Former Days star Edward Mallory dead at 76

Edward Mallory, who portrayed angst-ridden Dr. Bill Horton on the NBC daytime drama "Days of Our Lives" for 14 years, has died following a long illness, family members said. He was 76.

Mallory, of Salisbury, Pa., appeared on the soap opera from 1966 to 1980. He played an underdog surgeon who pined for and eventually married his brother‘s wife after years of keeping secret that he had fathered her son.

"When luck strikes, you have to be ready to grab the opportunity," Mallory said.

Mallory, who was born in Cumberland, joined the Frostburg State faculty as artist-in-residence in 2004. There, he taught writing, acting and directing, and oversaw student-made documentary films.