John Anthony Aniston, originally known as Yannis Anastassakis, was an American actor famous for his role as Victor Kiriakis in the long-running NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives.
Aniston played the role for 37 years until his passing in 2022. His performance earned him a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2017, and he was honored with a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.
He was also known as the father of actress Jennifer Aniston.
Profile
- Full Name: John Anthony Aniston
- Stage Name: John Aniston
- Born: July 24, 1933
- Age: 89 years old
- Birthplace: Chania, Greece
- Nationality: Greek-American
- Occupation: Actor
- Height: 1.9m
- Parent: Anthony Anastassakis, Stella Anastassakis
- Siblings: Helen Aniston, Gustau Aniston, Mary Aniston
- Spouse: Sherry Rooney, Nancy Dow
- Children: Jennifer Aniston, Alex Aniston
- Relationship: Married
- Net Worth: $10Million
Early Life
The father of actress Jennifer Aniston, John Aniston, was born Yannis Anastasakis in Pervolakia, Crete, Greece on July 24, 1933.
His family moved to the United States when he was a child, and his father changed his name to John Aniston to fit in with American society.
Education
John Aniston, the American actor famous for his role in Days of Our Lives, obtained his bachelor’s degree in theater arts from Pennsylvania State University, where he was a member of the fraternity Alpha Chi Rho.
Career
John Aniston, famously known as the father of actress Jennifer Aniston, had a successful acting career lasting six decades.
He rose to prominence as Victor Kiriakis in the popular soap opera “Days of Our Lives” for 37 years from 1985.
Aniston’s acting career began in the early 1960s, and he appeared in various TV shows and movies throughout it.
Some of his other memorable roles include Eddie Aleata in “Love of Life” (1975–1978), Martin Tourneur in “Search for Tomorrow” (1980–1984), and guest appearances on series like “Mission: Impossible,” “The Rockford Files,” and “Mad Men.”
Awards and Nominations
Daytime Emmy Awards:
- Winner (2022): Lifetime Achievement Award
- Nominee (2017): Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for “Days of Our Lives”
Soap Hub Awards:
- Nominee (2021): 2nd Annual Soap Hub Award – Favorite Days of Our Lives Actor
- Nominee (2020): 1st Annual Soap Hub Award – Favorite Days of Our Lives Actor
Social Media
- Instagram handle: N/A
- Facebook handle: John Aniston
- Twitter handle: N/A
Personal Life
Aniston had a daughter, Jennifer Aniston, in 1969 with his first wife, Nancy Dow, and a son named Alexander in 1989 with his second wife, Sherry Rooney, whom he met while both worked on Love of Life.
Telly Savalas, one of Aniston’s closest friends, became Jennifer’s godfather. Aniston passed away at 89 years old on November 11, 2022.
Filmography
Television:
- Days of Our Lives (1965)
- Search for Tomorrow (1951): Aniston played Martin Tourneur on the soap opera from 1980 to 1984.
- Love of Life (1951): He portrayed Eddie Aleata on the soap opera from 1975 to 1978.
- Airwolf (1984): Guest appearance in the season two episode “Short Walk to Freedom.”
- Gilmore Girls (2000): Guest appearance as Douglas Swope in the 2002 episode “A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving”.
- The West Wing (1999): Guest appearances as Alexander Thompson in the episodes “Game On” and “Debate Camp” (both in 2002).
- Mission: Impossible (1966): Guest appearance as the First IMF Captain in the 1969 episode “Time Bomb.”
- Combat! (1962): Guest appearance.
- My Big Fat Greek Life (2002): Guest appearance as Constantine Christakos.
- Star Trek: Voyager (1995): Guest appearance.
- American Dreams (2002): Guest appearance.
- Journeyman (2007): Guest appearance.
- Mad Men (2007): Guest appearance as Wallace Harriman.
Film:
- Return to Zero (2014): Played Ned.
- The Paul Reiser Show (2011): Played Harold Melon.
- Sands of Oblivion (2007): TV movie, played by Nigel Barrington.
- Order Up (2008): Short film, played Wise Man.
- American Dreams (2002): Played John Victor.
Net Worth
John Anthony Aniston, regarded as John Aniston, has an estimated net worth of $ 10 million.
