One of daytime’s most beloved and iconic stars, Days of Our Lives‘s Drake Hogestyn (John Black), passed away on September 28, 2024, one day shy of his 71st birthday.
In a statement shared via DAYS, the Hogestyn family wrote:
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Drake Hogestyn. He was thrown the curve ball of his 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.
He was the most amazing husband, father, papa, and actor. He loved performing for the Days audience and sharing the stage with the greatest cast, crew, and production team in the business.
We love him and we will miss him all the Days of our Lives.”
Executive Producer Ken Corday added, “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.
Actor Drake Hogestyn, who since 1986 has played John Black on the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives, died on Saturday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 70.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Drake Hogestyn,” the actor’s family wrote in a statement posted to Days of Our Lives‘ Instagram account. “He was thrown the curveball of his 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. He was the most amazing husband, father, papa, and actor. He loved performing for the Days audience and sharing the stage with the greatest cast, crew, and production team in the business. We love him and we will miss him all the Days of our Lives.”
In a statement to Soap Opera Digest, Days executive producer Ken Corday added, “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.”
Hogestyn made his Days of Our Lives debut on Jan. 24, 1986, playing spy-slash-mercenary-slash-art smuggler (among other occupations) John Black. He held that role on the NBC-turned-Peacock soap opera from 1986 to 2009, then again from 2011 through this year (including a stint on the Peacock miniseries Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem in 2021). In mid-June, John Black left the canvas and headed to Greece, on a journey to make amends for things he had unwittingly done as The Pawn.
With Deidre Hall as Marlena Evans, Hogestyn formed one of daytime TV’s most iconic and time-tested couples.
“I’m so saddened by this news,” Kassie DePaiva, who played Days‘ Eve, shared on X on Saturday. “[Drake was] one of the kindest people I have ever worked with. What an amazing life he lived. He will be missed. He made the world a better place.”
Fellow daytime vet Nancy Lee Grahn, who plays General Hospital‘s Alexis, posted to X, “My deepest condolences to Drake Hogestyn’s family, friends and fans. What a lovely, lovely gracious man.”
In addition to Days of Our Lives, Hogestyn’s TV credits included CBS’ series adaptation of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (which aired for one season in 1982), a 2018 episode of Criminal Minds and the Hallmark holiday movie Christmas Tree Lane.
He went on to say, “I feel life is good…. Time’s going by. That’s just it. It’s amazing. It’s remarkable. We live a dual life here, you know what I mean? We not only have our real life, but we come here and have another life, and it’s really, really unusual. I wish everybody could experience this. It’s really rich and it’s really full and I’m very blessed. It’s a great way to go through life. I was texting with a [mentor] of mine [and] he said, ‘Hollywood really is a meat grinder,’ and I said, ‘Yeah.
You have to know when you’re on top of the roller-coaster ride and be prepared for what’s coming next.’ Because that roller coaster goes up and goes down, and you have to have a very, very strong support group and sense of self and be very realistic. He was saying, ‘It’s amazing that you’ve had a gig half your life working in the entertainment industry on a show, and being passionate about what you love to do. How fortunate are you?’ And I said, ‘Yes. Exactly.’ ”
Hogestyn is survived by his wife, Victoria, their four children Rachael, Ben, Whitney, Alexandra and their partners, and seven grandchildren.
Soap Opera Digest extends our deepest condolences to Hogestyn’s loved ones. He will be greatly missed.
