CNN
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On Monday, John Aniston’s daughter, actress Jennifer Aniston, shared the news that his daughter, actress Jennifer Aniston, is due to star in John Aniston, the veteran actor of daytime drama “Days of Our Lives,” has died.
He is 89 years old.
“You’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever known. I’m so grateful that you flew up to heaven in peace – no pain. November 11th was no exception! You always have perfect timing,” Jennifer Aniston in a statement shared on Instagram. “That number will always mean more to me now.”
The “Friends” star wrote in her post: “Dear Dad…John Anthony Aniston.”
During his long career, the actor appeared in several TV series and almost three thousand episodes of “Days of Our Lives”.
“I’ll love you till the end of time,” Aniston concluded. “Don’t forget to visit.”
Aniston was born John Anastassakis in Crete, Greece in 1933. He immigrated to the United States when he was 10 years old, and the family shortened his last name to Aniston.
Before becoming a soap opera star, Aniston served in the U.S. Navy and appeared in an off-Broadway musical, according to Soap Opera Digest.
His big break came when he starred in the long-running soap opera “Love of Life” and later “Search for Tomorrow.” But he didn’t become a household name until he joined “Days of Our Lives” in 1985 as “romantic villain” Victor Kyriakis, a criminal with a penchant for attracting women in Salem, Illinois.
Kirakis, like Aniston, is from Greece, but more insidious: he’s a mobster who runs a prostitution ring in town. Throughout the series, Kiriakis undergoes several inner changes and swings back and forth between his outlaw gangster persona and loving family man hoping to win back his grown children. All told, Aniston appeared on and off the series for 37 years.
According to a 1986 Soap Opera Digest profile of Aniston, Aniston opened a restaurant in New York during her soap opera career, divorced first wife Nancy Dow, married supporting actress Shirley Rooney and moved to Los Angeles .
Aniston was surprised his daughter planned to follow him into acting. In a 2019 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Aniston said he found out his daughter kept calling his agent asking for auditions when he starred in “Finding Tomorrow.”
“I told her, ‘You don’t want to be in show business. Show business is a mess,'” he said. “I tell everyone who wants to be an actor, don’t be an actor, do something else. Because if I tell (them) to stay away from showbiz is to stop them, they shouldn’t be involved in the first place.”
Of course, Aniston’s daughter didn’t listen, going on to star in one of the most successful sitcoms of all time and becoming one of the most famous actresses in the world.
Speaking to E! in 1990, Aniston shared the news with his daughter, offering both fatherly praise and thought-provoking guidance: “Jennifer is a natural genius,” he said of his daughter’s embarrassment , but reminded her that talent doesn’t always lead to a long-lasting career.
But Aniston’s own soap career spanned more than 50 years, and in June, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Emmy at the Daytime Emmy Awards. He was not present at the ceremony, but his daughter toasted him in a moving speech.
“For more than 30 years, his dedication to (‘Days’) has earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow actors, profound friendships, and thrilled millions of fans around the world,” she said. “His career was literally the definition of a lifetime achievement.”