Deidre Hall Remembers Drake Hogestyn, John Black On Days of Our Lives

The death of Days of Our Lives icon Drake Hogestyn has sent shockwaves through the soap community. His castmates paid tribute to him, including Deidre Hall, who explained how the show will say goodbye to one of Salem’s greatest heroes. Hall recently opened up about how Hogestyn got the role and how the cast is dealing with this unimaginable loss.

Drake Was John, and John Was Drake

Access Hollywood posted a video interview with Hall “in her first sit-down TV interview since [Hogestyn’s] death.” Hall ruminated about her late co-star and described how much he absolutely loved working on DAYS, lamenting, “And I miss that for him.” When she fondly reminisced about her fallen friend, she would refer to the actor and the character as if they were one and the same.

“I loved him so. Marlena loved him so. They loved each other so,” she described. Hall added that sometimes, when she’s on set, she realizes that John Black is not there, and a moment later, reality hits as she says to herself, “Oh my Gosh!! Drake is gone.” She further stated that his illness and subsequent death were a shock to everyone, and “The resounding comment was, ‘Not Drake!’ ” 

READ THIS: Find out what’s coming up on DAYS.

She Knew He Was the One

When asked how the cast deals with Hogestyn’s passing, Hall stated, “Truly, we don’t talk about it. There isn’t even really as much as somebody walking by and putting their hand on you. We just, we don’t live there, you know? We’re living in Salem and this reality.” It’s probably hard to focus on their lines when the actors think about Hogestyn’s passing, so focusing on the work itself must be the cast’s way of coping with his loss.

“When I screen tested with him…I knew.” The producers called her into their office to pick which candidate out of the seven that were there should play John, and she chose Hogestyn, much to their delight. The hardest part for Hall, next to losing her friend, is that he won’t be able to continue with John’s derring-do anymore. “I miss that he doesn’t get to come to work,” she stated, adding, “I miss that he doesn’t get to play with us.”