Robert Kelker Kelly, the actor known for his work on long-running daytime dramas, died at his home in St. Peters, Missouri, authorities said.
The St. Peters Police Department said officers responded for a report of an unconscious man who was not breathing. Police said he had reportedly complained of chest pain shortly before becoming unresponsive. The department described the circumstances as appearing consistent with a medical event, and officials have not released an official cause of death. Local authorities confirmed his death and said further details may be released later.
Career And Post Acting Life
Kelly began his soap opera career in 1987 as Sam Fowler on Another World before taking over the role of Bo Brady on Days of Our Lives in 1992. He replaced Peter Reckell in that role and played Bo through 1995, appearing in nearly 600 episodes, according to reporting.
On Days of Our Lives he shared major storylines with Kristian Alfonso’s Hope Williams Brady and Lisa Rinna’s Billie Reed. His work on daytime television earned him a 1994 Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actor and, as reported, a 1995 Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Soap Couple with Rinna. Rinna wrote in her memoir You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It that she and Kelly did not get along off screen, and she described their difficult working relationship while filming together.
After leaving the Los Angeles area following his 1997 marriage to Miriam Parrish, Kelly broadened his career. He returned to television with the role of Stavros Cassadine on General Hospital, with appearances reported in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2013 and 2014. He also acted in several films and TV movies, including Dream for an Insomniac, Winter Heat and Mr. Write.
Kelly trained in aviation and mechanics, earning airframe and powerplant certification, then worked in education and aviation. He taught acting at the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School in South Hadley from 2002 to 2003, and later worked as a professional pilot. In a 2013 interview he said, "I'm a charter pilot. I fly Learjets, Lear 60s, for a company out of Spirit of St. Louis Airport in St. Louis, Missouri." One report states he worked as a professional pilot from 2003 to 2015, while another account says he continued teaching and flying up until his death.
