Days of Our Lives bid a tearful goodbye to Bill Hayes, who starred as Doug Williams, after his death on January 12, 2024, at the age of 98. The other half of the famed super couple, Susan Seaforth-Hayes, who played Hayes’ reel and real wife, has found a silver lining in playing out her late husband’s death in upcoming episodes of the soap opera.
Susan Seaforth-Hayes shared her thoughts on how she feels about her late husband’s death unfolding on the soap opera exclusively to PEOPLE at the annual Days of Days fan event in Los Angeles on November 2, 2024. Seaforth-Hayes’ character, Julie Williams, will play a pivotal role in her husband’s farewell on the show. The actress expressed how the experience of photographing the day he passed away and the fact that a scene was written for her to deliver the same eulogy she had delivered at the real funeral was truly a gift. Although Seaforth-Hayes did note that it was a difficult scene to film, she found the whole experience “emotionally rewarding.” She expressed her gratitude for Days of Our Lives honoring her late husband in the following words:
“I appreciate the fact that they appreciated him so much. He deserved to be lifted up.”
The soap opera star noted that fans would be left uplifted after watching the scene. Although Bill Hayes’ final appearance on the show aired back in July 2024, his character’s death will only unfold in upcoming episodes.
Susan Seaforth-Hayes Believes ‘Days of Our Lives’ Has Been Been Prevalent in Pivotal Moments of Her Life
Image via JPI Studios
Susan Seaforth-Hayes has credited Days of Our Lives with playing a momentous role in umpteen days of her life. In the same interview, the soap opera star reflected on her journey on the cult classic soap opera and all that she has gained from it during her seven-decade-long stint on the show.
Seaforth-Hayes first appeared as Julie Olson Williams in 1968. She described her character as an “ingénue” bad girl filled with sass and appreciated how writers had written her character during her heyday. She confessed that fitting into the role of a matriarch of an established family was both a challenging and heartwarming experience. The actress, whose character is now a great-grandmother on the show, also noted how “every important part” of her life was in one way or another entwined with Days of Our Lives — which included meeting her husband when they filmed a love scene together in 1970.
Seaforth-Hayes had previously revealed in an interview with TV Insider in July 2024 how the show has helped her get through her husband’s death. At the same time, the actress noted how it was fairly new territory for her without Bill Hayes by her side in the following words:
“I haven’t had the stress of doing anything alone, really, and now I will have to.”
New episodes of Days of Our Lives Season 60 are released every weekday morning in the United States on Peacock. You can stream the show’s previous seasons on the same platform.
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Days of Our Lives |
|---|---|
| Cast | Deidre Hall, Drake Hogestyn, Kristian Alfonso, Alison Sweeney, James Reynolds |
| First Aired | November 8, 1965 |
| Stream On | Peacock |
| Created by | Ted Corday, Betty Corday |
| Produced by | Corday Productions, Sony Pictures Television |
| Based On | Original drama series by Ted and Betty Corday |
| Plot Summary | A long-running soap opera centered around the lives, loves, and struggles of the residents of Salem |
| Musical Elements | Iconic theme composed by Charles Albertine |
| Current Status | Ongoing, streaming new episodes on Peacock |
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