Soap Opera Star Robert Kelker-Kelly Dies at 62

Robert Kelker-Kelly, an actor known for his roles on daytime dramas like “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital,” died at 62. The St. Peters Police Department in St. Peters, Missouri, responded to a call Oct. 3 about an unconscious man not breathing. Authorities said Kelker-Kelly had reported chest pain before losing consciousness. His official cause of death has not been released.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1964, Kelker-Kelly began his acting career in 1987 on “Another World,” playing Sam Fowler. He left the show in 1990 but returned in 1996 as Dr. Shane Roberts, also known as Bobby Reno. He appeared in over 400 episodes across both tenures.

Kelker-Kelly then joined “Days of Our Lives,” portraying Bo Brady from 1992 to 1995. He co-starred with Lisa Rinna, who later wrote in her memoir that they “hated each other” and that he was verbally abusive. Kelker-Kelly did not publicly respond to her allegations.

Despite their reported animosity, Kelker-Kelly and Rinna won the Hottest Soap Couple award at the Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1995, the same year they both left the show.

After “Days of Our Lives,” Kelker-Kelly joined “Port Charles” and “General Hospital,” where he played Stavros Cassadine from 1997 to 2003. He returned to “General Hospital” as Cassadine from 2013 to 2014, his final acting role. He took a decade-long break from acting before that return.

Kelker-Kelly also held certifications in airframe and powerplant mechanics, taught acting, and worked as a pilot. He married Miriam Parrish in 1997 and moved from Los Angeles; they divorced in 2013. He was previously married to Linda Rattner until 1992.