Robert Kelker-Kelly Cause of Death: 'Days of Our Lives' Star Complained of Chest Pain Before Death

Robert Kelker-Kelly, the American actor best known for playing Bo Brady on the long-running soap opera 'Days of Our Lives,' has died aged 62 after reportedly complaining of chest pain shortly before he became unresponsive.

Kelker-Kelly died at his home in St Peters, Missouri, on Saturday, 3 October, according to the St Peters Police Department and the Missouri Office of the Regional Medical Examiner. Police said he had complained of chest pain before becoming unresponsive and that emergency services were called at about 8:16pm after reports of a man who was unconscious and not breathing.

Attempts to revive the actor were unsuccessful. Police said there was nothing suspicious at the scene, while the St Charles County Ambulance District confirmed that paramedics had responded to a cardiac-arrest call. An official cause of death has not yet been released, and the medical examiner's office told NBC News that its normal timeline for death certification is about 12 weeks.

Police Found No Suspicious Circumstances

The circumstances surrounding Kelker-Kelly's death have not been formally linked to a specific medical condition. While police said the scene did not appear suspicious, that does not establish the actor's cause of death.

The medical examiner is expected to determine the official cause as part of the death certification process. Until that process is completed, it remains unclear whether the chest pain reported shortly before Kelker-Kelly became unresponsive was connected to the underlying cause of his death.

Kelker-Kelly was born on 18 April 1964 in Wichita, Kansas, and began his television career in 1987 when he joined 'Another World' as Sam Fowler. He later returned to the soap opera in different roles, including Bobby Reno and Dr Shane Roberts.

Bo Brady Made Him a Soap Opera Star

His best-known role came in 1992 when he took over as Bo Brady on 'Days of Our Lives,' following the departure of original actor Peter Reckell.

Kelker-Kelly remained on the programme until 1995 and appeared in more than 586 episodes. His performance earned him the 1994 Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actor.

In 1995, he and Lisa Rinna, who played Billie Reed, were named Hottest Couple at the Soap Opera Digest Awards. Their characters were involved in a prominent storyline on the series.

Kelker-Kelly later joined 'General Hospital' as Stavros Cassadine. He first appeared in the role in 2001 and returned for further appearances in 2013 and 2014. His final television work was connected to the series.

Lisa Rinna Revisited Their Relationship

Kelker-Kelly's former 'Days of Our Lives' co-star Lisa Rinna discussed their relationship in her 2026 memoir, 'You Better Believe I'm Gonna Talk About It.'

Rinna alleged that their relationship behind the scenes was difficult and accused Kelker-Kelly of verbally abusive and manipulative behaviour. She also wrote that NBC provided security for her and actress Kristian Alfonso for several weeks after his departure from the soap opera, according to reports about the memoir.

Kelker-Kelly did not publicly respond to Rinna's allegations before his death.

The official cause of Kelker-Kelly's death remains pending. Police have said they found nothing suspicious at his home, while the medical examiner's certification process is expected to take several weeks.