‘DOOL’ Deidre Hall Opens Up About Filming Amid Drake Hogestyn’s Illness
Days Of Our Lives fans should get their hankies ready. Drake Hogestyn’s last storyline as John Black has started airing. Deidre Hall worked alongside the beloved actor for nearly forty years. She opened up about what it was like filming the show amid his cancer battle and beyond.
DOOL Cast Struggling With Drake Hogestyn’s Death
Drake Hogestyn’s death sent shockwaves through the soap opera community. The actor passed away in September 2024 after a private battle with cancer. Days Of Our Lives fans were shocked by the sudden death. His current and former co-stars gave loving tributes.
The soap opera community is still in denial and mourning the huge loss. Now the soap opera has the impossible task of saying goodbye to beloved actor Drake Hogestyn and his equally beloved character, John Black.
Deidre Hall Opens Up About Filming During His Illness
Days of Our Lives fans suspected that something was going on with Drake Hogestyn. He disappeared from the screen for weeks at a time and his appearance changed slightly. But most fans didn’t know the stark reality of Drake Hogestyn’s illness. Some of his co-stars may have known. DOOL executive producer Ken Corday did know and kept hope that the actor would beat the cancer and return to the daytime drama.
Drake Hogestyn’s regular screen partner, Deidre Hall, opened up about what it was like filming during Drake Hogestyn’s illness. She told Soap Opera Digest that the door was kept open in the event the actor was able to return.
Furthermore, she revealed that the wardrobe department did their best to hide Drake Hogestyn’s visible weight loss. But the actor knew he was ill and he knew that it was unlikely that he would be able to return.
So, he worked with Ken Corday and the writers to plot John Black’s final storyline. Deidre Hall credited the writing team. She said that the writers had a “bigger challenge” than the actors. “We just had to get through it. They had to create it.”
John Black Is Missing
Longtime Days of Our Lives viewers know that trouble always finds John Black and John Black always finds his way out of it and back home to Marlena. But this time is different.
Marlena has grown concerned because she hasn’t heard from her husband in a while. Even worse, neither Shane (Charles Shaughnessy) or Steve (Stephen Nichols) knows where John is or what he’s up to.
This week Marlena has a tough talk with kids Belle (Martha Madison) and Brady (Eric Martsolf) about their father being missing. Deidre Hall opened up to SOD about how they got through the tough scenes while mourning Drake Hogestyn.
“We made sure we all knew the dialogue so it didn’t have to be done more than once. Then we stepped in and [did the scenes]. There may have been a hand squeeze. We’re big on no words, and just eye contact and a hand squeeze,” – Deidre Hall, Soap Opera Digest
According to Deidre Hall, the cast doesn’t really talk about the loss of their co-star that much. “We’re just trying so hard to carry on and complete the job at hand. I do know what we all do as castmates is just pull together and get through it,” she sadly admitted.
While it is going to be hard to say goodbye to John Black, DOOL fans can find comfort in the fact that the show is writing the exit the way Drake Hogestyn wanted it.
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