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In Memoriam: Days of our Lives’ Drake Hogestyn

in memoriam drake hogestyn days of our lives

The soap opera community is mourning the loss of Drake Hogestyn, who played John Black on Days of our Lives.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Drake Hogestyn. He was thrown the curve ball of life when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but he faced the challenge with incredible strength and determination. After putting up an unbelievable fight, he passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones,” said a statement released by the Hogestyn family on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The statement continued, “He was the most amazing husband, father, papa, and actor. He loved performing for the DAYS audience and sharing the stage with the great cast, crew, and production team in the business. We love him and will miss him all the Days of our Lives.”

The actor joined the long-running soap in 1986 as the mysterious “Pawn,” who was believed to be Roman Brady, and then eventually the heroic John Black – who was famously paired with Deidre Hall’s Dr. Marlena Evans, becoming the supercouple, who fans affectionally called “Jarlena.”

“This is a very difficult one for all of us. Hogey was the ultimate team player and there are not sufficient words to express how deeply he will be missed. His impact on our show, personally and professionally, was profound and will forever remain unmatched, said Days of our Lives executive producer Ken Corday.

I had the privilege of interviewing Drake alongside the cast of Days of our Lives when they were in Toronto in March of 2014 for The TV Watercooler.

I was so nervous walking into that suite at the Four Seasons as I had never done a group interview before. “Who do you ask a question to first? What if everyone stays quiet?” But then when Drake walked into the cracking jokes, all that worry went away. He was such a kind man. I’m incredibly lucky that I got to spend an afternoon seeing him interact with his co-stars and fans.

Drake’s charisma and humour were as captivating in person as they were on screen. He brought so much life to the role of John Black, a character I’ve loved for decades. His passing is a huge loss for the soap opera world and for fans everywhere.

Rest in peace, Drake.

Drake Hogestyn
September 29, 1953 – September 28, 2024

Days of our Lives airs weekdays at 1 p.m. ET on W Network in Canada and streams on GlobalTV.com, the Global TV app, and STACKTV. In the U.S., DAYS streams on Peacock.

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