Tayyaba
The star of ‘Day of Our Lives’ just celebrated his 98th birthday on the set of the Peacock soap opera. Bill Hayes and his wife Susan Hayes along with a bunch of their co-stars were present, heartfelt messages were exchanged and Instagrammed, along with a delicious-looking double chocolate custom cake which was cut on the beautiful set.
The silver-haired soap star’s cake was coated with black icing and emblazoned with a portrait of himself of when he used to sing on Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca’s show titled ‘Your Show of Shows’. Following that, Susan Hayes delivered a touching and beautiful speech and led the cast and crew on set to a chorus of Happy Birthday for Bill.
The legacy of Bill Hayes:
Hayes plays the amazing and beloved Doug Williams with his on-screen wife, Julie, is played by his real-life wife Susan Hayes. Before he joined the soap opera in 1970, he worked as a recording artist with his songs hitting the top of the Billboard charts. When he joined DOOL, Bill was introduced as a convicted con artist who was also a lounge singer. His first job in Salem (in the show) was a singer at Sergio’s restaurant. The Broadway thespian has played Doug on and off for the last 52 years.
“He’s enjoyed every minute of it…He was the first performer to sing on daytime television. When we used to have a big budget, we’d sing all the time, but now it’s only public domain songs.”
Susan Hayes
Susan Hayes : Co-star and wife
Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth met on the set of DOOL with Hayes playing the con artist Doug Williams and Seaforth playing the feisty troublemaker Julie Olson. They have been married since 1974, where Susan changed her name to Susan Seaforth Hayes. Their relationship was so popular that they were featured on the cover of Time in 1976, becoming the first soap opera stars to hold that honor. In 2005, they published their joint autobiography which is named “Like Sands Through the Hourglass”. They won lifetime achievement awards at the Daytime Emmys in 2018 together as well and we’re glad they’re still happily married!
Watch them celebrate Bill’s birthday together on their Instagram!