The cast of Days of Our Lives explained how they want Hogestyn’s memory to continue on in the show and the studio.
Days of Our Lives has thrived throughout the decades despite the decline in the number of soaps on the air. Part of what makes the show so entertaining is its larger-than-life heroes. Among them was Drake Hogestyn’s beloved good guy, John Black. The actor died from pancreatic cancer in September 2024 at age 70. With nearly 40 years on the soap, Hogestyn touched many lives. The cast recently talked about the impact his death had on them.
Eric Martsolf, who plays Brady on DAYS, shared a video from Access Hollywood on Instagram. He wrote, “Soap Fam. Thanks to @accesshollywood for the feature. #days #peacock @dayspeacock.” The video opens with a clip of Marlena (Deidre Hall) telling John, “You’re lucky to have me to help you,” to which the hero replies, “Damn lucky.” The narrator explained, “And that was the last scene that daytime icon Deidre Hall shared with her on-screen love Drake Hogestyn.”
The hosts remarked that DAYS will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in November, and the show was continuing to keep the memory of the beloved Hogestyn alive. Through tears, Alison Sweeney (Sami) explained how the grief of Hogestyn’s death was shared by everyone with the comment, “One of the reasons we love him so much is…on his passing, every fan who ever had the chance to meet him shared those stories with all of us, and that meant so much to us to be able to share our grief with everyone who…loved him as much as we did.” 
His Dressing Room Remains Untouched
Sweeney also noted that whenever there were group scenes, Hogestyn was always at the center of them. “It’s really hard that he’s not there.” Hall echoed the sentiment. “Not having Drake here leaves a terrible hole in all of us.” She explained that not seeing his truck in the studio parking lot was something she had to get used to, further adding that Hogestyn,“Had a huge presence on stage, and we miss him terribly.”
Martsolf’s Brady was John’s son on the show, and the actor explained that he wears a black leather coat like Hogestyn. “I want the family legacy to continue,” he shared. The hosts noted that Stephen Nichols (Steve) lobbied for Hogestyn’s dressing room to remain untouched, stating, “I think it should be a shrine to him.” Martsolf commented that Hogestyn would want them to work out in his old dressing room and would probably have said, “Kid, before your shirtless scene, make sure you get lots of reps in.”
