Wayne Northrop, best known for his acting roles on Days of Our Lives and Dynasty, has died. He was 77.
The actor died in Los Angeles at the Motion Picture and Television Woodland Hills Home on Friday, Nov. 29, six years after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, according to a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
“He took his last breath in the arms of his family,” Northrop’s wife, actress Lynn Herring Northrop, 66, shared in the statement.
“We wish to thank the most caring and amazing place, the Motion Picture and Television Home for taking such great care of him,” she continued. “Wayne touched so many people with his sense of humor and wit. A husband for 43 years, the best dad ever to his two boys, Hank and Grady, and a rancher who loved his cows and was a friend to many.”
Northrop is best known for his portrayal of detective Roman Brady on NBC’s Days of Our Lives from 1981 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 1994. He appeared on more than 1,000 episodes of the show, and the role featured a fan-favorite on-screen romance with actress Deidre Hall, who plays Dr. Marlena Evans on the series.
Northrop’s other notable roles include Michael Culhane on Dynasty as well as Rex Stanton on Port Charles. He also appeared in one-off episodes in a number of series, including L.A. Law, Hotel and Cold Case.
Northrop was born on April 12, 1947, to Robert and Donna Jean Northrop and was raised in the small town of Sumner, Wash. He graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in communications then — after traveling through Europe for several years — enrolled in an acting class at Seattle Community College.
He eventually moved to Hollywood to pursue acting more seriously, joining the newly formed Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre in 1975. The decision eventually led to his first television role, a small part in an episode of the crime drama Police Story.
Northrup and his wife — who married in 1981 after meeting in an acting class — eventually purchased a working cattle ranch in Raymond, Calif., and spent the past 35 years running the property. They also acquired the oldest home in the town — built in 1886 — and turned it into a historically protected site and museum that tourists can visit.
The actor was “staunchly committed to wildlife conservation causes” per family’s statement, and the cattle ranch is run to reflect “environmental beliefs.”
In addition to his wife, Northrup is survived by his two adult children, Hank and Grady, and his stepmother, Janet Northrop.
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