Here’s How Days of Our Lives Will Honor Drake Hogestyn And John Black

Days of Our Lives fans are still reeling from the death of beloved actor Drake Hogestyn in September. Many cast members paid tribute to the man who gave life to the iconic John Black for 38 years. Now, the show is also preparing episodes that will pay tribute to the actor and his character. And Deidre Hall shared the inside scoop. 

Viewers Are Part of the DAYS Family

At a November DAYS fan event, People spoke with Hall, whose character Marlena was John’s love interest for several decades, turning them into a super couple. She explained that because the show is “family-run,” they bring that sense of family to the audience. She felt that the show gives people who may not be able to celebrate major holidays a true sense of being part of the soap’s family, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Hall also stated, “We are there, and when we lose a family member, you share it with us. We’ve lost Bill, we’ve lost Drake. You’ll share that with us.” While the late Bill Hayes’ character Doug will pass away on-screen, Hall didn’t share any details except to say that Hogestyn’s John will be memorialized on the show next year since DAYS shoots so far in advance. She explained that as the show mourns the death of a character, the audience becomes “part of that legacy” as well.

Fans Will Get Hours of John’s History

Hall further explained that John’s memorial will air across several episodes. “We have shows coming up that are just hours of flashbacks of his history,” she stated, adding that the tribute episodes will be “lovely.” Fans who are mourning the loss of one of their favorite actors will be pleased to witness John’s journey from being The Pawn to the hero that he eventually became.

In October, Hall told Access Hollywood that she and Marlena loved Hogestyn for almost 40 years. And she described John as “an iconic hero, unfailingly rescuing her from all matter of villains.” She also praised Hogestyn’s acting, calling him extremely professional in his approach, and said he was “Flawless in his preparation and ready for any eventuality in any scene.”