Photo: NBCUniversal
Robert Kelker-Kelly, best known for his role as Bo Brady on the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives, has died at age 62. The St. Peters Police Department in St. Peters, Missouri, said officers responded to a call about an unconscious man who was not breathing on Thursday (October 3). Authorities said Kelker-Kelly had reported chest pain before becoming unresponsive. The official cause of death has not yet been released, according to the Missouri medical examiner’s office.
Born in Wichita, Kansas in 1964, Kelker-Kelly began his television career in 1987, playing Sam Fowler on Another World. He later returned to the show as Dr. Shane Roberts, appearing in over 400 episodes. Kelker-Kelly joined the cast of Days of Our Lives in 1992, taking over the character of Bo Brady from Peter Reckell until 1995.
His on-screen partnership with Lisa Rinna won them the Hottest Soap Couple award at the 1995 Soap Opera Digest Awards. However, Rinna wrote in her memoir that the two struggled to get along off-camera and described her experience working with Kelker-Kelly as difficult.
After leaving Days of Our Lives, Kelker-Kelly appeared on Port Charles and General Hospital as Stavros Cassadine, with his final acting role airing in 2014. Outside of acting, he became certified in airframe and powerplant mechanics, taught acting, and worked as a professional pilot
Kelker-Kelly was married to Miriam Parrish from 1997 to 2013 and to Linda Rattner before that. As the investigation into his official cause of death continues, fans and former colleagues are reflecting on his impactful television career.