Joseph Mascolo(1929-2016)

According to Soap Opera Digest, had an open-ended contract on Days of Our Lives, which allowed him to play villainous Stefano DiMera whenever he felt like resuming the role (and whenever the writers came up with a good story line). This allowed the character to be "killed off" more times than anyone can count, coming back -- in one memorable sequence -- through a bargain with Satan himself.