter’s hit NBC present Buddies, he advised the Tv Academy Basis.
John had daughter Jennifer, who was born in 1969, along with his first spouse, Nancy Dow. The couple had a bitter break up in 1980 and Jennifer was raised primarily by her mom, with whom she later had a well-known estrangement. Within the new situation of Attract, Jennifer talked about her household turmoil and coming to phrases with it via remedy, saying, “I forgave my mother. I forgave my father. I’ve forgiven my household.”
After John’s divorce from Dow, he married second spouse Sherry Rooney Aniston in 1984. She survives John as does the couple’s son, Alexander.