Doug's death was reminiscent of the previous passing of Alice and Tom.
Days of Our Lives received a one-two gut punch this year with the deaths of Bill Hayes and Drake Hogestyn. Since the show records episodes several months in advance, it’s taken a while to address the passing of these beloved actors. Hayes died in January, and his character, Doug, passed away on Thanksgiving. Jack went to wake him up to join in the family festivities, only to find Doug died in his sleep. Fans noticed that his death was not unlike a couple of other DAYS deaths in years past.
On X, formerly Twitter, a fan wrote: “Doug Williams passing away in the Horton house while asleep, [is] just like Alice in 2010 and Tom in 1994, is a sweet nod to #Days history. #RememberingBillHayes 💔.” They included pics of Hayes, Frances Reid (Alice), and MacDonald Carey (Tom). Carey, of course, is the famous voice in the intro that says, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives.”
In actuality, Reid left the show in 2007—although Alice continued to do things off-screen—and later died in 2010 when her character was also laid to rest in tribute. Carey passed away in 1994, and Tom was honored on-screen shortly thereafter. Peter Reckell (Bo) retweeted the X post, writing, “So thankful to have been able to know and love these talented, giving, amazing people.”
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One fan responded to the original post with, “Showing respect for the original family that started it all. Days did the Horton family proud. Thank you.” Many DAYS fans loved the blasts from the past, with one responding to Reckell’s post by writing, “So thankful and grateful we had the opportunity to enjoy watching these talented people. They are so missed. RIP 💔.”
To many soap opera fans, the characters and actors on a show can become like family. And one viewer reflected that with the response, “They are legacy icons who will be missed. We embraced them as family.” One follower put Reckell on the same level as Reid and Carey with the comment, “Just like you look up to those legends, those of us who grew up watching you are thankful for you and your peers! Happy Thanksgiving!”
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