Drake Hogestyn, the long-time actor who portrayed John Black on “Days of Our Lives” for nearly four decades, has passed away at age 70 due to pancreatic cancer.
His family shared the news through a statement on the official Instagram account of the popular soap opera. “With deep sorrow, we announce Drake Hogestyn’s passing. He was faced with a life-changing challenge when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he met it with remarkable courage and resilience. After a tough battle, he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Drake was an incredible husband, father, grandfather, and actor. He truly enjoyed entertaining the ‘Days’ audience and working with the outstanding cast, crew, and production team. We love him dearly and will miss him all the Days of our Lives,” the statement read.
Hogestyn made his first appearance on “Days of Our Lives” on January 24, 1986. Over the years, he became known for his portrayal of John Black, a character who worked as a spy, mercenary, police officer, private investigator, and secret agent. He appeared in over 4,200 episodes of the NBC show, which has been airing on Peacock since 2022. Alongside Deidre Hall, who played Marlena Evans, Hogestyn formed one of the most well-known on-screen couples in daytime television history.
Apart from his time on “Days of Our Lives,” Hogestyn also appeared in other projects, including CBS’s musical series “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and several TV movies from the 1980s and 1990s, such as “Generation,” “Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues,” “One Stormy Night,” and “Night Sins.”
Kassie DePaiva, who played Eve on “Days of Our Lives,” paid tribute to Hogestyn on social media, writing on X (formerly known as Twitter), “I am deeply saddened by this loss. Drake was one of the nicest people I had the pleasure of working with. He lived an amazing life, and the world was better because of him. He will be greatly missed.”
