John Aniston Biography

(Best Known for His Role as ‘Victor Kiriakis’ on the TV Series ‘Days of Our Lives’)

Birthday: July 24, 1933 (Leo)

Born In: Chania, Greece

John Aniston was a Greek-American actor who found fame with the NBC series ‘Days of Our Lives’. Though an actor himself, John Aniston’s popularity in later years rose because of his daughter Jennifer Aniston, who is a famous actress. Coming back to senior Aniston, he was born as Giannis Anastasakis in Crete, Greece. As a child, he was fascinated by theatre and acting. After completing his schooling, he enrolled in Pennsylvania State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Theater Arts. After a brief stint with the United States Navy, he made his foray in the world of acting. Over the years, he did several projects and guest appeared in numerous television shows. However, he gained attention and spotlight when he capped the role of Eric Richard in ‘Days of Our Lives’. Having done that, he was next seen as Eddie Aleata in ‘Love of Life’. However, it was portrayal of Victor Kiriakis in ‘Days of Our Lives’—when he was cast in the show for the second time—that catapulted him to fame. Running well for over three decades the show gave John Aniston a platform to showcase his acting ability and connect with his fans. He also won himself an Emmy nomination for the same.

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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Yannis Anastassakis, John Anthony Aniston

Died At Age: 89

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Sherry Rooney (m. 1984), Nancy Dow (m. 1965–1980)

father: Antonios Anastasakis (January 17, 1889 — May, 1965)

mother: 1899 – November 7, 1992), Stella Joanne (October 1, 1899 – November 7, 1992)

children: Alex Aniston, Jennifer Aniston

Born Country: Greece

Actors American Men

Height: 6'2" (188 cm), 6'2" Males

Died on: November 11, 2022

place of death: Los Angeles County, California

Ancestry: Greek American

More Facts

education: Pennsylvania State University

Childhood & Early Life
John Aniston was born as Giannis Anastasakis on July 24, 1933 in Chania on the island of Crete, Greece, to Stella Joanne and Antonios Anastasakis.
At the age of two, his father anglicized his name. Around the same time, the family moved to United States where they started a restaurant in Chester, Pennsylvania.
After completing his schooling, he enrolled at the Pennsylvania State University and graduated from the same with a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts. At University, he was a member of Alpha Chi Rho fraternity.
After completing 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.
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Career

John Aniston’s career as an actor started during the 1960s. He starred in a couple of shows in guest roles including ‘87th Precinct Officer’, ‘Combat!’, ‘Love with the Proper Stranger’, ‘I Spy’, ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘That Girl and so on. He was also seen in the TV film ‘Now You See It, Now You Don't’.

Though Aniston guest appeared in a number of shows and television series, it was his role as Eric Richard in ‘Days Of Our Lives’ that helped him clutch the limelight. The show made him a popular face in the industry.

In 1975, he was proffered with the role of Eddie Aleata in ‘Love of Life’. The series lasted until 1978 and gave Aniston the breakthrough that he long desired. Simultaneously, he also featured for two episodes in ‘Kojak’.

Following ‘Love of Life’, Aniston took up the role of Mary Stuart's new love interest, Martin Tourneur, in ‘Search for Tomorrow’. Starting in 1979, he played the character until April 1984.

In 1985, John Aniston made a comeback in ‘Days of Our Lives’, this time as Victor Kiriakis. It has been more than 30 years and he still continues to play the role. In 1985, Aniston also appeared in a guest role in ‘Airwolf’ as Colonel Arturo Alzar.

During the decade of 1990s, John Aniston starred in a couple of televisions series including ‘Diagnosis Murder’, ‘Fired Up’ and ‘LA Heat’. He also did a television film ‘Night Sins’ wherein he reprised his role of Victor Kiriakis.

Over the years, he played small roles on several television series, such as ‘Gilmore Girls’, ‘My Big Fat Greek Life’, ‘Star Trek: Voyager’, ‘Sands of Oblivion’, ‘American Dreams’, ‘Journeyman’, and ‘Mad Men’. His last film was ‘Return to Zero’, which was released in 2014.

Major Works

John Aniston’s most recognizable work was in the NBC daytime drama series ‘Days of Our Lives’. Interestingly, though he featured in the show long back in 1970s, his comeback in 1985 got him all the attention and limelight. He portrayed the character of Victor Kiriakis for 37 years, until his death in 2022. He was greatly lauded for the depth that he brought to the character and for his amazing screen presence. He also earned himself an Emmy nomination for the same.

Awards & Achievements
In 1986, John Aniston was showered with two awards: the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role on a Daytime Serial and Outstanding Villain in a Daytime Series for ‘Days of Our Lives’.
In 2017, he was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.
Personal Life & Legacy

John Aniston married his first wife Nancy Dow in 1965. The couple was blessed with a daughter Jennifer Aniston who is a popular actress today. The marriage however hit the rocks and the two divorced in 1980.

In 1984, John Aniston married Sherry Rooney. He had first met her while co-starring in ‘Love of Life’. They have a son, Alexander.

John Aniston died on November 11, 2022, at the age of 89, in Los Angeles County, California

See the events in life of John Aniston in Chronological Order

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- John Aniston Biography
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URL
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