Robert Kelker Kelly Dead at 62, Remembered for Days of Our Lives and General Hospital
Robert Kelker Kelly, the American actor known for playing Bo Brady on Days of Our Lives and Stavros Cassadine on General Hospital, has died at 62. His career also included Another World, where he first became familiar to daytime television viewers.
A Missouri medical examiner confirmed to TMZ that Kelker Kelly died on Saturday, October 3. A cause of death had not been disclosed in the initial reports published October 5.
A Career That Began on Another World
Kelker Kelly made his television debut in 1987 as Sam Fowler on Another World. He played the character until 1990, establishing a place in a genre that would account for his most recognizable work.
His connection with the series continued beyond that first role. In 1996, he returned as Bobby Reno, a race car driver later revealed to be Dr. Shane Roberts. That second run lasted until 1998, giving audiences another version of an actor they already knew.
As Sam, he starred opposite Sandi Ferguson, who played Amanda. Their pairing introduced him to daytime viewers before he inherited the much larger expectations attached to Bo Brady. His work on Another World provided the first of several recurring connections with soap audiences over the decades that followed.
Taking Over Bo Brady on Days of Our Lives
In 1992, Kelker Kelly joined Days of Our Lives as Bo Brady, succeeding Peter Reckell in one of the show’s best known roles. The change placed him at the center of a series whose viewers already had strong attachments to its characters.
He appeared opposite Kristian Alfonso as Hope Brady and Lisa Rinna as Billie Reed. His portrayal continued for three years, ending when Reckell returned in 1995.
The role brought industry recognition. Kelker Kelly won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in 1994. The following year, he and Rinna shared the award for Hottest Soap Couple, recognizing their pairing as Bo and Billie.
His years on the show also involved reported workplace tensions. Rinna alleged verbal abuse and manipulation in her 2026 memoir. Kelker Kelly did not publicly respond to those allegations, according to
After leaving Days of Our Lives, he appeared in primetime television before continuing his association with daytime drama. Bo remained a central part of how audiences remembered him, even as subsequent roles took his career in different directions.
Stavros Cassadine and His Daytime Television Legacy
General Hospital introduced Kelker Kelly to another audience through Stavros Cassadine. The villain offered a different assignment from the romantic storylines associated with Bo Brady, expanding the range of characters for which soap viewers recognized him.
He played Stavros in appearances from 2001 to 2003, then returned in 2013 and 2014. Those later appearances renewed his connection with viewers who remembered his earlier work on the series.
Following news of his death, longtime fans shared condolences and memories online. Some recalled the challenge of replacing Reckell, while others singled out his performance as Stavros, according to
His career crossed three enduring daytime dramas, with each giving him a distinct place in viewers’ memories. For Another World audiences, he was Sam Fowler and later Bobby Reno. For others, he remained Bo Brady or Stavros Cassadine, characters that connected his name with American soap operas.