John Aniston obit

John Aniston Dies: ‘Days Of Our Lives’ Actor, Father Of Jennifer Aniston Was 89

 

He was not on the list.

John Aniston, the veteran soap actor best known in the daytime world for his long-running role of Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives, and, in his personal life as the father of TV superstar Jennifer Aniston, died Nov. 11. He was 89.

A cause of death has not been released.

In an Instagram post today, Friends star Jennifer Aniston wrote, “You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now. I’ll love you till the end of time.”

Born on the island of Crete, Greece, on July 24, 1933, Aniston and his family moved to American when John was just two. Years later, Aniston graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts.

After a stint in the Navy, he began his acting career in 1962 in a small part on the series New Man in the Precinct, and began appearing regularly in soap operas in 1970, first on Days of Our Lives, then Love of Live, and Search for Tomorrow. In 1985, he took on what would be his signature role with a return to Days of Our Lives, this time as a new character named Victor Kiriakis, a role he’d continue to play until just last year. He was nominated for the 2017 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.

Aniston received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 49th Annual Daytime Creative Arts & Lifestyle Emmy Awards on June 18.

Other TV roles include appearances on Airwolf, Gilmore Girls, The West Wing, Combat!, My Big Fat Greek Life, Star Trek: Voyager, American Dreams, Journeyman and Mad Men.

Aniston graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor's degree in Theater Arts. While at Pennsylvania State University, he became a member of Alpha Chi Rho fraternity. After college, he served in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer on active duty in Panama and later in the reserve, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.

Aniston also played small roles on the television series Airwolf in season two's episode "Short Walk to Freedom", Gilmore Girls as Douglas Swope in the 2002 episode "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving", The West Wing as Alexander Thompson in the episodes Game On and Debate Camp (both in 2002), as the First IMF Captain in the 1969 Mission Impossible episode Time Bomb. Aniston has also made guest appearances on Combat! (1964), My Big Fat Greek Life (2002), Star Trek: Voyager (2001), American Dreams (with Days co-star Frances Reid), Journeyman, and Mad Men.

John Aniston is survived by daughter Jennifer Aniston, son Alexander, and his wife Sherry Rooney.

Filmography

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1962    87th Precinct            Officer #1            Episode: "New Man in the Precinct"

1963    Love with the Proper Stranger            Birdman of Macy's     

1964            Combat!          Greek #2            Episode: "Vendetta"

1967    I Spy            Economides            Episode: "The Beautiful Children"

1968    The Shakiest Gun in the West            Indian  

The Virginian            Frank West            Episode: "Ride to Misadventure"

Now You See It, Now You Don't            Achmed          TV film

1969            Mission: Impossible            First IMF Captain            Episode: "Time Bomb"

1970;

1985–present            Days of Our Lives            Eric Richards

Victor Kiriakis            3782 episodes

1970    That Girl       Phil Harvey            Episode: "Stop the Presses I Want to Get Off"

1974    Kojak            Webster / Dancik            2 episodes

1975–1978            Love of Life      Eddie Aleata            Unknown episodes

1979–1984            Search for Tomorrow            Martin Tourneur            Episode: "#1.8556"

1985    Airwolf            Colonel Arturo Alzar            Episode: "Short Walk to Freedom"

1986            Inhumanoids    Dr. Marcus Capello/Captain Action            27 Episodes

1993    Night Sins      Victor Kiriakis            TV film

1997            Diagnosis Murder            Carlton Everest            Episode: "Must Kill TV"

Fired Up            Gordon            Episode: "Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey"

1999    L.A. Heat     Alex Zota            Episode: "Faces of Fear"

2001    Star Trek: Voyager            Quarren Ambassador            2 episodes

2002    The West Wing            Alexander Thompson            2 episodes

Gilmore Girls            Douglas Swope            Episode: "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving"

2003    My Big Fat Greek Life            Constantine Christakos            Episode: "Greek Easter"

2004            American Dreams            John Victor            Episode: "Old Enough to Fight"

2007    Order Up       Wise Man     Short film

Sands of Oblivion            Nigel Barrington            TV film

Journeyman            Merrit Ambaucher            Episode: "Home by Another Way"

2008    The Awakening of Spring  Mr. Gable  

Worst Week            Jim            Episode: "The Wedding"

Fixing Rhonda            Detective Macomas    

2009    The Gold & the Beautiful            Gerard Benedict          

Cold Case            Herbert "Wolf" James            Episode: "WASP"

2010    Mad Men            Wallace Harriman            Episode: "Waldorf Stories"

2011    The Paul Reiser Show   Harold Melon            Episode: "The Old Guy"

2014    Return to Zero Ned