DAYS OF OUR LIVES Stars Pay Tribute to John Aniston

“Rest in Peace, John. It was an Honor knowing you & working with you. Thank you for always being so kind and for always making me laugh. XOXO You will be greatly missed.”

“My heart is so full when I think of this wonderful man, John Aniston! I have nothing but incredible memories of a man who was so professional at his job and always walked in with the best jokes. No one could tell a joke like John! He taught me how to be a better actress. When I would get a note from a director that I didn’t understand at the time, John would say, ‘Just act faster.’ Ha! 🤣 It actually works! I sang him the same tune every single day I saw him! He loved it! Our characters were married for four years and some of my fondest storylines have been with John. I will love him forever and am so grateful I was able to know him.”

“John was funny and sharp and an inspiration to all of us. You always knew you were going to laugh a lot when you had scenes with him. Sending my love to his fans, friends, and family.”

“I will miss this gentle giant so much. He reminded me that ‘work’ can be ‘play’; and we are so damn lucky to do what we do. Thank you, Grandpa Vic, for allowing me to play with you over the years💙.”

“I am so saddened by the loss of John Aniston. A veteran and consummate professional. He was such a delight to work with and gave me wonderful parting advice when I left DAYS. I adore you, Sir.”

“I’m so grateful to have had the privilege and opportunity to have played opposite this legend on Days of Our Lives for a couple years in the role of Deimos Kiriakis, his/Victor’s bastard brother, and even more so to have begun my stint on the show preforming my very first scenes in Salem alongside him. John couldn’t have been more gracious nor more giving towards me as the newbie on the show.

As any actor will tell you, regardless of how seasoned one might be as a veteran actor, or even how excited one might be to begin work on a new show, one’s first day on the set, performing a new character, can’t help but be coupled with a tad bit of nervousness. It’s only natural, but John immediately made me feel so at ease on the set with his presence as the wonderful actor he was, as well as with his keen sense of humor, something else he was well known for amongst all who knew and loved him.

My heart goes out to his many loved ones, those in his family, as well as those from his DAYS family who were greatly blessed to have had his incomparable contribution to their show as the forever memorable Victor Kiriakis for all these decades, and to the countless fans who now mourn his passing with us all.

John will be greatly missed, without question...

RIP dear man 💖💝💖”

“John, thank you for making me laugh every time I saw you (best joke teller ever), for always being playful and terrifically creative in our work, inspirational as a friend — what an extraordinary life you lived. I feel lucky and privileged to have known you. Rest In Peace.”

“John, you were my mentor and acting partner. You taught me without having to say a word. You were a father figure who I tried to make proud. John, I feel so grateful and honored to have known you, laughed with you and called you my friend. RIP. ❤️🙏”

“A truly amazing man. Kind, generous, funny, and talented. I was so blessed to have gotten to work with him. RIP my friend.”

“My dear friend, John, is missed and admired. One of the true professionals. John Aniston, Days of Our Lives legend 💜.”

“So lucky to have had the chance to learn from the master. Rest in peace, John.”

“A tall tree has fallen in the forest of imagination, where we wander in memory for the pleasure of recalling moments and people we love. For the cast, crew, and numberless fans of John Aniston, sometimes Victor Kiriakis, he will always be there, with a hero’s handsome good looks and a villain’s scathing wit! 'Did he really say that!?' 'Were we shocked?' 'Did we laugh?' Oh, yes, yes, yes. Thank you, John, for decades of drama that were mostly a dream — and days of delight that were as real as could be. Sleep well ❤️.”

“One of our cheeky moments❤️. Thank you, John, for jokes of the day, teaching me at a young age how to plan for the future, and always stopping to say hi to my father-in-law at Starbucks. 🙏🏻 I always looked forward to when we would work together and when we would both get the same grin on our faces as we forgot our dialogue 😂😂😂. You are one of a kind and your life touched and blessed so many. 🙏🏻❤️ Your presence will be greatly missed. Xoxo”

“We’ve lost a dear man. John Aniston was as kind-hearted and humble as he was gifted. John was a consummate actor; so relaxed, focused, and committed. His power was in his easygoing attitude. You never saw the work, even in the days of cue cards — for which John was the master! In 1985, Days of Our Lives was one of my first regular gigs and John was the first person I worked with on a regular basis. Victor’s hired thug, Patch, had an adversarial relationship with his boss and the two had a lot of fun getting under each other’s skin. We never talked about the work however, I absorbed lessons from the master in the doing.

John always greeted me with a handshake and a smile and often with a joke. Man, could he tell a story. John had impeccable timing — he could land a punchline on or off stage, with such panache. In recent years we had discussions about the challenges of raising children and each of us being blessed with a first grandchild, at around the same time, we compared notes on the joys of being grandparents for the very first time. In all the years we shared a stage, I never heard John complain about anything work-related. Even in later years when he wasn’t feeling the best, he never complained. It was easy to see how he loved being there with his Days family. I know how sorely he will be missed by all. Rest, dear sweet, John. You made an indelible mark on this world. I’m really going to miss you, my friend. Much love to John’s family and to all who loved him.”

“What a force, this lovely man was… And the nicest, sweetest guy around. He was the master of this daytime art form and all of us at Days of Our Lives can’t imagine Salem without him. I know we will think and talk of John often in the days and months to come and Victor Kiriakis will live on forever in our fictional little town…. We love you, John, rest in peace.”

“To know John was to love John. I feel incredibly lucky to have been working with this kind, funny, generous man for all these years. Always with a new joke, a sweet word of encouragement, or a much-needed bear hug — John was a consummate professional and forever a classy guy. I will miss him terribly but will always hold him close to my heart. Rest well, John. Thank you for everything. And we’ll always ‘see you back in Salem.’”