Sunday, December 8, 2024

John Clarke, Who Played Mickey Horton for 39 Years on “Days of Our Lives” Dies at 88, Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Honoree

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John Clarke, who played Mickey Horton on “Days of our Lives” from its first episode in 1965 through 2004– 39 years– has died at age 88. The cause of death reportedly is pneumonia.

Clarke is survived by a big family including his daughter, Melinda, who was featured on the TV show ‘The O.C.” Before “Days of our Lives,” Clarke appeared on a lot of classic TV including “The Twilight Zone.”

For playing Mickey, he received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Best Actor, and took home a Lifetime Achievement Award as well.

Mickey Horton was the put upon good guy family lawyer on “Days.” He continually saved everyone’s hide as his family members were constantly getting into trouble. When I was in grade school, I watched “Days” with our housekeeper after I got home from school. All I remember is Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes, still on the show 51 years later) asking “Uncle Mickey” to help her with something or other.

Clarke played the part stoically. His character, though supposedly brilliant, didn’t know he was “sterile” (a word they used used in every episode) and had been cuckolded by his brother and sister-in-law, who’d passed their child off as his. You can imagine why he left the show after four decades!

 

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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