The actor, best known as Bo Brady on "Days of Our Lives," died Oct. 3 in Missouri at age 62, and his cause of death has not been released.
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| Robert Kelker-Kelly as Bo Brady on "Days of Our Lives." |
Robert Kelker-Kelly, a soap opera actor who played Bo Brady on "Days of Our Lives" in the early 1990s, has died at 62. The Missouri medical examiner told TMZ that he died on Oct. 3. No cause of death has been announced.
TMZ was the first outlet to report the news. Other outlets later reported the same details, including the date and the state.
Bo Brady and "Days of Our Lives"
Kelker-Kelly joined "Days of Our Lives" in 1992, taking over the role of Bo Brady from Peter Reckell. He appeared in 586 episodes through 1995, when Reckell returned to the part. He also played Bo in two TV movies, "Night Sins" and "Winter Heat," both released in 1993.
During his run, his character was paired on screen with Kristian Alfonso's Hope Brady and Lisa Rinna's Billie Reed. His work on the show earned two Soap Opera Digest Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in 1994, and Hottest Soap Couple in 1995, which he shared with Rinna.
A career that began on "Another World"
Kelker-Kelly was born on April 18, 1964. His first screen role came in 1987 on the daytime drama "Another World," where he played Sam Fowler. Over the following years he also played Bobby Reno and Shane Roberts on the show. The sources put his total at more than 400 episodes between 1987 and 1998. In 1997, the Online Film & Television Association gave him its award for Best Supporting Actor in a Daytime Serial for that work.
He later took on the role of Stavros Cassadine, first on the "General Hospital" spinoff "Port Charles" from 1997 to 2003. He then played the character on "General Hospital" from 2001 to 2014, appearing in 42 episodes there.
Outside daytime television, he made guest appearances on the prime-time series "Touched by an Angel" in 1995 and "Rescue 77" in 1999. He also worked as a professional pilot.
Rinna's memoir and the allegations
Earlier this year, Kelker-Kelly's name was in the news again after Rinna published her memoir, "You Better Believe I'm Gonna Talk About It." In the book, Rinna said their working relationship was contentious despite their on-screen chemistry.
Rinna alleged that Kelker-Kelly was verbally abusive and manipulative and played mind games with her while they worked together on the soap. She also claimed that his abrupt exit from the show led NBC to provide security for her and Alfonso for several weeks. These are Rinna's allegations, and the sources do not describe any independent confirmation of them.
Kelker-Kelly did not publicly respond to the allegations. Rinna played Billie Reed on "Days of Our Lives" from 1992 to 2018. According to the reports, she had not commented on his death as of publication.
Reaction and what comes next
Fans have shared tributes and condolences on social media. Many said he made the role of Bo Brady his own after stepping in for Reckell, and some also remembered his work as Stavros Cassadine.
Details about the cause of death, funeral arrangements and any statements from his family or former colleagues had not been released in the available reports. One of the sources described the story as developing.
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| Kelker-Kelly and Lisa Rinna as Bo Brady and Billie Reed. |