John Aniston died at age 89 on Thursday, November 11. His daughter Jennifer Aniston mourned his loss with a series of photos of the two of them over the years on her Instagram on Monday, November 14. Jen paid tribute to her “Sweet papa” with a touching caption. “You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain,” she wrote.
Jennifer continued and said how she would continue to carry the date of his death with her forever. “And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now,” she wrote. “I’ll love you till the end of time. Don’t forget to visit.”
The actor was a longstanding staple of the TV industry, having appeared in a number of different shows during his 60-year career. Besides his acting abilities, John was well-known for being the Friends star’s dad. He’s survived by his daughter, son Alexander and his stepson John Melick.
Born in Greece, John moved with his family to the U.S. when he was just two years old. After getting a theater arts degree from Penn State, he began his acting career in 1962 with a one-off role in the series 87th Precinct. He continued to appear in various shows and soap operas throughout the 60s, but he landed his longest-running gig in 1970. He was cast as Dr. Eric Richards in the popular soap Days of Our Lives. While he only appeared in a handful of episodes in 1970, he returned to the show in 1985, when he was cast as Victor Kiriakis, and he’s been a staple of the show up until 2022. He’s credited with over 3,000 episodes.
Aside from Days of Our Lives, John appeared in various other mainstream TV shows, making episodic appearances on popular series like The West Wing, Gilmore Girls, and Mad Men. Still, his work on the soap opera is what’s earned him the most recognition. He’s won three Soap Opera Digest awards for his work in Days of Our Lives. He’s also been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the 2017 Daytime Emmy awards, and he was also given an Emmy lifetime achievement award in 2022, per IMDb.
When John received the lifetime achievement award, Jennifer was there to help celebrate with a moving speech. “For over 30 years, his dedication to that show has gained him the respect and admiration of his fellow actors, deep friendships, and thrilled millions of fans around the world,” she said. “his career is literally the definition of lifetime achievement.”
Outside of acting, John married actress late actress Nancy Dow in 1965. He became a stepfather to Nancy’s son John, whom she had from her first marriage to Jack Melick. The pair had their daughter Jennifer Aniston, who is an incredibly successful actress in her own right. The couple divorced in 1980, and John married his second wife Sherry Rooney in 1984, and the pair had one son Alexander. Nancy passed away in 2016 at age 79.