Peter Reckell Became a Doting Dad as He Found His True Love after Divorce from ‘Days of Our Lives’ Co-star

Actor Peter Reckell was married to one of his "Days of Our Lives" co-stars, Dale Kristien, for a few years. He only found the love of his life after divorcing Kristien.

Since the 1980s, Peter Reckell has wowed fans with his portrayal of Bo Brady on "Days of Our Lives." However, not many people know that he is a devoted husband and doting father.

Although Reckell has been an actor for over four decades, his road to stardom wasn't easy. He studied at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and got a degree in theater, but he didn't find a steady job in showbiz overnight.

MAKING IT BIG AS AN ACTOR

While Reckell learned music, drama, and dance at the conservatory, he had to work days at a deli to get by. He would go to auditions in the evenings to chase his acting dreams.

In 1980, he got one of the first significant opportunities to prove himself. He was cast as Eric Hollister on "As the World Turns," the now-extinct soap opera that ran on CBS for five decades.

His time on the show ended in 1982, and the following year, he started playing Bo Brady on "Days of Our Lives." Reckell has left and returned to NBC's soap opera several times, but everything suggests he made his final appearance in 2016.

RECKELL AFTER "DAYS OF OUR LIVES"

The actor confessed that his family was the main reason he left the show for good. It was painful to listen to his daughter begging him to stay every time he walked out of the house to work on the show.

While Bo Brady was "significant" to Reckell as an actor, being a father is his main priority. Reckell is currently married to musician Kelly Moneymaker. More on their relationship later.

Reckell released his eponymous debut album [which] featured ten country songs.

Reckell has shown his fans that he has more than one talent over the years. In 2003, he participated in the 27th Toyota Pro/Celebrity race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach and won.

The fact that he was even part of the event was controversial because he has described himself as an environmentalist. He supposedly rode his bike nine miles to work most days and drove an electric car.

Reckell's performance in the race was outstanding. He led it from start to finish even though "Monster Garage" host (and Sandra Bullock's ex-husband) Jesse James almost took the first place a few times in the 10-lap race.

Later in 2003, Reckell released his eponymous debut album. It featured ten country songs that proved he deeply loved music. Unfortunately, his singing career didn't attract the attention he expected.

Reckell is also passionate about fitness. He keeps his body in shape by exercising and incorporating yoga and Pilates into his workout routine. While he doesn't follow a specific meal plan, he eats several fruits and vegetables.

HE IS A FAMILY MAN

Coming back to Reckell's love life, his first wife was his "Days of Our Lives" co-star Dale Kristien. She portrayed Janet between 1985 and 1987 and then worked on "Knots Landing" in 1988. Kristien has rarely appeared on T.V. since then.

Before walking down the aisle with Reckell in 1987, Kristien was married to "Sunset Beach" actor Sam Behrens. Reckell and Kristien parted ways in 1991 and had no kids together.

In 1998, Reckell married Moneymaker, a singer-songwriter and producer from Fairbanks, Alaska. One of her career's most important highlights was being part of the girl group Exposé.

After Giogia Bruno left the group due to a medical condition, Moneymaker replaced her, and it was a huge success. While Moneymaker began pursuing a solo career after a few years with the group, she later reunited with her former bandmates.

In 2003, Exposé got back together for a show in California. They reunited again to perform at the Los Angeles Gay Pride Festival six years later. Gioia Bruno was also part of that concert, making it the first time all four group members performed together.

Moneymaker and Reckell learned that she was expecting a baby in 2007. That November, Loden Sloan joined their family. The couple revealed that her name has a special meaning.

[Loden's] favorite sign was "more," as she would use it with food, drinks, or whatever she ate.

For months, they were unsure what their daughter's name would be. One night, Moneymaker saw "Loden Sloan" in a dream. She investigated their meanings, and they loved it. Reckell confessed:

"[Moneymaker] looked up Loden, which is a shade of green, and Sloan is Celtic for warrior. It made perfect sense as were both passionate environmentalists."

NO MORE BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN

While Reckell and Moneymaker have no regrets about their daughter, they admitted they would never have any more biological kids for environmental reasons.

The couple is concerned about a possible over-population crisis, but they didn't rule out other ways to enlarge their brood. Reckell even revealed that adoption was possible, especially because Moneymaker was adopted. They have not had more kids, though.

A few months before Loden celebrated her second birthday, Reckell said she communicated with them using sign language.

Her favorite sign was "more," as she would use it with food, drinks, or whatever she ate. When Loden ran around the house with her parents, and they stopped to rest, she would also make the signs for more.

Nowadays, Reckell prefers to live his life away from the spotlight. He doesn't have a public Instagram account, and he uses his verified Twitter page to retweet information about the environment.

In July 2020, the actor made headlines after his father, Russ, passed away. Moneymaker announced that her in-law died "peacefully & surrounded by love" in June.

Reckell eventually revealed that his father grew up poor but raised six healthy and prosperous children. Russ's only regret was that he couldn't help the people financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Rest in peace, Russ.