John Aniston, the Loveliest Actor of the Daytime Drama, Died in Bethe Anisothoes, Fla.
A long time actor known for his work on the daytime drama “Days of Our Lives,” John Aniston has passed away, his daughter said on Monday.
You were one of the loveliest people I have ever met. I’m thankful that you did not suffer in going into the heavens. On 11-11, no less! You always had perfect timing,” Jennifer Aniston wrote in a statement shared on Instagram. “That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now.”
John Aniston was born Yannis Anastassakis in Crete, Greece, and emigrated with his family to Pennsylvania when he was a child. He began his career as an actor in the 1960s after earning a theater degree from Pennsylvania State University.
He got his big break when he was cast in the long-running soap “Love of Life.” He joined “Days of our Lives” in 1985 and was known as Victor Kiriakis, a criminal with a penchant for charming women.
Kirakis, like Aniston, hailed from Greece but was much more sinister: He was a mobster who ran a prostitution ring in town. Over the course of the series, Kiriakis experienced several changes of heart and bounced back and forth between his lawbreaking gangster persona and loving family man hoping to win back his adult children. All told, Aniston appeared on the series on and off for 37 years.
During his time on soaps, he moved to Los Angeles, opened a restaurant in New York and divorced his first wife Nancy, before marrying Sherry Rooney according to a 1986 Soap Opera Digest profile of him.
Of course, Aniston’s daughter didn’t listen, and went on to star in one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, and become one of the most famous actresses in the world.
I told her that she didn’t want to be a show business professional. Show business stinks,’” he said. “I tell everybody who wants to be an actor, don’t be an actor, be something else. Because if my telling (them) to stay out of show business is gonna keep them out, they shouldn’t be in it in the first place.”
In a 1990 interview with E! News alongside his daughter, Aniston offered both fatherly praise and sobering guidance: “Jennifer is a natural talent,” he said to his daughter’s embarrassment, but reminded her that talent doesn’t always result in a long career.
But Aniston’s own career in soaps lasted more than 50 years, and in June, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Emmy at the Daytime Emmy Awards. His daughter spoke at the ceremony and praised him.
“For over 30 years, his dedication to (“Days”) has gained him respect and admiration of his fellow actors, deep friendships and thrilled millions of fans around the world,” she said. “His career is literally the definition of lifetime achievement.”