Wayne Northrop, Longtime 'Days of Our Lives' Star, Dies at 77

Handsome soap star Wayne Northrop, who played two different roles on "Days of Our Lives" over the course of 25 years, died Friday after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 77.

THR reports his wife, soap star Lynn Herring Northrop, said in a statement, “He took his last breath in the arms of his family. We wish to thank the most caring and amazing place, the Motion Picture and Television Home, for taking such great care of him. Wayne touched so many people with his sense of humor and wit. A husband for 43 years, the best dad ever to his two boys, Hank and Grady, and a rancher who loved his cows and was a friend to many.”

Born April 12, 1947, in Sumner, Washington, he made his debut on an episode of TV's "Eight Is Enough" in 1977.

After several TV guest spots, including on such hits as "Baretta" (1978) and "The Waltons" (1979), he acted in the TV movies "Beggarman, Thief" (1979) and "Going for the Gold: The Bill Johnson Story" (1985).

In 1981, he began double-duty, playing Michael Culhane on the nighttime soap "Dynasty" (1981-1987) and making his first of more than 1,000 appearances on "Days of Our Lives" (1981-2006), on which he played Dr. Alex North and Roman Brady.

He also played Rex Stanton on more than 100 episodes of "Port Charles" (1997-1998).

Among other TV work, he was on "Hotel" (1985 & 1987), five episodes of "L.A. Law" (1988-1989), and played himself in his co-star Deidre Hall's TV biopic "Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall Story" (1995).