- “Days of Our lives” star Bill Hayes turned 98!
- He has played Doug Williams for almost 53 years in the series.
- Bill is a happy grandpa with his wife, with whom he still has fun after 48 years of marriage.
Actor Bill Hayes, who has starred in "Days of Our Lives" since the 1970s, recently turned 98 and celebrated the milestone with his beloved wife and co-star, Susan Seaforth Hayes.
The couple share an Instagram account, where they commemorated Bill's birthday with a video featuring the celebration on the set of their award-winning soap opera on June 5, 2023.
Actor Bill Hayes as Doug Williams pictured with actress Susan Seaforth Hayes as Julie Williams in "Days of Our Lives" on May 28, 1973 | Source: Getty Images
"Thank you to our cast and crew for celebrating Billy's 98th Birthday on set today. And the double chocolate cake was delicious!" the caption on the Instagram post read.
Bill was presented with a cake featuring a black and white picture of his young self topped with candles shaped in the numbers 98. The Instagram video showed the television star checking out the cake with his spouse and co-star Billy Flynn, who portrays Chad DiMera on "Days of Our Lives."
"Wow," said the veteran star while holding Flynn's hand. Bill donned a light gray suit paired with a red shirt for the occasion.
The actor has played the role of Doug Williams for five decades. In the clip, his beloved wife Susan explained: "So Billy had his 98th birthday on Monday. He's been on the show since 1960," she said before he corrected her, noting he began starring in the long-running daytime show in 1970.
Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes attend the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards Arrivals at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on April 29, 2018 in Pasadena, California | Source: Getty Images
Susan continued, "And he's enjoyed every minute of it. He was the first performer to sing on daytime television."
The cast and crew members applauded and cheered for Billy's milestone and sang a happy birthday to him. Bill thanked them and received a peck on the cheek from his lovely wife, who blew out the candles for him. The clip ended with the words, "Here’s to more years in Salem...and more birthdays, too!"
Bill & His Wife Reveal Secrets of Their 48 Years of Marriage as a Super Couple
In 2020, Bill celebrated his 50th anniversary on "Days of Our Lives." Two years prior, he won the Daytime Emmy's Lifetime Achievement Award for his role as Doug.
The drama series premiered in 1965 on NBC and found a new home on Peacock in September 2022. Susan plays his on-screen wife, Julie Williams.
Bill Hayes as Doug Williams and Susan Seaforth Hayes as Julie Williams in "Days of Our Lives" on September 12, 1976 | Source: Getty Images
The couple shared their first on-screen kiss on the series on July 1970 and walked down the aisle in real life four years later in October 1974.
Two years later, Bill and Susan's characters tied the knot on TV on October 1, 1976. As Julie and Doug, the couple has endured challenges, including Doug's deranged ex-wife, serial killers, and an exploding oven, among other things.
Bill Hayes as Doug Williams and Susan Seaforth Hayes as Julie Williams in "Days of Our Lives" on September 16, 1976 | Source: Getty Images
Bill's career began in the early days of television in 1949. At the time, he starred on "Fireball Fun-for-All" and subsequently in "Your Show of Shows."
When speaking on the experience from back then, he said this in an April 2018 interview: "There cameras were huge and immobile back then. They didn't have the capability of zooming in or out. It was all live until 1958."
Susan Seaforth Hayes and her husband Bill Hayes at the Eighth Annual Soap Opera Digest Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 1992 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
Bill rose to prominence after finding success on Broadway in "Me and Juliet." In addition to acting, he is also a singer and a dancer, and his rendition of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" sold more than four million copies.
In 1970, the Illinois native sought stability as a divorced dad with custody of his five kids. Luckily, he found it after being cast in "Days of Our Lives," where he also found love. Of this experience, Susan said:
"I'd been on ['Days'] since 1968, but I was no more important to it than anyone else until Bill came onto the show and into my life."
Susan Seaforth Hayes and Bill Hayes pictured on November 12, 2016 | Source: Getty Images
Together, the dynamic duo became a fan-favorite couple and topped magazine popularity polls. They earned several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, too.
Doug had his way of expressing his love to Julie when he could not find the words to tell her that he loved her. The writers had him sing to show how he felt about her. The executive producer of the show, Ken Corday, spoke highly of the husband-and-wife duo saying:
"Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes were the original super couple of daytime drama, and we all have been so fortunate that they remain perennially vibrant and endearing as a couple to this day."
Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes at the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards Arrivals at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on April 29, 2018 in Pasadena, California | Source: Getty Images
Bill and Susan have been married for 48 years and are still going strong while happily working side-by-side on-screen. In 2022, they created a website called Secrets of Soap Opera Lovers, where they opened up about how they survived living together, loving each other, and working together for fifty years.
In January 2022, the lovebirds were interviewed from their home in Los Angeles, and Bill explained how the website came to be:
"Our grandson, David Samuel, came up with the idea. He had been divorced and wanted to know the secrets for our long and happy marriage."
Honorees Bill Hayes and his wife Susan Seaforth Hayes pose with their Lifetime Achievement Awards in the press room during the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on April 29, 2018. in Pasadena, California | Source: Getty Images
Bill and Susan were happy to share the secrets to their long-lasting marriage with their grandchild, who also suggested they share them with their fans online, and they agreed.
The couple's secrets include personal tips on how to build a successful long-term relationship—such as singing and dancing together, expressing their love for each other daily, and keeping promises while supporting one another's dreams.
Bill Has Fun at 98 with His Grandchildren & Friends
Besides keeping his relationship with his beloved spouse going, Bill also maintains his relationship with his friends.
On May 3, 2023, he shared a group photo of him and Susan smiling with their pals and captioned the post: "Beautiful evening with dear friends. All #Days alumni."
The Hollywood couple also spends time with their grandkids. On March 28, 2023, they posted a snapshot of them posing alongside their grandson, Reverend Ryan, and granddaughter Heather Peterson, smiling from ear to ear.
They described their grandchildren as "delightful" and revealed they were visiting from Minnesota. As for what the foursome was up to, they shared a meal and had chocolate.
Besides spending quality time with friends and family, Bill and Susan also know how to have fun alone.
On March 2, 2023, they shared a picture of Bill on the bed while Susan stood over him, holding a lamp as there seemed to be a power outage. But that did not stop them from posing for a snap.
The actress and the recording artist celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on October 12, 2022, and commemorated the auspicious occasion on Instagram.
They posted throwback images from their big day alongside the caption that read: "[..] 48 years gone by...a blur of passion, persistence, pleasure, and trust! When in doubt, folks, try love. It makes our world go round!"
With nearly fifty years of marital bliss and almost a hundred in age, Bill is still working on the "Days of Our Lives" drama series.
On January 10, 2023, he posted a photo of him and his wife beaming on set and penned, "Back to work in Salem. Happy #Days! #DougandJulie #HortonHouse."
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