DAYS: R.I.P. Drake Hogestyn (John Black, Days of our Lives)

[carolineg]

Don't apologize!  Your work is invaluable.  I thought it had taken place much earlier and just took a peek to see if that was the episode.  And then just started looking back because it felt like the same time period.  I frankly barely remember any of this era and kind of wanted to look what RoJohn was up to.  Thanks again for all you do!

[Titus Andronicus]

I'm just now getting back into the loop of news after hurricane power outages.

John was my first favorite character. In so many ways, he was the perfect soap character. A blank slate, a background easily adaptable to whatever it needed to be. Days sometimes abused that by giving John so many storylines that established his real identity ... and they mostly fell flat. Mainly because John was a mystery that never should have been solved.

Hogestyn was still very much a newcomer to acting when he signed on with Days, and I think that's what made John Black initially work. John's uncertainty about not knowing anything about himself was made for a developing actor also finding himself. Hogestyn was never the greatest, but he pulled his weight quickly. Marlena falling from the building and the wedding were barely months later.

It's been a treat seeing tributes from all the actresses who were young when they first met him. He was a natural with kids in scenes, his goofiness bringing out the best in them.

There was a small scene that was a favorite back when YouTube had all the great clips. Victor planned to marry Diana. Roman was invited and, on a snowy night, found out he, Justin and Serena were pretty much the only guests. With Diana not ready yet (nervously up in her room), Roman pretends to get extremely drunk to get kicked out ... so he could rescue Diana. There are a bunch of hilarious retorts and lines, all playing to his acting style.

I moved on to prefer other characters, other actors, but always had a soft spot for Drake Hogestyn. 

[Khan]

No offense to anyone, but you have to be very secure about who you are as a heterosexual male to dance to that tune while wearing a tank top, lol.

[Roman]

RIP Brother.

From Peter Reckell. 

[Soapsuds]

What tune are you referring to?

[janea4old]

see previous page, Judi Evans' IG, when John was Roman, dancing around to Macho Man while doing construction work for Adrienne's construction company

[Liberty City]

 

[NothinButAttitude]

This broke my heart. I feel so bad for them. 

But this just shows the power of soap operas and how many of these casts are connected in a way you don't always get on a primetime show or movie. 

[JAS0N47]

A LOOK BACK: DRAKE HOGESTYN'S FIRST DAY OF WORK AT "DAYS"...PARKING CLEARANCE LIST & FIRST SCRIPT PAGE...JANUARY 10, 1986 (WHICH AIRED JANUARY 24, 1986)

 

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[janea4old]

 

 

 

[detroitpiston]

Aw man this and Greg Vaughan’s last texts with Drake really got to me.

They better do it big for John’s death on screen. I want every actor willing to come back to be present but especially John and Marlena’s shared kids and grandkids.

[JAS0N47]

A LOOK BACK: DRAKE HOGESTYN APPEARS AS HIMSELF ON SPECIAL 2001 CHRISTMAS EPISODE OF "DAYS", WITH A LOOK AT SEVERAL JOHN & MARLENA CHRISTMAS FLASHBACKS...

 

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[Wendy]

You probably included them in this statement but, for posterity, right or wrong, ROMAN and Marlena's kids, too. Since John did raise those kids and loved them like his own for so many years...

Still trying to wrap my head around this, days later.

[janea4old]

It's true what he says in this clip.
They could give him a crazy storyline because he'd play it as real as he could, and it worked.
He played every scene as if it were real, in the moment,
 and never tongue-in-cheek..

 

Edited October 2, 2024 by janea4old

[detroitpiston]

I was. Carrie, Sami, Eric, Belle, Paul, Will, Allie etc even Rex. All the offspring that have had main roles onscreen should be there.