John Aniston

This is a business. Be smart. Choose wisely.

-John Aniston

John Anthony Aniston (born Yannis Anastassakis) 

July 24, 1933 – November 11, 2022

John Aniston died on November 11, 2022, at the age of 89.

Aniston was born on the island of Crete, Greece, on July 24, 1933, to Stella Joanne (née Koume; 1899–1992) and Antonios Anastassakis (1889–1965). The family left Crete for the United States when Aniston was two years old; his father anglicized the family’s names on arriving in America. The family settled in Chester, Pennsylvania, where they operated a restaurant.

Aniston graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor's degree in Theater Arts. While at Pennsylvania State University, he became a member of Alpha Chi Rho fraternity. After college, he served in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer on active duty in Panama and later in the reserve, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.

Aniston began his acting career in 1962 in 87th Precinct as "Officer #1" in the episode "New Man in the Precinct". He has appeared in soap operas regularly since 1970, when he first joined Days of Our Lives as a character named Eric Richards. In 1975, he joined the cast of Love of Life as Eddie Aleata, appearing in one episode. He played Mary Stuart's new love interest, Martin Tourneur, on Search for Tomorrow from 1980 until April 1984. He returned to the cast of Days of Our Lives a second time, this time as Victor Kiriakis, in July 1985, and continues to play the role as of 2021. He was nominated for the 2017 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.

In April 2022, it was announced that Aniston would receive a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 49th Annual Daytime Creative Arts & Lifestyle Emmy Awards on June 18.

Aniston also played small roles on the television series Airwolf in season two's episode "Short Walk to Freedom", Gilmore Girls as Douglas Swope in the 2002 episode "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving", The West Wing as Alexander Thompson in the episodes Game On and Debate Camp (both in 2002), as the First IMF Captain in the 1969 Mission Impossible episode Time Bomb. Aniston has also made guest appearances on Combat! (1964), My Big Fat Greek Life (2002), Star Trek: Voyager (2001), American Dreams (with Days co-star Frances Reid), Journeyman, and Mad Men.

Aniston had a daughter, Jennifer Aniston (born 1969), with his first wife, Nancy Dow, and a son, Alexander, with his second wife, Sherry Rooney (whom he met while co-starring on Love of Life). His daughter Jennifer's godfather was Telly Savalas, one of his best friends.

John also had a stepson, John T. Melick, from Nancy's prior marriage, whom he raised since he was a toddler.

Aniston was an avid Shakespeare fan and was the owner of numerous first-edition copies of Romeo and Juliet.

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Tony Figueroa

Good Night Mr. Aniston