Like sands by the hourglass.
“Days of Our Lives” formally killed off Drake Hogestyn’s character, John Black, on Monday.
The emotional episode got here eight months after Hogestyn handed away from pancreatic most cancers on the age of 70 on September 28, 2024, and it noticed Black flatline in a hospital together with his spouse, Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Corridor), shut by his aspect.
“You have put up the bravest fight I have ever seen,” Evans informed her dying husband within the character’s ultimate scene. “I know you’re weary. I know you’re suffering. If you need to go, it’s okay.”
Black was injured in a lab explosion days earlier than his loss of life as he tried to assist Steve (Stephen Nichols) uncover a drug to save lots of Bo (Peter Reckell).
His physique was fully coated in gauze to sidestep the truth that the character was not being performed by Hogestyn.
“We will always have you in our memories,” Corridor’s character, who married Hogestyn’s character six occasions, mentioned. “We will always hold you in our hearts. You can rest now.”
A montage of the 2 “Days of Our Lives” characters’ decades-long love story additionally performed simply earlier than Black flatlined and was formally killed off.
“I know. I know,” Corridor, 77, wrote on Instagram after the episode aired this week. “Hardest day ever.”
Reckell, who returned to “Days of Our Lives” as Bo for the primary time since 2023 for the touching episode, mentioned there was “no acting required” when it got here time to say goodbye to Hogestyn’s character within the wake of the actor’s precise passing.
“It’s still difficult to talk about because Drake touched everybody in his sphere so closely, and he was my brother and one of my best friends,” Reckell, 70, informed TV Insider. “Having his memorial, there was no acting required in those scenes, because you’re saying things as the character that parallel your feelings in your personal relationship.”
“When I went to John’s memorial and all these emotions came up, I just wanted to run away and be by myself and feel those feelings,” he added. “To have to do it as a character was really difficult.”
The favored cleaning soap opera’s government producer, Ken Corday, beforehand revealed that John Black’s loss of life scene was a direct results of Hogestyn’s real-life battle with pancreatic most cancers.
Corday, 74, informed Cleaning soap Opera Digest in November that Hogestyn “signed off” on his character’s loss of life scene shortly earlier than he succumbed to his analysis.
Hogestyn’s ultimate “Days of Our Lives” episode earlier than his loss of life aired on September 9, 2024. It noticed his character share a number of emotional moments together with his on-screen grandson, Tate (Leo Howard).
The present’s official Instagram web page introduced Hogestyn’s heartbreaking passing on September 28, simply in the future earlier than his 71st birthday.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Drake Hogestyn,” the assertion learn. “He was thrown the curveball of his life when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but he faced the challenge with incredible strength and determination.”
“After putting up an unbelievable fight, he passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones,” it continued. “He was the most amazing husband, father, papa and actor. He loved performing for the Days audience and sharing the stage with the greatest cast, crew, and production team in the business.”
“We love him and we will miss him all the Days of our Lives,” the assertion concluded.
Hogestyn joined “Days of Our Lives” in 1986. He appeared on the hit cleaning soap opera for 38 years and filmed over 4,200 episodes.
