Days of our Lives Alum Wayne Northrop Died At 77
Actor Wayne Northrup died after a six year battle with early onset Alzheimer’s.
Days of our Lives alum Wayne Northrop died on Friday, November 29th. The actor was 77 years old, and he passed at the Motion Picture and Television Woodland Hills Home.
Remembering Northrop
His wife, Lynn Herring Northrop, released a statement. She said, “Wayne was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s 6 years ago. He took his last breath in the arms of his family. We wish to thank the most caring and amazing place, The Motion Picture and Television Home for taking such great care of him. 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.”
Northrup was best known for his role as Roman Brady, the tough yet kind-hearted detective on DAYS (1981-1984 & 1991-1994). Roman’s romance and marriage to Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidra Hall) are still one of the most discussed relationships in daytime television and led to Wayne being labeled one of the hottest daytime stars. In 2005, he rejoined the DAYS cast as Dr. Alex North, a one-time medical school classmate of Marlena.
In addition to his time on DAYS, Northrup also played the sexy, dynamic, dangerous, and manipulative Rex Stanton on ABC’s Port Charles (1997-2003), a spinoff of General Hospital.
Northrup graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in communications from the University of Washington and traveled around Europe for several years. Upon his return, fluent in German, he enrolled in Acting 101 at Seattle Community College. His only prior experience on stage was in his high school’s senior class revue. After getting some good reviews for his work in acting class, Wayne decided to take Hollywood by storm.
He joined the newly formed Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre headed by Ralph Waite in 1975. His work there garnered Wayne his first agent, leading to his first television role, a small part in an episode of Police Story.
Northrup continued to work with roles on CBS’s The Waltons (1989), ABC’s Baretta (1978), ABC’s Eight is Enough (1977), NBC’s Beggerman, Thief (1979), ABC’s The Young Riders (1989), and Testimony of Two Men (1977). These are just a few of the actor’s many television credits over the years.
Northrup and his wife, actor Lynn Herring Northrop, purchased a working cattle ranch in Raymond, California. Wayne and Lynn have spent the last 35 years working and running the ranch. In 2008, they acquired the oldest house (1886) in Raymond, California, and made it a local museum and gathering place. The home is now on the registry of historical places and open for tourists. He was staunchly committed to wildlife and conservation causes. The cattle ranch is run according to environmental beliefs.
Northrup was born on April 12, 1947, to Robert and Donna Jean Northrop and raised in the small town of Sumner, Washington. He is survived by his wife and sons, Hank (Laura) and Grady, and stepmother, Janet Northrop.
