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

Wayne Northrop, an actor known for his work on the soap operas "Days of Our Lives" and "Dynasty," has died. He was 77.

Northrop died on Friday "in the arms of his family," six years after being diagnosed with "early onset Alzheimer's," his wife, Lynn Herring Northrop, said in a statement.

"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 played detective Roman Brady on "Days of Our Lives" from 1981 to 1984 and 1991 to 1994. Beginning in 2005, he portrayed another character, Dr. Alex North, on the long-running soap opera. According to IMDb, Northrop appeared in over 1,000 episodes of "Days of Our Lives" until 2006.

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The actor also starred as Michael Culhane, a chauffeur, on "Dynasty," and as Rex Stanton on the "General Hospital" spin-off "Port Charles."

His first television role was in "Police Story," and Northrop went on to appear on shows like "The Waltons," "Eight is Enough," "Cold Case" and "L.A. Law" throughout his career.

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Northrop was passionate about conservation, and he and his wife, also an actor, purchased a working cattle ranch in Raymond, California, which they have been working and running for 35 years, according to an obituary provided by the family.

"He was staunchly committed to wildlife and conservation causes," the obituary said. "The cattle ranch is run true to environmental beliefs."

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is known as early-onset Alzheimer's when it happens in a person younger than 65, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

"A very small number of people with Alzheimer disease have the early-onset form," Johns Hopkins notes. "Many of them are in their 40s and 50s when the disease takes hold."

Northrop is survived by his wife, two sons and stepmother.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wayne Northrop dead: 'Dynasty,' Days of Our Lives' star was 77