41 Years Later, Jed Allan’s Sudden ‘Days of Our Lives’ Exit Still Stings—And His Reason for Leaving Was Heartbreaking

On April 17, 1985, Days of Our Lives aired a memorable episode that marked the exit of fan-favorite character Don Craig, as portrayed by Jed Allan. In the episode, Don leaves Salem to mail a letter, and never returns, brining an end to Allan’s run on the series, which began in 1971.

During his time on the soap, Don was involved in several high-profile storylines. His marriage to Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) was especially popular with viewers, particularly the emotional fallout following the death of their infant son, D.J. (Don Jr.), a storyline still referenced by the show and fans today.

Allan later reflected on his departure in his 2004 memoir, Please, Spell the Name Right, offering insight into the circumstances behind his exit.

“By the early 80s, the writing was on the wall for myself and a few of the other so-called ‘aging’ regulars on Days.” Allan wrote.

He went on to say the shift was due in part to what he described as “ageism that was rampant at the time,” as the show began focusing more on “youth, beauty, and certain ‘physical assets.’”

At the time, the show was introducing a wave of younger characters including Bo Brady (Peter Reckell), Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso), Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy), Kim Brady (Patsy Pease), Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) among others.

Allan said his role had been gradually reduced, with fewer scenes and less dialogue. When his contract came up for renewal, he claimed his episode guarantee was cut significantly. “Many older cast members’ guarantees had been slashed in half,” he wrote.

As a result, Allan chose to leave the show, submitting his notice and departing about a month later. “They didn’t believe it,” he recalled, citing a lack of planning for his exit.

Reflecting on his final episode, Allan recalled the now-infamous scene: “I’ll never forget my last scene… I said, ‘I’m going to mail a letter,’ then I walked out the door, never to return again.”

The scene featured Anita Jodelsohn, as Sonia Romanov, a Russian spy. Coincidentally, April 17, 1985 also marked her final appearance, as the character was killed by the villain known as ‘The Dragon.’

#OnThisDay in 1985, Don left to mail his tax return and was never seen again. This was Jed Allan's final episode, ending a 14 year run #ClassicDays #Days #DaysofourLives pic.twitter.com/wqW6635wkm

— ThoseWereTheDAYS (@Daysofour_Lives) April 17, 2026

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For his work on Days of Our Lives, Allan received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actor in A Drama series in 1979.

After leaving Days of Our Lives, Allan went on to star as C.C. Capwell on Santa Barbara from 1986 until its 1993 finale. He later appeared on Beverly Hills, 90210 as Rush Sanders, and in 2002 joined Port Charles as Ed Grant before briefly crossing over to Genral Hospital as Edward Quartermaine in 2004. His final credit was on the web series The Bay from 2011 to 2012.

Allan died on March 9, 2019 at the age of 84.