Amid the 59th anniversary celebration of Days of Our Lives, the star cast gathered to mark the occasion. Actor Stephen Nichols and actress Mary Beth Evans were among many in attendance. The on-screen couple opened up on their co-star Drake Hogestyn’s tragic demise. They also revealed the difficulties they faced while Drake was battling cancer, and his character John was being written off. Read till the end to get all the details.
Stephen’s Emotional Request For Drake’s Dressing Room!
On Friday, November 8, 2024, DOOL celebrated its 59th anniversary. All the stars were gathered to mark the event, but actor Drake Hogestyn was notably absent as the beloved actor passed away on September 28, 2024. Drake’s long-time screen partners, Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans, opened up with Access Hollywood on his demise and John Black’s final scenes on the show.
Stephen Nichols, who plays Steve Johnson on the show tearfuly mentioned that Drake’s dressing room still has his name on the door on DOOL set. He further added, “I think it (the dressing room) should be a shrine to him.” Stephen also mentioned that shooting John’s funeral scenes was really difficult for everyone because Drake was battling a tough fight with cancer.
“We Were All Suffering” – Mary Beth
Mary Beth, who portrays Kayla on DOOL, added, “We were all suffering.” But at the very least, fans will get the opportunity to bid him farewell which both John and Drake truly deserve”. The on-screen couple also mentioned that the emotions displayed in John Black’s funeral episode are real, and all of them felt the pain as Drake was fighting the tough battle.
Stephen said, “I do believe that the way the story is told, the fans will be very happy to see it.” Meanwhile, Mary Beth added, “The episode will have a lot of flashbacks of John Black, and it really honors him,” calling it “really beautiful.”
Planned To Bring Him Back!
While speaking to Access Hollywood, Executive Producer Ken Corday also revealed that he had been in constant touch with Drake while he was in medical care. The character of John was put to an end with Drake’s permission, and they had the doors open for him once he won the battle with the disease. However, Drake could not make it through the terrible cancer, so those plans remained unfulfilled.
John’s tribute episode is currently in the works and pieces are being put together, but no timeline has been disclosed for its release. However, it is surely going to be an amazing honor. John joined DOOL as a spy and he will forever remain a hero in the memory of his fans.
In Friday’s episode, Marlena received an update that Shane was sending John off on an ISA assignment. The assignment is going to be more dangerous than we expect, but it will be the best way to bid him farewell. Stephen and Mary mentioned that he’ll be remembered by them forever. “Neither John nor Hogestyn will ever be forgotten, by us or the cast.”
Well, the co-stars vow to remember Drake and John forever and also hint that the farewell episode will be promising. But how will fans remember the actor in their memory? Do share your favorite John moments in the comments. For more such updates, stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily, your one-stop destination for all the Days of Our Lives updates.
So sorry for our loss, Drake was a great actor and from what I have read ,he was a great person and he will be missed.I have watched him on DOOL since he came to Salem.