NEW YORK (AP) — John Aniston, the Emmy winner of the daytime soap “Our Days” and father of Jennifer Aniston, has died at the age of 89.
The actor’s daughter paid tribute to him on Instagram Monday morning, announcing that he died on Friday, Veterans Day. John Aniston served in the U.S. Navy.
“Dear Dad…John Anthony Aniston,” Jennifer Aniston wrote. “You are one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever known. I am grateful that you are soaring peacefully in heaven – without pain. Same goes for November 11th! You always have perfect timing. Now, that number to me will always have greater meaning.
John Aniston’s performance credits include “Finding Tomorrow,” “The West Wing,” and “Gilmore Girls.” But he is best known for his longtime role in “Days of Us” as family patriarch Victor Kiriakis, a former drug lord who went on to found the mighty Titan Industries.
In 2017, he was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for “Days of Us.” Earlier this year, he received an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement, which Jennifer Aniston paid tribute to with a video.
“Not only was this an opportunity to pay tribute to a true icon in daytime television, but it was also an opportunity to honor the lifelong achievements of a great and respected actor who also happened to be my father,” Jennifer Aniston said at the time. “John Aniston has been in the television industry for over half a century.”
John Aniston, whose real name was Yannis Anastassakis, was born in Crete, Greece, and moved to Pennsylvania with his family as a child. As a Penn State drama student, he began his professional acting career in the 1960s with early roles in “Fight!”, “My Spy” and “The Virginian.”
Aniston has been married twice, most recently to Shirley Rooney. He has two children, Jennifer and Alexander Aniston, and a stepson, John Mellick.