Wayne Northrop, Days of Our Lives, Dynasty, and Port Charles star, dies at 77

Wayne Northrop, who played Michael Culhane on the 1980s serial opera Dynasty and created the character of Roman Brady on Days of Our Lives, has away due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was seventy-seven.

On November 27, Northrop passed away in Los Angeles at the Motion Picture and Television Woodland Hills Home. In a statement released on Sunday, his wife, General Hospital actress Lynn Herring Northrop, revealed the news.

“Wayne was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s six years ago,” Herring Northrop stated. “In his family’s embrace, he breathed his final breath. We would want to express our gratitude to the Motion Picture and Television Home, the most wonderful and compassionate facility, for providing him with such excellent care. Wayne’s wit and sense of humor impacted a lot of individuals.

She remembered Northrop as “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.”

Over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, Northrop made appearances in over 1,000 Days of Our Lives episodes and other soap operas.
Born on April 12, 1947, to Robert and Donna Jean Northrop, Northrop grew up in Sumner, Washington, a tiny town. Before starting acting lessons at Seattle Community College, he first earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Washington.

Despite the fact that his sole theatrical experience was in a high school musical, Northrop moved to California and joined the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre in 1975 after receiving positive feedback for his performance in the class. He quickly had his first TV appearance in a Police Story program.

Before getting the character of the strong yet compassionate Roman Brady on Days of Our Lives in 1981, Northrop would go on to land TV roles in shows including The Waltons, Baretta, Eight Is Enough, The Young Riders, and Testimony of Two Men. Roman’s infatuation and ultimate marriage to Deidre Hall’s Dr. Marlena Evans was one of the most cherished partnerships in the history of daytime television, and he became a fan favorite.

After leaving the show in 1984, Northrop came back for three more years in 1991. The plot was infamously retconned to allow both performers to continue in the series, even though Drake Hogestyn, a late Days alum, was meant to replace him. Josh Taylor took over as Roman after Northrop left again in 1994. The second time Northrop appeared on the show, he played Dr. Alex North, Marlena’s old classmate from medical school.

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Playing the cunning Rex Stanton on the General Hospital spinoff, Port Charles, and the enigmatic chauffeur Michael on Dynasty, Northrop continued to find success on the small screen. He also made appearances on Cold Case, You Are the Jury, Hotel, and L.A. Law.

Northrop’s two children, Hank and Grady, as well as his wife, Lynn, survive him.