Days of Our Lives’ Kristian Alfonso revealed what she knew during the final days of Drake Hogestyn.

Despite the advice of the doctor, Bo and Hope went to John’s funeral, getting there just in time for them to pay their final respects. It was evident in all of the scenes surrounding John’s death that the actors weren’t acting. They were sharing their real feelings for John’s real-world alter ego, Drake Hogestyn, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2024. Kristian Alfonso opened up about working with the soap opera legend.

Hope Was Hopeful

Bo (Peter Reckell), Hope, and John go way back, and the friendship that the characters had translated into real life as the actors became close. Alfonso took some time to talk to Soap Opera Digest and discussed her vantage point during Hogestyn’s final days.

She knew he had been dealing with cancer and stated, “My heart and my head were completely hopeful, because that’s what I try to lead with: positivity and hope, no pun intended.” And although she and the legendary actor had been communicating via text throughout it, he never let on that the end was truly near.

She Was Devastated

Hanging on to that hope, Alfonso wasn’t prepared for what was to come. She was devastated by his demise and clung to her fond memories of working with the iconic actor, whom she described as “wonderful.” She felt she was part of the “team,” and truly loved that Hogestyn always brought positivity with him to work.

Noting that Hogestyn was a former baseball player, she could relate to his encouraging attitude since she was a former ice skater. When work was going to be tough, “He was just like, ‘Okay, today is a really dirty day! A difficult day, physically, we’ve got a ton of dialogue. Let’s do it!’” She was very happy to have known, worked with, and been inspired by the legend.