Categories: DAYS Cast Trivia & Character Recaps Days of our Lives

Drake Hogestyn: An Actor Biography

Published by

Janet Di Lauro

8 years ago

Name: Drake Hogestyn
Daytime Role: John Black on Days of Our Lives (1986 to 2009, 2011 to present)
Date of Birth: September 29, 1953
Marital Status: Wed to Victoria Post (1986 to present)
Children: Two daughters, Whitney, born July 20, 1985, and Alexandra, born December 9, 1988; as well as two children from Post’s previous marriage, Ben and Rachael.

Biography
Professional baseball, followed by a backup career as a dentist, were Fort Wayne, Indiana native Donald Drake Hogestyn’s original life plans. In fact, he attended the University of South Florida on a baseball scholarship, majoring in pre-dentistry.

After being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees, with whom he signed, Hogestyn thought his dream was becoming a reality. That is, until an injury derailed things in 1978.

Hogestyn regrouped and, on a whim, entered a Columbia Pictures talent search. He was one of 30 – out of 75,000 entrants – who won and was rewarded with a starring role on primetime series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with General Hospital alum Richard Dean Anderson.

In 1986, Hogestyn joined the cast of Days of Our Lives in what would become a revolving door of characters from The Pawn to the presumed dead Roman Brady to finally John Black. Throughout it all, his pairing with Deidre Hall’s Marlena has emerged as one of the soap’s favorite couples.

Hogestyn and wife currently reside in Malibu.

Career Highlights

• Got his big break, when he was cast as Brian McFadden in the 1982-1983 series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
• Was handpicked by Shelley Long to play her husband in sitcom Kelly, Kelly, but had to back out because of his conflicting Days schedule
• Won Soap Opera Digest’s award for Hottest Male Star in 1994 and 1995.

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