There is sad news to report this morning, former Days of our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful actor Joseph Campanella has died. The 93-year old New York City native passed away yesterday at his home in Sherman Oaks, CA.
Although he was best known for his work on tv shows like Route 66, The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, The Fugitive, Mission: Impossible, Quincy, M.E., Murder, Mannix, She Wrote, and Dallas, Campanella was a fan favorite on two popular daytime dramas.
He debuted in the role of Harper Deveraux on NBC sudser Days of Our Lives (DOOL) in 1987 and he made appearances off and on until 1992. Hard core fans know him better as Abigail (Marci Miller) and her brother J.J.’s (Casey Moss) adoptive grandfather.
Campanella later appeared as lawyer Jonathan Young on CBS soap, The Bold and the Beautiful. There he worked for fashion industry titans Eric Forrester (John McCook) and his wife Stephanie (Susan Flannery). Although the mega star appeared only occasionally from 1996-2005, fans were delighted to see him clash with the big guns in L.A.
During his illustrious 60-year career Campanella starred in more than 200 films and appeared on Broadway in addition to his tv credits.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Jill, eight children and seven grandchildren.