♥ Ongoing Days 2004 ♥ Note on soap magazine publication dates and content of articles/interviews regarding multiple soap stars: Many of the monthly or every other month (and sometimes quarterly) magazines back in the 1980's would be on the newsstands a long time before the date on the actual magazine. We've noticed, for instance, that DAYTIME TV magazine did an interview with Drake in late 1986 about his upcoming wedding, which was scheduled for December 1986, yet the interview didn't appear until the July 1987 issue several months later. Therefore, it might be a bit confusing to read about his "upcoming" wedding in an interview dated July 1987 when you happen to know he was married in December 1986. We've tried to date the articles to match the date on the magazine, regardless of when the events talked about took place. Hopefully it will make sense as you go along! We've also edited some of the articles/interviews to just include John's storyline, since this is a Drake/John website. We've left out comments and sections about other actors or storylines unless they're involved with John's storyline. This too should be very apparent and clear when we've done that so it makes sense and you don't have to skim through a long article to find the "John parts." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Catting Around Drake Hogestyn (John) was hoping to get physical on-set during the circus storyline. "I wanted to wrestle a tiger really badly," he laughs. "They called me last week and said, 'So, you're going to wrestle this tiger.' I said, 'No! Really?' and they said, 'No, not really.' And I said, 'Then why did you call and tell me that?' I thought that would be cool, but I guess after what happened to Roy Horn, they are being very careful." However, he did get to participate in a fight scene, when John, Hope and Bo went after a hooded figure at Roman and Kate's wedding. "We did four takes, and it was cool. We had to do a replay the next day, and that's what got me. In the scene, the guy came around the corner, threw his shoulder right into my face as I was coming in for the tackle and snapped my head sideways. He gave me a black eye. I took him down, but it was a shock; I saw stars. Then, I landed on him, shook my head and said to myself, 'Get it together, man. You have dialogue!'" SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 1/20/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Star Style In The Jeans The crew of DAYS got an eyeful when Drake Hogestyn (John) came to a show party in his regular clothes. "It was a pair of jeans and a white shirt," he laughs. "They were boot cut, but John has always worn straight leg Levis or something a little older, not so fashionable, not designer. Just your basic Gap. When I came back to work (after the party), Richard Bloore (costume designer) brought me a new pair of jeans and said, 'Well, George (in wardrobe) was just raving about this party and what you were in, so we had to go out and get this for you.' But jeans are jeans and you really have to try them on. So, they didn't fit really well. They just weren't right and I didn't feel comfortable in them. The next day I brought my jeans (from home) in, so I've been wearing them. That's kind of different. Sometimes, I will go out and buy jeans, but I will wear them for the show only and never take them home. But these jeans, the girls got me and I wear them and it's kind of funny, because they're mine. I feel like it's a Saturday morning, lounging around the house." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 3/30/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ NBC Gossip DAYS OF OUR LIVES Bum's Rush: On a recent day off, Drake Hogestyn (John) discovered just how passionate the fans are about the serial-killer storyline. "I was building storage units and I had to go back for another load of sand and gravel and cement at the Malibu masonry," he recalls. "I had a sweatshirt and cement-splattered pants and a ball hat on. There were four or five contractors in there and one guy said, 'Hey, are they going to kill you, man?' And I wasn't even paying attention. My mind was on, 'How many yards of this do I need? Do I have enough cinder block?' Then he said, 'It's getting really crazy, man. Are they going to off you?' and I said, 'I don't know. No one knows what's going on.' So then I called (my wife) Victoria and asked her if she wanted me to get her an Ice Blended at The Coffee Bean (and Tea Leaf), so I went in there and a woman behind the counter started screaming. There were ten people lined up and once she broke the ice, some Pepperdine students asked, 'Are they really dead? Is it really Marlena? Are you next!?' What is interesting is that I could have been in the same situation last year or the year before and people were still watching the show, but there wasn't that much to talk about. Now, you see the people need to be vocal about it, which is a good barometer of what's going on with the audience. Then, I wished I would have cleaned up a little bit before I went out! I looked like a real bum!" SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 4/6/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Buzz Drake Hogestyn (John) admits he will think twice before playing action hero on DAYS OF OUR LIVES again, considering his last stunt almost broke his leg. It happened in a scene after Sami fired a shot at John. "I decided to dive across the hood of the car and kick the gun out of her hand. It was not called for," admits Hogestyn, who didn't figure the falling rain into the equation. "I leapt head first, tore the whole light assembly off the car, and my leg felt like I had broken it." In his dressing room afterward, "I dropped my jeans and my right thigh had a hematoma protruding out five inches and a bruise was already growing. I've always done my own stunts and it seemed at that moment like what John Black would do. In retrospect, it was stupid - a freaking disaster." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 4/13/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ NBC Gossip DAYS OF OUR LIVES Sob Story: Drake Hogestyn (John) was understandably emotional when he played the scenes where Marlena (Deidre Hall) dies in John's arms. But the actor admits that he even surprised himself by how teary he got. "I actually sobbed," he relates. "When it took over my body, I thought, 'Oh, my God, is that a sob? That's weird!' I was so relaxed when I drove out of the studio and went home. (My wife) Victoria said, 'Are you okay?' And I said, 'Yeah, I'm just great.' I think there's something men are missing. We're brought up never to show that emotion, but when you do, it is such a great release. It's really interesting. I never understood when people said, 'Sometimes you need a good cry,' but I'm a believer in it now." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 6/1/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Still Speaking My Mind Nice Isn't A Four Letter Word: We all know the old saying "Nice guys finish last," and in the soaps - where villainy is made to be sexy and seductive - nice guys often do get the short end of the stick. Their hearts get stomped on, they get one-upped by the smooth but snakelike bad guys, and they're sometimes called the most insulting word you can call a character: boring! Call me crazy, but I've always loved the hero - not the bad-boy anti-hero (though I have loved many of them), but the good-to-the-core, loyal-to-a-fault good guy. Yes, on occasion, this kind of hero can be boring if he's boringly written or acted. But good isn't automatically synonymous with dull. In my heart, most of the time, good guys finish first. For all my ranting and raving about everything under the soap opera sun, underneath, I'm just an old-fashioned romantic... DAYS OF OUR LIVES' John Black isn't just a good guy; he's a bloody saint (especially these days!) Yes, a guy should stand by his girl. But his girl, Marlena, is an accused serial killer who is pretty much reviled by the whole town. It looks like both he and Marlena might have the last laugh, however, since Marlena and at least one of her victims (Alice) appear to be alive. Personally, I do find John to be a little dull, but I have so much respect for his portrayer, Drake Hogestyn (who has amazing staying power and the best abs and pecs for a guy his age anywhere), that I'll overlook it. And if I ever need a hero, it would be a man like John I'd want to rescue me... I know many women prefer characters like ALL MY CHILDREN'S Adam Chandler, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS' Victor Newman, GENERAL HOSPITAL'S Sonny Corinthos, GUIDING LIGHT'S Jeffrey O'Neill (oh, Prince Richard, I miss you), and AS THE WORLD TURNS' Craig Montgomery - complicated, powerful men who flaunt the law as though it only applies to other men. As for me, I'll take those other men any day of the week. There are more than enough bad guys in the real world. We need all the heroes we can get anywhere we can find them - and that includes the soaps. See you next Weekly, Mimi... In addition to this column, Mimi writes a completely different column about the soaps once a month on the Internet at SOAPnet.com. You can email Mimi at SOAPnet.com or through SPWpubop@Primedia.com. Mimi Torchin, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 6/1/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mad Anthonys Notebook: Soap Stud Gets Gallery In A Lather Fort Wayne - THE JOURNAL GAZETTE Copyright 2004, THE JOURNAL GAZETTE Tag: 0406220612 Length: 154 lines Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 Edition: Final Edition Section: Sports Page: 10B Source: Justin A. Cohn, Stacy Clardie and Ben Smith, THE JOURNAL GAZETTE As soon as Drake Hogestyn stepped out of his car Monday, he was greeted by two female fans. After chatting it up for about five minutes with them, he headed to the Sycamore Hills clubhouse, but was stopped again by a man in a New York Yankees T-shirt. After posing for a picture and signing an autograph, more fans approached Hogestyn, who donned a black shirt, khaki shorts and flip-flops. Hogestyn was so overwhelmed with attention he had no time to head to the driving range before teeing off in the Mad Anthonys Celebrity Pro-Am. Instead, he settled for some swings near the 10th tee. Even then, a mob of fans surrounded him, clicking pictures of his every move and eagerly awaiting more photo ops and autographs. Such is the life of a soap star, especially when you're a fan-favorite like Hogestyn. Hogestyn, a Fort Wayne native, who once played in the Yankees organization, joined the cast of DAYS in 1986. He's never left the soap, and fans are rewarding him for that loyalty. "I'm very grateful for what I do," said Hogestyn, who plays John Black. "There's no point in leaving the show. I have continuity there. I'm loyal to the show. They're very good to my family. They expand me in ways that film and primetime can't. I've changed identities nine times on the show. With all those different identity changes, I expand my role. I've had transformation surgery, subliminal input. It's the greatest role in the history of daytime." Hogestyn may not have had the largest gallery Monday, but he may have had the most intense. Not surprisingly, most of the followers were women, and they took advantage of getting a chance to get up-close with the soap hunk. Several got kisses on the cheek. Plenty of hugs were unleashed. And every time Hogestyn was asked for a photo, he wrapped his arm around the excited fan. Chiku Mbusko, sixteen, was so overwhelmed by meeting Hogestyn, she hardly let him out of her sight. Mbusko snapped photos of Hogestyn while he was taking warm-up swings, unloading clubs from his bag, sitting in his golf cart, and, of course, she made sure to get one with her favorite star. She also ran after his cart as it headed down the tenth hole. "I didn't expect him to touch me or anything like that," Mbusko said. "It was just going to be like 'Hi' and then 'Bye.' I didn't think I was going to talk to him. I just want to run up there and hug him." Hogestyn was so intent on satisfying his fans' requests, there wasn't much time for golf. "A couple of times, they're like, 'C'mon, c'mon.' He would stand around and if there were fifteen people out there to hug him, he would run across the course (with them) still hugging him," said spectator Midge Brutton, who said she has babysat for Hogestyn's children. "He's so sociable. At times, they really have to make him come on because the people are all out there hugging him and talking to him. He really makes it fun to go." And that accessibility keeps fans coming back for more. "Having a celebrity like that, knowing he's that nice, it makes you more in tune to watch soaps," Tiffany Allen said. THE JOURNAL GAZETTE graciously gave us permission to use this article on BASEBALL MEMORIES AND MALIBU DREAMS. Click HERE to go to their home page and browse for any Drake information yourself. They retain original rights to this article, so please do not copy it for use anywhere else. Justin A. Cohn, Stacy Clardie and Ben Smith, THE JOURNAL GAZETTE, 6/22/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hogestyn Worked With A True Vamp Drake Hogestyn (John) was a big hit when he took part in the musical SESAME STREET tribute at May's Daytime Emmy ceremony. As viewers saw, the DAYS hero was paired with The Count, the puppet vampire who teaches kids how to (what else?) count! But when Hogestyn showed up for rehearsal, he and the Emmy producers had a slight - but understandable - miscommunication. "They said to me, 'We are so glad you're here. We wanted just the right person to work with The Count.' And I said, 'Oh! Thaao's here?' And they said to me, 'No, no, we're talking about The Count.' And I said, 'Right. Count Tony DiMera (played by Thaao Penghlis)!' And they said, 'No. The Count from SESAME STREET!'" SOAP OPERA PREVIEWS, 9/6/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ NBC Gossip DAYS OF OUR LIVES Surf's Up: How did Drake Hogestyn (John) spend his Olympic break? In Hawaii, for a long-overdue family vacation. The actor, who was on location in the fiftieth state in 1999 as part of John and Marlena's honeymoon shoot, was most excited to surf. "I love warm water surfing," he says. "Last time I did warm water surfing was when we shot the show in Oahu for the submarine stuff. At the time, I ran into a bellboy who was on the pro surf tour there, and I asked him, 'If you've got any time, can you go out?' And he said yes. So, we went the morning of the day I was leaving. I met him at 4:30 AM and we headed off to Makaha. The moon was setting, and when the sun was just starting to come up, it was just absolutely beautiful. We walked out there with our boards, and these Hawaiian guys were yelling out, 'John Black!' They came out there with me, and it was just a really great time. Those guys were so much fun, and then we went back to their hut and they busted open mangos and papayas and coconuts, and it was one of the mornings that you always remember." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 9/28/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Star Sight In this column, renowned astrologer and best-selling author Maria Shaw, who has offered advice on MR. PERSONALITY, THE ANNA NICOLE SHOW, BLIND DATE and SOAP TALK, tells those of you born under this month's sign what to expect for the next year and charts the future for one star. Happy Birthday, Libra! (September 23-October 22) I have always said, if you can't get along with a Libra, you can't get along with anyone. They are excellent negotiators and matchmakers. They aim to please and can charm the pants off of anyone! Starting September 29 and lasting for over a year, all you peacekeepers out there have reason to celebrate. Jupiter, the planet of good luck, makes a house call. So, you'll find more opportunities dropping at your feet than ever. There are lots of rewards on the career front if you're willing to take a few risks. If the past fifteen months have been a bit exhausting - not to mention downright frustrating - consider that period of life history. There's nothing stopping you now from reaching personal and professional goals in the year ahead. Celebrating This Month... Drake Hogestyn (John, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) Born On: September 29 Birthplace: Fort Wayne, Indiana Shaw Sees: Just when you thought Drake's storyline couldn't get hotter, his new forecast period ushers in opportunities to do some of his greatest work ever on DAYS. Because of a sensitive moon in Cancer, Drake has strong creative and emotional needs; acting helps fulfill these. He can easily be a father figure to the younger actors on the set. He has got a crazy sense of humor that is balanced with a strong intellectual side. Just like the character he plays, Drake is a man of his word and someone you can count on for honest advice and help. His downfall? A tendency to worry too much about the people he cares for. This year, Drake can expect an increase in money, possibly from a source other than his day job, new co-workers and foreign travel. With this being a blockbuster year for Libra, a daytime Emmy nod may be in his future! Hogestyn Says: Drake Hogestyn: Who is that person? I want to meet that guy! (OOPS! This is wrong. Typo alert! It should say "I want to meet that woman!" rather than "I want to meet that guy!") It is nice - almost as if someone could ask people around here, and they could tell her that (laughs). I don't foresee anything (money-wise) outside of DAYS. There have been events in my life that have led me to believe that I should embrace all of this much more deeply than I do. I find it interesting and fun and provocative. It all sounds positive. And I will bring my Emmy into the SOAP OPERA DIGEST offices! For more on Hogestyn's psychic experiences, go to www.soapoperadigest.com/indigest and do a search on his name. Maria Shaw is a celebrity astrologer and author who specializes in relationships. Visit www.mariashaw.com to book consultations and for info on her national appearances, as well as her latest book, SOUL MATES AND CELL MATES. SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 10/5/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ NBC Gossip DAYS OF OUR LIVES Face Time: Going to the store took on a different meaning for Drake Hogestyn (John), who was featured on three out of four SOAP OPERA DIGEST covers in September. "I was in the market and I went, 'Oh, my God, this is pretty WOW,'" says the actor. "I was at Sav-On taking film in, and my daughter Alexandra and I saw my face staring back at me. It was pretty funny." The magazine received some thank-you letters from fans for featuring the actor so much when the show came back from its Olympic break. "Well, that's great," he smiles. "What I have learned out of all of this is that the audience is there, and they do keep a real close ear to the track and they know when things are happening and heating up. There is a direct correlation between that and why we went back up to Number One (in the 18-49 demographic) for a while. But they're not gonna be taken for fools. They're not gonna be led down the same road that they've been back down before. When something is happening, they're right there with us." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 11/23/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

True Love When even her very closest friends were ready to label Marlena a serial killer, hubby John's belief in her innocence never once wavered, and now he can say, "I told you so!" to his heart's content. Portrayer Drake Hogestyn says that in the end, it all boils down to a matter of faith. "Marlena's the love of John's life," he explains. "She pulled John through the world of the unknown (when he didn't know exactly who he was). Everything real in John's life began with Marlena. When she 'died,' a part of him did, too, right along with her." Even the truth about her liplock with Roman while on the island couldn't shake the foundation of their love. "It came down to a battle of hearts between John and Roman," observes the actor. "And John prevailed." SOAP OPERA PREVIEWS, 12/6/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book It! SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: What's on your nightstand? Drake Hogestyn: THE BOURNE LEGACY. Eric Van Lustbader is penning it, even though it's Robert Ludlum's best-selling character, Jason Bourne. That's the character that John Black was patterned off of. Of course, Robert Ludlum has passed on, but because of the success of his films, his family has gotten this guy to pen another book. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 12/14/04