Nearly a full year after the death of John Aniston, the celebrated actor’s iconic Days of Our Lives character is also being laid to rest.
Victor Kiriakis’ farewell arc began last week when Justin received word that his plane, believed to be en route to Salem after a stay in Greece, lost contact with air traffic control. Additional intel from Hope and Shane revealed that Victor actually took off ahead of schedule, meaning that he’d been missing for several days. Though Maggie held out hope that her husband would be found alive, it was confirmed on Wednesday’s episode that Victor’s body was recovered by the coast guard.
The tragic update was delivered to the Kiriakis family by John, who received official word through his contacts at the ISA, while Stephanie then had the unfortunate task of relaying the news to Alex. As Maggie broke down in tears over the death of her husband, the camera panned over to a framed photograph of Victor with the words “In loving memory of John Aniston” underneath.
Victor’s death will bring several former Days regulars back to Salem for a fitting farewell to the TV titan; Jen Lilley (aka Theresa) and Zach Tinker (Sonny) are both among the faces expected to return for the memorial.
Aniston died on Nov. 11, 2022, with the news being announced via social media by his daughter, Friends star Jennifer Aniston. “You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew,” she wrote of her late father. “I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace, and without pain.”
The actor’s final on-screen appearance as Victor aired on Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, a full 37 years after first stepping foot in Salem. True to his character, the notorious curmudgeon spent most of the hour throwing shade, this time at unwanted houseguest Leo Stark. From threatening to throw the “deranged woodland critter” out on his “sugar plumb ass” to demanding that Leo “scamper back to Whoville,” Victor was in rare form.
But being the secret softie that he was, Victor ended the hour by allowing Leo to stay at Chez Kiriakis. Aniston’s deadpan delivery of “I changed my mind because I have a heart of gold” was not only hysterical but also a perfect line with which to remember this complicated man.
Aniston received the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Awards in June 2022, just six months before his death. He was previously nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2017.
How will you choose to remember Victor? And what are your thoughts on how Days chose to write off Victor? Drop ’em in a comment below.
