Robert Kelker-Kelly, ‘Days of Our Lives’ Star Who Played Bo Brady, Dies at 62

Few soap characters carry as much weight as Bo Brady. The rebellious Salem cop first arrived on ‘Days of Our Lives’ in 1983, when Peter Reckell originated the role as a bad-boy heartthrob who captured Hope’s heart.

Stepping into a part that fans already considered one of the show’s cornerstones is no small task. Soap recasts are notoriously tricky, and audiences can be fiercely protective of the actors who first brought a hero to life.

That was the challenge facing Robert Kelker-Kelly in 1992, when he took over as Bo. On October 5, TMZ reported that Kelker-Kelly has died at the age of 62.

According to TMZ, the medical examiner in Missouri said Kelker-Kelly died on October 3, and his cause of death is not yet known. No other details about his passing have been released in the sources reviewed.

Kelker-Kelly’s path into daytime television began on ‘Another World’ in 1987, where he played Sam Fowler. He joined ‘Days of Our Lives’ in 1992 as Bo Brady, taking over from Reckell, and played the character opposite Kristian Alfonso’s Hope Brady and Lisa Rinna’s Billie Reed until Reckell returned to the role in 1995.

Wikipedia lists his run as lasting from March 13, 1992, to July 24, 1995. Although he was a recast, the same source says fans accepted his portrayal of Bo.

The work was also recognized by his peers. Kelker-Kelly won a Soap Opera Digest Award for outstanding lead actor in 1994, and the following year he won the magazine’s hottest soap couple award alongside Rinna.

His soap career did not end in Salem. He later appeared on ‘General Hospital’ as the villainous Stavros Cassadine, a role that was a very different animal from the heroic Bo.

Away from the camera, Kelker-Kelly had another passion. He also worked as a professional pilot, and Soaps.com reports that he moved away from acting for a time in 1997 to earn certification in airframe and powerplant mechanics.

He was born in Wichita, Kansas, and Soaps.com says he got an early start in theater, performing in school productions of ‘Guys and Dolls,’ ‘Oliver!’ and ‘Camelot.’ That stage background helped carry him into daytime television at a young age.

For a certain generation of ‘Days of Our Lives’ viewers, Kelker-Kelly’s Bo was the Bo of their childhoods, a hero who anchored the Brady family storylines through much of the early 1990s. Even after Reckell’s return, his tenure remains a fond memory for the fans who tuned in during those years.

The cause of his death remains unknown for now. As more information emerges, the soap community will likely be sharing memories of an actor who stepped into one of daytime’s biggest roles and made it his own.