DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Days of Our Lives will mark the passing of longtime cast member Bill Hayes when Doug Williams, the beloved character he played beginning in 1970, dies and is memorialized on December 2, the show's 15,000th episode.

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Hayes' widow and longtime costar, Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams), says she was "astonished" when she heard that the show would combine the milestones. "And very proud," she adds.

"I hope we do OK." After attending Hayes' real-life memorial earlier this year and hearing Seaforth Hayes' eulogy, former head writer Ron Carlivati asked her if the show could incorporate it into the script for Doug.

"He liked what I said there," she explains.