# Robert Kelker-Kelly
**Robert Kelker-Kelly** (1964–2026) was an American soap opera actor best known for playing [Bo Brady](https://www.edgepedia.org/bo-brady) on *Days of Our Lives* from 1992 to 1995, taking over the role from [Peter Reckell](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-reckell). He also played Sam Fowler and later Dr. Shane Roberts on *Another World*, and the villain Stavros Cassadine on *General Hospital* and *Port Charles*. After leaving acting he retrained as an aircraft mechanic and worked as a professional pilot in Missouri. He died on October 3, 2026, at his home in St. Peters, Missouri, at the age of 62.[1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/days-of-our-lives-star-robert-kelker-kelly-recently-blasted-by-lisa-rinna-dies-at-62/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445476/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | Born 1964 in Wichita, Kansas; died October 3, 2026, in St. Peters, Missouri, aged 62[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445476/bio/) • [1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/days-of-our-lives-star-robert-kelker-kelly-recently-blasted-by-lisa-rinna-dies-at-62/) |
| Signature role | Bo Brady on *Days of Our Lives*, 1992–1995, replacing Peter Reckell; appeared in nearly 600 episodes[1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/days-of-our-lives-star-robert-kelker-kelly-recently-blasted-by-lisa-rinna-dies-at-62/) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/1295078/robert-kelker-kelly-dead-days-of-our-lives-general-hospital/) |
| Other soap roles | Sam Fowler (1987–1990) and Dr. Shane Roberts, also known as Bobby Reno (1996–1998), on *Another World*; Stavros Cassadine on *General Hospital* and *Port Charles*, 42 episodes between 2001 and 2014[4](https://www.tvline.com/2278213/robert-kelker-kelly-dead-days-of-our-lives-obituary/) • [5](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/robert-kelker-kelly-death-days-of-our-lives-b3061721.html) |
| Awards | Two Soap Opera Digest Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor (1994) and Hottest Soap Couple (1995, shared with Lisa Rinna)[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/robert-kelker-kelly-death-days-of-our-lives-b3061721.html) |
| Second career | Certification in airframe and powerplant mechanics in 1997; professional pilot from 2004; contract flight instructor at Spirit of St. Louis Airport and Creve Coeur Airport[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445476/bio/) |
| Marriages | Linda Rattner (1988–1992); *Days* co-star Miriam Parrish (1997–2013), with whom he had one child[1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/days-of-our-lives-star-robert-kelker-kelly-recently-blasted-by-lisa-rinna-dies-at-62/) |
## Early career on Another World
Kelker-Kelly made his television debut in 1987 on the NBC soap *Another World*, playing the artist Sam Fowler, a character involved in a major storyline with the upper-class Amanda Cory. He played the role until 1990.[4](https://www.tvline.com/2278213/robert-kelker-kelly-dead-days-of-our-lives-obituary/) In a 2013 interview with We Love Soaps he described the pace of daytime production, saying the show shot one to two episodes a day, which meant performing about 120 pages of dialogue at a stretch.[6](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2013/09/robert-kelker-kelly-interview.html)
Across his separate runs on the series he appeared in more than 400 episodes of *Another World* between 1987 and 1998, playing Sam Fowler, Bobby Reno, and Shane Roberts.[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/robert-kelker-kelly-death-days-of-our-lives-b3061721.html)
## Bo Brady and Days of Our Lives
In 1992, *Days of Our Lives* recast the role of Bo Brady, a central character in the fictional town of Salem, after Peter Reckell, who had played the part since 1983, exited. Kelker-Kelly took over in March 1992, and NBC ran a promotional campaign teasing his entrance.[7](https://parade.com/tv/looking-back-at-robert-kelker-kellys-unforgettable-days-of-our-lives-run) The recast is remembered as one of the more successful in daytime history: his Bo picked up where Reckell's left off, first in a romance with Carly Manning ([Crystal Chappell](https://www.edgepedia.org/crystal-chappell)), and later with Billie Reed, played by [Lisa Rinna](https://www.edgepedia.org/lisa-rinna).[7](https://parade.com/tv/looking-back-at-robert-kelker-kellys-unforgettable-days-of-our-lives-run)
The pairing with Rinna was popular with viewers, and the two won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Soap Couple in 1995; Kelker-Kelly had won Outstanding Lead Actor the year before.[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/robert-kelker-kelly-death-days-of-our-lives-b3061721.html) He appeared as Bo in nearly 600 episodes between 1992 and 1995.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/1295078/robert-kelker-kelly-dead-days-of-our-lives-general-hospital/) In 1995 the show chose not to renew his contract and Reckell returned to the role on August 1, 1995; IMDb trivia notes that, beyond the widely reported firing to bring Reckell back, Kelker-Kelly was also in contract disputes with the producers.[8](https://www.caymancompass.com/1995/08/18/soap-talk-reckell-to-resume-role-of-bo) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445476/bio/)
## Later roles
Kelker-Kelly returned to *Another World* in 1996 as Dr. Shane Roberts, a character initially introduced as race car driver Bobby Reno, playing the part until 1998.[4](https://www.tvline.com/2278213/robert-kelker-kelly-dead-days-of-our-lives-obituary/) His best-known later role was the aristocratic villain Stavros Cassadine on *General Hospital*, which he first played in 2001, with return appearances in 2002, 2003, 2013, and 2014; the character also crossed over to the spinoff *Port Charles*. His last television appearance was as Stavros in 2014.[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/robert-kelker-kelly-death-days-of-our-lives-b3061721.html)
Outside soaps, he made his TV debut in an episode of [Hal Linden](https://www.edgepedia.org/hal-linden)'s short-lived ABC drama *Jack's Place* in 1992 and guest-starred on primetime series including *Touched by an Angel*, *Maybe This Time*, and *Rescue 77*. His film credits include *Dream for an Insomniac* (1996) and *Mr. Write*.[4](https://www.tvline.com/2278213/robert-kelker-kelly-dead-days-of-our-lives-obituary/)
## Life after acting
Kelker-Kelly left acting in stages. In 1997 he earned a certification in airframe and powerplant mechanics, became a professional pilot in 2004, and later worked as a contract flight instructor at Spirit of St. Louis Airport and Creve Coeur Airport in the St. Louis area.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445476/bio/) A retrospective account describes him flying Lear 60 charter jets out of Missouri and also working as an acting teacher.[9](https://podcastrex.com/shows/the-world-between-us/robert-kelker-kellys-life-and-soap-opera-career) He was a self-described history buff who said he would turn the historic Brooklyn studio where *Another World* was taped into a museum if he had the money.[10](https://peopleforever.com/p/robert-kelker-kelly)
He married his *Days of Our Lives* co-star Miriam Parrish, whom he met on the set, in 1997; they divorced in 2013 and had one child. His first marriage, to Linda Rattner, lasted from 1988 to 1992.[1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/days-of-our-lives-star-robert-kelker-kelly-recently-blasted-by-lisa-rinna-dies-at-62/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445476/bio/)
## Allegations by co-stars
In her 2026 memoir *You Better Believe I'm Gonna Talk About It*, Lisa Rinna wrote that her working relationship with Kelker-Kelly on *Days of Our Lives* was hostile, calling him verbally abusive, passive-aggressive, manipulative, and prone to what she described as mind games. She wrote that she and [Kristian Alfonso](https://www.edgepedia.org/kristian-alfonso) were given a full-time security detail for several weeks after Kelker-Kelly's abrupt departure from the show. Crystal Chappell, who played Carly Manning opposite him, wrote in her own memoir that she found him an aggressive, mean-spirited bully and was afraid of him. Kelker-Kelly did not publicly respond to the allegations.[1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/days-of-our-lives-star-robert-kelker-kelly-recently-blasted-by-lisa-rinna-dies-at-62/) • [7](https://parade.com/tv/looking-back-at-robert-kelker-kellys-unforgettable-days-of-our-lives-run) • [11](https://los40.com/2026/10/06/muere-robert-kelker-kelly-actor-de-dias-de-nuestra-vida-a-los-62-anos/)
## Death
Kelker-Kelly died on October 3, 2026, at his home in St. Peters, Missouri, at age 62. According to the St. Peters [Police Department](https://www.edgepedia.org/police-department), officers responded around 8:16 p.m. to a report of an unconscious man who was not breathing and performed CPR without success; he had complained of chest pain shortly before becoming unresponsive, and TMZ later reported, citing a police report, that he had declined a hospital visit before suffering a fatal cardiac arrest. IMDb lists cardiac arrest as the cause of death, while the Missouri medical examiner and several obituaries stated that an official cause had not been confirmed.[12](https://www.tmz.com/people/robert-kelker-kelly/) • [1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/days-of-our-lives-star-robert-kelker-kelly-recently-blasted-by-lisa-rinna-dies-at-62/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445476/bio/)
## References
1. [Days of Our Lives Star Dead at 62, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/days-of-our-lives-star-robert-kelker-kelly-recently-blasted-by-lisa-rinna-dies-at-62/)
2. [Robert Kelker-Kelly Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445476/bio/)
3. [Robert Kelker-Kelly Dead: Soap Star Dies at 62, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1295078/robert-kelker-kelly-dead-days-of-our-lives-general-hospital/)
4. [Robert Kelker-Kelly, Former Bo Brady On Days Of Our Lives, Dead At 62, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/2278213/robert-kelker-kelly-dead-days-of-our-lives-obituary/)
5. [Robert Kelker-Kelly: Days of Our Lives star dies aged 62, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/robert-kelker-kelly-death-days-of-our-lives-b3061721.html)
6. [Exclusive Interview: Catching Up With Robert Kelker-Kelly, We Love Soaps](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2013/09/robert-kelker-kelly-interview.html)
7. [Looking Back at Robert Kelker-Kelly's Unforgettable Days of Our Lives Run, Parade](https://parade.com/tv/looking-back-at-robert-kelker-kellys-unforgettable-days-of-our-lives-run)
8. [Soap Talk: Reckell to resume role of Bo, The Cayman Compass](https://www.caymancompass.com/1995/08/18/soap-talk-reckell-to-resume-role-of-bo)
9. [Robert Kelker-Kelly's Life and Soap Opera Career, The World Between Us, Podcast Rex](https://podcastrex.com/shows/the-world-between-us/robert-kelker-kellys-life-and-soap-opera-career)
10. [Robert Kelker-Kelly (1964–2026): life, family and tributes, PeopleForever](https://peopleforever.com/p/robert-kelker-kelly)
11. [Muere Robert Kelker-Kelly, actor de 'Días de nuestra vida' a los 62 años, LOS40](https://los40.com/2026/10/06/muere-robert-kelker-kelly-actor-de-dias-de-nuestra-vida-a-los-62-anos/)
12. [Robert Kelker-Kelly: News and Updates, TMZ](https://www.tmz.com/people/robert-kelker-kelly/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames I to Kh*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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