"He taught me things without having to say a word," Kurth said in a statement to E! News. "So many things I do now because of him: Using the front of my script as a personal 'notepad' and how I run lines with actors before scenes. His joke-telling was second to none. He was an original and that's the best I can say."

Ken Corday, the series' executive producer, added that it is "truly unimaginable" that the actor won't be stepping onto the Days set again, pointing out how fitting it is that he received the Emmy for Lifetime Achievement in 2022.

"John was one of the best—kind, smart, witty and incredibly talented," Corday mourned Aniston in a statement to E! News. "There is no question that all of us at Days will be mourning this great and profound loss. John was an icon, but even more so, he was a pillar of strength and unity for our Days of Our Lives community. He, along with our ‘Victor Kiriakis,' will forever be in our hearts. Our love and support goes out to his family and all those who knew him."

Aniston's final episode of Days of Our Lives will air Dec. 26.