The tributes honoring Drake Hogestyn following his passing continue to pour in and Stephen Nichols, who worked with Drake as Steve “Patch” Johnson on “Days of our Lives” since 1986, took the opportunity to sit down with Access Hollywood. He candidly shared his cherished memories and deep respect for his late colleague while emphasizing the lasting impact Drake had on his life.
Stephen Nicholas said, “I just love him so much. And he lifted everybody up. He had such a powerful spirit and love for life. And he brought that to work every single day.” Nicholas added, “As dire as the situation became, he was always positive, and he would say things like, ‘I still believe in Santa Claus.’ He came to work while he was doing chemo. He wanted to show up and do the job and swing for the fences, as he always said.”
A powerful sentiment resonates in the tributes from those who knew Hogestyn; as Nichols pointed out, “He was kind and loving, and he loved his family. He was their protector, and it was his number one job. He talked about all of his kids with such pride. We’re running lines and trying to get our scenes together. But if the subject was his children or his wife, he went on and on, and we would forget that we were running lines. He glowed when he spoke about his children and his grandchildren. He also loved his job the days of our lives. When we formed Black Patch—the detective agency—he came up with this handshake and it was just so great.”
Stephen Nichols Shares Memories of Drake Hogestyn:
Reflecting on the last time he saw Hogestyn, Stephen Nichols shared, “It was at the Emmys. That was the last time I actually saw him in person and spoke to him. Such a great sense of humor. He told me, he said, ‘Look, I have got these patches all over my stomach. And I’ve got to; they did these tests. He was sort of upbeat about it at first and then he just turned to me, and he said, ‘I don’t know.’ So he knew that something was up and whenever we texted back and forth, he said, ‘This is a tough mission partner. But I’m here for it, and I’m going to fight.’
Nicholas will continue to hold his beloved friend and colleague close to his heart. “I’ll never forget our friendship. Through all of this, I’ve been trying to dedicate all of my work to him. I feel that every day.” He added, “Love to his family. So much love to his family. I want to send that to them. I’m always here for them, as well. I’ll miss the joy that he brought to all of us. The love that he brought. He was a remarkable person, and I will always love him.”
Watch below as Stephen Nichols shares memories of Drake Hogestyn!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Join our DAYS group for all the latest breaking news. Get Days of our Lives spoilers, and recaps and interact with numerous DAYS fans across the globe. Soap Opera News is your number 1 source for all things soap operas.
Leave a Reply