Days of Our Lives fans have been wondering how the soap would handle actor Drake Hogestyn’s death. The long-time soap star passed away unexpectedly in September after a private battle with cancer. Executive Producer Ken Corday confirmed in a new interview that the show plans to kill Hogestyn’s character off. Drake Hogestyn played a large role in plotting John Black’s demise. Keep reading for all the details.
Drake Hogestyn Approved John Black’s Death
Drake Hogestyn has been a mainstay on Days of Our Lives since 1986. He was off-screen for a while earlier this year, which sparked rumors that he was ill. However, neither he or anyone close to him confirmed the rumors. So, fans were shocked when his family announced in late September that the actor had passed away after a private battle with pancreatic cancer.
Since John Black hadn’t been on-screen for a while, Days Executive Producer Ken Corday felt he had to come up with an explanation for the audience. He told Soap Opera Digest that he made the choice to kill John Black off.
“We were rolling the dice, because it’s difficult to tell a story of someone’s death or a character’s death while the actor is still alive; albeit [Drake] was fighting, like a tiger, a very difficult disease,” the EP said.
He reached out to Drake Hogestyn to discuss the plan. “I wanted to make sure Drake signed off on this, and he was totally in favor of it. He trusted me.” Ken Corday added that it was “extremely difficult and painful” for everyone involved in the show, but it was something that he felt had to be done.
How exactly John Black dies is still a mystery, but the preview for the show’s 60th season teased he’d gone missing.
Stephen Nichols & Deidre Hall Talk Heartbreaking Funeral Scenes
Days of Our Lives has a strange filming schedule compared to other shows on TV. The show films six months in advance, which means viewers won’t see John Black’s demise until 2025. Stephen Nichols admitted to SOD that he didn’t initially agree with the decision to kill John Black off.
Nichols joined the show as Steve “Patch” Johnson around the same time as Drake Hogestyn and they’ve been close friends ever since. But once he found out that Drake Hogestyn gave the storyline his blessing, he was totally on board, too.
He said that he was in touch with his co-star every week during his cancer battle. Nichols said that filming John Black’s funeral was “difficult, but everybody pulled together. We held each other together to get through it. We did what we could do, and I’m sure Drake would be happy [with how it turned out].”
Deidre Hall has played Drake Hogestyn’s leading lady on the daytime soap for nearly 40 years. She gave an emotional statement after his passing. She revealed to Soap Digest that the fans will be moved by the tribute to John and Marlena’s romance.
“It’s just beautifully done. You’re going to see a whole career of flashbacks that will take you back to [John and Marlena’s] first handshake at Shenanigans, when he first rescued her, the pier scene,” she said.
Stephen Nichols summed up the situation the best he could. “It’s been rough, but I’m keeping his spirit alive.”
What do you think of the show’s decision to kill off John Black?
