In the world of TV dramas, where stories unfold like magic, we’re sad to share some tough news. Days of Our Lives star, Bill Hayes, the wonderful actor who played Doug Williams for the long duration of 54 years, has passed away at the age 98. This news hits us right in the gut. We cannot really imagine a world without Doug, if we are being very fair. Days of Our Lives team confirmed the new of Bill’s passing. Talking about it Ken Corday, The Days of Our Lives creator shared that Bill was the heart and soul of the show.
A Longtime Friend
Bill Hayes was like a friend we saw on our screens for a really, really long time. He played Doug, a character we loved, for more than five decades! That’s longer than many of us have been alive. Losing him feels like losing a part of our TV family. He did amazing things with the character, turning Doug from a tricky person into a charming romantic lead. When we think of Days of Our Lives, we think of a few things that come to mind right away: the hourglass, Deidre Hall and Marlena Evans, donuts, and Bill Hayes with his on-screen and off-screen wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes, who plays Julie.
The love they showed on-screen was so real that they ended up on the cover of Time magazine in 1976. That’s a really big deal! Bill Hayes did more than just Days of Our Lives stuff. He was a singer and he even had a song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1955. He did Broadway shows and worked with really famous singers and dancers. So, when Doug came to Salem in 1970, he was not just a character but also a lounge singer. (And yes, he was a convict too. It is Salem, after all!)
A Friendly Guy On Days of Our Lives
The Days of Our Lives star Bill Hayes was not just a good actor; he was also a really friendly and warm person. Ken Corday, who knows him well, said Bill was always nice on set and had the same great personality we loved seeing on screen. The man we saw acting was very much the same man in real life. During his time on the show, Bill did a lot of things. He sang, danced a lot in the early days, became the mayor of Salem, and even played the Devil in a musical number with the famous Dick Van Dyke. That’s a lot of different things for one character to do!
Days of Our Lives has had a tough time lately. Just a bit more than a year ago, they said goodbye to Victor after John Aniston, another actor on the show, passed away. Losing two loved characters is really hard. In the end, Bill Hayes will always be in our hearts as a special part of the soap opera world. Today, we celebrate the life and career of a true soap opera legend. We’ll remember the happy, sad, and unforgettable moments he brought to our screens for more than five amazing decades. As we say goodbye to Doug Williams, we’ll keep the memories of Bill Hayes alive, grateful for the laughter and tears he shared with us through the magic of television. For the latest Days of Our Lives updates
