What Happened to the Original "Days of Our Lives "Stars? All About Their Lives 60 Years After the Soap Opera's Premiere Caroline BlairNovember 8, 2025 at 9:30 PM 0 Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Robin Platzer/FilmMagic Frances Reid as Alice Horton in Days of our Lives, Frances Reid attends the 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Days of Our Lives introduced the Horton and Brady families to viewers when it premiered on Nov.
- - What Happened to the Original "Days of Our Lives "Stars? All About Their Lives 60 Years After the Soap Opera's Premiere
Caroline BlairNovember 8, 2025 at 9:30 PM
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Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Robin Platzer/FilmMagic
Frances Reid as Alice Horton in Days of our Lives, Frances Reid attends the 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards -
Days of Our Lives introduced the Horton and Brady families to viewers when it premiered on Nov. 8, 1965
The soap opera has since aired over 15,000 episodes across its six-decade run
While several of the original actors have died, many of them still make appearances on the hit soap opera
Days of Our Lives has been a sensation for six decades!
The famed soap opera first hit television screens on Nov. 8, 1965, and has continued to feature dramatic storylines ever since. As of its 60th year, the series has aired over 15,000 episodes.
Prior to the show's milestone anniversary, several past and present cast members — including Deidre Hall, Alison Sweeney and Susan Seaforth Hayes — reunited to celebrate the milestone with PEOPLE.
"It's completely unheard of to go 60 years, and yet here we are, and I think it's due to a lot of people doing a lot of things right," Hall shared.
When the series premiered in 1965, it followed the fictional Brady and Horton families in the town of Salem, Ill. The earliest cast members included Frances Reid, Hall, Macdonald Carey, Maree Cheatham, John Clarke and Suzanne Rogers, who is one of the longest-tenured actors in the country.
On-screen and off-screen couple Susan and Bill Hayes joined the cast a few years later and remained staples on the show for decades.
Here's everything to know about what happened to the original Days of Our Lives cast and which actors are still working on the show.
01 of 08
Frances Reid
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Frances Reid as Alice Horton in Days of our Lives, Frances Reid attends the 29th Annual People's Choice Awards at the Pasadena Civic Center January 12, 2003 in Pasadena, California.
When Days of Our Lives premiered in 1965, Reid headed up the Horton family as the matriarch, Alice Horton. She remained on contract with the soap opera until her death in 2010, but her last formal appearance was in 2007.
Reid's role as Alice shot her to stardom, and she became one of the longest-serving soap opera actors in the country. Among her many wild storylines, her attempted murder turned kidnapping plot in 2003 gained national attention.
Although Reid acted in other movies and television shows throughout her career, she remained focused on Days of Our Lives. In 2004, she won the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award and scored several Soap Opera Digest Awards throughout her career.
In her personal life, Reid was married to fellow actor Philip Bourneuf from June 1940 until 1973. She died on Feb. 3, 2010, at age 95.
02 of 08
Macdonald Carey
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Macdonald Carey circa 1970, Macdonald Carey in August, 1992
By the time Carey starred on Days of Our Lives, he had already had a prolific acting career working on several movies and TV shows — including Shadow of a Doubt, The Great Gatsby and Dr. Christian.
Carey played opposite Reid's character and starred as Dr. Thomas Horton, the family patriarch. He was a prominent doctor at the fictional Salem University Hospital and had five children with Alice.
His role shot him to stardom, and he went on to win two Daytime Emmy awards and several Soap Opera Digest Awards. In addition to acting as Dr. Horton, Carey also spoke the opening tagline of each episode.
During his tenure on Days of Our Lives, Carey continued working on other projects and starred in Who Is the Black Dahlia?, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, among others.
Carey acted in Days of Our Lives until his death from lung cancer on March 21, 1994. He was 81 years old.
At the time of his death, he was dating Lois Kraines. Prior to his death, he was married to Elizabeth Heckscher from 1941 to 1969 and shared six children with her: Lynn, Lisa, Stevens, Theresa, Edward Macdonald Jr. and Paul.
03 of 08
Susan Seaforth Hayes
Jean Krettler/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Susan Seaforth Hayes as Julie Williams in Days of our Lives, Susan Seaforth Hayes as Julie Williams in a 55th anniversary portrait for Days of our Lives
Susan joined the ensemble cast in 1968 after her character, Julie Williams, had been recast several times. Although she joined a few years after the premiere, Susan became one of the only actresses to star on the show for all the decades since, making her one of the longest-tenured actors in a soap opera.
In addition to her notable role on Days of Our Lives, Susan also acted in the competing soap operas The Young and the Restless and Sunset Beach.
She won the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys and has also been nominated for several Daytime Emmys throughout her career.
While Susan was known for her acting career, she also made headlines for her romance with her on-screen and real-life relationship with Days of Our Lives costar Bill.
The couple, who became the only daytime actors to appear on the cover of TIME magazine, met while filming together in 1970 and tied the knot four years later. They remained married until Bill's death in January 2024.
04 of 08
Bill Hayes
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Bill Hayes as Doug Williams in Days of our Lives, Bill Hayes accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award onstage during the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on April 29, 2018 in Pasadena, California.
Bill's character, Doug Williams, was introduced in 1970 as Julie's love interest and eventual husband. Doug and Julie became the first power couple in both daytime television and real life, as Bill and Susan acted together as husband and wife from 1970 until 2024.
Bill acted as a series regular for three decades before making recurring appearances after 2000. He made his final cameo on the soap opera in July 2024, six months after his death.
Before tying the knot with Susan in 1974, he was married to Mary Hobbs from 1947, and they welcomed five children together. In 2018, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys alongside Susan.
Bill died on Jan. 12, 2024. He was 98 years old.
05 of 08
Suzanne Rogers
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Suzanne Rogers as Maggie Horton in Days of our Lives, Suzanne Rogers attends the 51st annual Daytime Emmys Awards at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles on June 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Rogers is one of the longest-running actors in an American soap opera for her role as Maggie Horton in Days of Our Lives. She began starring in the soap in 1973 and has continued acting as Maggie ever since.
Maggie was introduced as longtime character Mickey Horton's love interest, and their characters eventually got married. Over Rogers' five decades on the soap, her character helped introduce several new stars as her children and grandchildren.
Throughout her career, Rogers has mostly focused on Days of Our Lives but made appearances on Little House on the Prairie and Knight Rider. In 1979, Rogers won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
As for her personal life, Rogers was previously married to fellow actor Sam Groom from 1980 to 1982. In October 2025, Rogers revealed that she had been treated for colorectal cancer the previous summer.
06 of 08
Deidre Hall
Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Deidre Hall as Dr. Marlena Evans in Days of our Lives, Deidre Hall attends the 52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on October 17, 2025 in Pasadena, California.
Hall became one of the most beloved actors in soap opera history when she started acting as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in 1976. Hall skyrocketed to fame for her role, and her character's death was even protested in 1979.
She continued acting on Days of Our Lives until 1987, when she was trying to balance acting in the soap and the NBC drama Our House. However, Hall returned in 1991 and has remained on the series ever since (except for a 2009 to 2011 hiatus).
Beyond acting on Days of Our Lives, Hall had notable roles on The Young and the Restless, Drop Dead Diva and Hacks. She won several awards for her nearly five decades in soap acting, including three Soap Opera Digest Awards and two Daytime Emmy Award nominations.
In 2016, Hall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Days of Our Lives executive producer, Ken Cordray, was in attendance, as well as her costars Kristian Alfonso and Susan.
07 of 08
Maree Cheatham
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Maree Cheatham as Marie Horton in Days of our Lives, Maree Cheatham attends the season 8 premiere of the "The Bay" and pre-daytime Emmy party at Associated Television Int'l Studios on December 10, 2023 in Burbank, California.
Cheatham rose to stardom when she started starring as Marie Horton on Days of Our Lives in 1965. The actress appeared on the series for nearly a decade before leaving in 1973.
After temporarily exiting the show, Cheatham acted in the soap operas Search for Tomorrow, General Hospital and Port Charles. In addition to her soap roles, Cheatham has also had appearances on Sam & Cat, A Night at the Roxbury and Soul Man.
Although Cheatham left her permanent position on Days of Our Lives in 1973, she returned several times — as recently as 2024 — to mostly pay tribute to her former costars who have died.
Cheatham has been married to her husband, Robert Staron, since 1999.
08 of 08
John Clarke
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John Clarke as Mickey Horton in Days of our Lives, John Clarke holds his Byron Kennedy Award at the AFI Awards at the Regent Theatre October 29, 2004 in Melbourne, Australia.
For most of his adult life, Clarke portrayed Mickey Horton on Days of Our Lives. He acted in the soap opera from its inception until 2004, when he retired from acting.
In addition to starring on Days of Our Lives, Clarke also had roles in The Twilight Zone, The New Breed and Death Valley Days. After his retirement, Clarke won the Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
Clarke was married to his wife, Patty, and they welcomed three children: Joshua, Heidi and actress Melinda Clarke.
On Oct. 16, 2019, Clarke died from complications of pneumonia. He was 88 years old.
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Published: November 08, 2025 at 06:46PM on Source: RED MAG
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What Happened to the Original "Days of Our Lives "Stars? All About Their Lives 60 Years After the Soap Ope...
