John Aniston, Days of Our Lives star and father of Jennifer Aniston, dies at 89

John Aniston, the Emmy-winning Days of Our Lives star and father of actress Jennifer Aniston, has died. He was 89.

Jennifer Aniston confirmed the news of her father's death in an Instagram post on Monday.

"You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew," she wrote. "I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace — and without pain."

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John Aniston was best known for starring on the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives, appearing in thousands of episodes from 1970 to 2022. He first appeared as Dr. Eric Richards on the show before returning to play Victor Kiriakis in 1985. The latter role earned him the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2017.

Outside of Days of Our Lives, Aniston had acting credits going back to 1962, from The Virginian and Mission: Impossible to Star Trek: Voyager, The West Wing, Mad Men, and more. He had two children, including Jennifer Aniston, and was also a former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.

At the Daytime Emmy Awards earlier this year, Jennifer Aniston honored her father with a lifetime achievement award, calling him a "true icon" in the world of daytime television, "who also happens to be my dad," and saying his "career is literally the definition of lifetime achievement."

Aniston said Monday that her father died on Friday, Nov. 11. "On 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing," she wrote. "That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now. I'll love you till the end of time. Don't forget to visit."