The soap community was devastated on September 28 when Drake Hogestyn, best known for his role as John Black on Days of our Lives, passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer, just one day before his 71st birthday. It was shortly after that the news broke that Hogestyn had already aired his final episode, and now we know a bit of how the show plans to honor this legend.
In a recent interview with Soap Opera Digest, Executive Producer Ken Corday shared that he had a discussion with Drake Hogestyn, who endorsed John Black’s death. Corday stated, “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,” referring to Drake’s fight with a very difficult disease. However, he notes, “He hadn’t been on [the show] in nine months. We needed a reason [for John’s absence].” Corday emphasized, “Had Drake, God willing, beaten this, he would’ve come back, and it would’ve been something different.”
In regards to upcoming death and funeral scenes, Deidre Hall (Marlena) tells SOD, “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. It will go through all the years. There’s a lot of history and a lot of heart.”
Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn became global icons; their supercouple status as John and Marlena leaves an indelible mark on the lives of countless fans around the world.
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