Bill Hayes, beloved actor from Days of Our Lives, passes away at the age of 98

Bill Hayes, a US actor known for his role in the soap opera Days of Our Lives, has passed away at the age of 98. He played the character of Doug Williams since 1970 and met his wife, actress Susan Seaforth Hayes, on set. Last year, he celebrated his 98th birthday with his co-stars on the set of the daytime soap. According to his agent, he died on Friday surrounded by family, but no details about the cause of death have been revealed. Born in 1925 in Illinois, Hayes started his career as a musician before transitioning to acting. His most notable role was on Days of Our Lives as a lounge singer who was also a convict. He continued to portray the character of Doug Williams on and off for the next 50 years. Hayes and Seaforth Hayes, who played Julie Williams on the show, became both an on-screen and off-screen couple. They got married in 1974 and even had a televised wedding on the show. Their romance became popular, and they appeared on the cover of Time magazine that year. In 2018, Hayes and Seaforth Hayes received the Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Awards. Hayes had five children from a previous marriage.