Beloved DAYS Star Thaao Penghlis Is Celebrating His Birthday

Tony may not be head of DiMera Enterprises on Days of our Lives, but he still has his beloved Anna by his side so it does not matter. And, while fans love any and all return appearances from actor Thaao Penghlis, the man in question has plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Happy Birthday, Thaao Penghlis

That’s because he was born on December 15, 1945, in Sydney, New South Wales, which means that this talented performer turns 78 years old today! Initially struck on the idea of becoming an archeologist, Penghlis instead joined the diplomatic corps before requesting a leave of absence to explore the globe.

Having emigrated to New York City, Penghlis made the acquaintance of famed acting coach Milton Katselas and studied under him. In time, Penghlis made his stage debut in the critically acclaimed play Jockeys.

He quickly made the move to television, where he appeared in such popular series as Hawkins, Police Woman, Kojak, Cannon, and Hart to Hart. In 1980, he had a small part in the feature film Altered States, and one year later, he was cast as the diabolical Victor Cassadine on ABC’s General Hospital.

After a storyline-dictated exit, Penghlis was hired to play Count Anthony “Tony” DiMera on NBC’s Days of our Lives. His first episode as Tony aired on November 6, 1981, and he remained in the part until October 24, 1985. Subsequent roles included guest spots on Hollywood Beat, Arthur Hailey’s Hotel, Magnum P.I., and Who’s the Boss? as well as a brief role on daytime darling Santa Barbara.

Between October 23, 1988, and February 24, 1990, Penghlis was seen in a starring role on ABC action-adventure series Mission: Impossible. There, he played Nicholas Black — actor, makeup artist, voice impersonator, and spy.

From 1993 to 1996, Penghlis was back at DAYS, ostensibly reprising the part of Tony, but hindsight (and a retcon) would prove he was instead playing Andre, an evil look-alike cousin. Andre again reigned in Salem, this time between 2002 and 2005, with another appearance in 2007.

In 2014, Penghlis returned to GH in the role of Victor, and since 2015 he has recurred at DAYS, vacillating between portraying Andre and Tony.

Soap Hub would like to wish Thaao Penghlis a very happy birthday, and you can too by clicking on the X (formerly Twitter) link below. Also, share your favorite memory of his work or if you’ve met him personally in the comments section.