Actor Robert Kelker-Kelly, a familiar face of daytime soap operas who starred in the TV series “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital” in the 1990s, has passed away.
Kelker-Kelly was arrested Saturday evening in St. Louis, the city’s Police Department told The Times on Monday. Peters confirmed his death at his home in Mo. Law enforcement officers responded Saturday evening to a report of a man who was unconscious and not breathing. Police said they arrived at the actor’s home with paramedics and “life-saving measures were implemented but were unsuccessful.”
Police said officers did not find anything suspicious at the scene. The cause of death was not disclosed, but police noted that Kelker-Kelly was said to be complaining of chest pain before becoming unresponsive. St. A spokesman for the Charles County Ambulance District confirmed that paramedics responded to a report of a man having a heart attack on Saturday. Kelker-Kelly was 62 years old.
Kelker-Kelly appeared primarily in television and was best known for her work on long-running daytime soaps including “Another World.” Notably, he played rebel heartthrob Beauregard “Bo” Brady on “Days Of Our Lives” from 1992 to 1995. Following the departure of original actor Peter Reckell, who would return to the show repeatedly in subsequent years, he began his tenure as Bo, which lasted over 586 episodes.
During her tenure, Kelker-Kelly portrayed Hope Brady’s wife and Lisa Rinna’s Billie Reed’s love interest. She spoke negatively about the experience, calling her co-star a bully in her memoir published earlier this year. He did not respond to The People’s request for a response at that time.
Kelker-Kelly made his official debut in 1987 on “Another World” and appeared in several roles in more than 400 episodes through 1998, according to the actor’s IMDb page. He was also known for his role as Stavros Cassadine on “General Hospital” and its spin-off series “Port Charles.” John Martinuzzi created the role. Kelker-Kelly’s tenure on “General Hospital” ran from 2001 to 2014, and it was her last TV role. His television credits also include “Jack’s Place,” “Touched by and Angel” and “Rescue 77.”
The actor was born on April 18, 1964, in Wichita, Kan. His mother was a nurse and his father was a pathologist. Kelker-Kelly’s parents divorced when she was 7, and she later moved in with her father. According to People, the actor was in and out of college, but he studied acting and became fond of Shakespeare.
After his acting career, Kelker-Kelly became a professional pilot. He married production assistant Linda Ratner in 1988; they divorced four years later. Kelker-Kelly later married “Days of Our Lives” actress Miriam Parrish in 1997. This marriage ended in 2013. Kelker-Kelly is reportedly survived by a daughter, Amelia Rose Kelly.