♥ Ongoing Days 2007 ♥ 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." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Late-Breaking News DAYS Star Attacked! Drake Hogestyn was forced to take a page from his alter ego, John Black's, playbook when an obsessed fan showed up at the actor's home, believing Hogestyn was possessed by the devil. "A violent physical fight ensued with threats against my life," said the actor in court papers obtained by the gossip website TMZ.COM. According to TMZ.COM, a restraining order was filed by Hogestyn on January 2. The actor and his family - wife Victoria, daughters Whitney twenty-one, and Alexandra eighteen, and son Ben (Harry, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; Ex-Lucas, GENERAL HOSPITAL) twenty-five - were in their gated Malibu home on December 31 when a fan, Carl Raymond Cheney, appeared in the backyard. Hogestyn was on a ladder, painting, when all hell broke loose. "An unknown, uninvited intruder ran at my daughter screaming, 'Where is he? I will cast him out,'" Hogestyn recounts in the handwritten statement. His daughter ran to Victoria, who was standing at the top of the patio stairs. Cheney then went after Victoria. "I saw this man grab my wife and push her backwards...I jumped off the ladder...grabbed him by the hair, spun him around, delivered a right-cross to the chin that sent him down the stairs." At that point, son Ben got Cheney in a choke-hold. The Bible-toting fan called Hogestyn by his character name and was confused because John had been shot on-screen during an episode that aired the week before. "This sick person…believed that Satan was in me and that he was the Christ," writes the actor. "He physically tried to exorcise the devil from me." The struggle between the Hogestyns and Cheney continued for ten minutes until Drake and Ben "were able to duct tape his hands and feet." When the police arrived - along with paramedics and firefighters - they found a Google map on the front seat of Cheney's car, which showed directions from his house in Portland, Oregon to Hogestyn's Malibu home. Cheney was jailed and held on one-hundred-fifty-thousand bail. A spokesperson for DAYS had no comment. (Please Note: We've always read through the years that the-powers-that-be at DAYS think of the cast as "family," and the last sentence of this article certainly doesn't sound to us like a very compassionate way to treat your "family." We would think that after over twenty years of love and loyalty to this show by Drake, they could show a bit more concern and compassion and at least express their relief that he and his family survived their ordeal and are doing fine - SOMETHING! Anything more than a cold "no comment.") SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 1/23/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS OF OUR LIVES Exclusive John Wakes Up! Actor Finally Speaks Out On His Bizarre Disappearance And The Man Who Terrorized His Family... On The Cover - Black For More: After five months in a coma, DAYS OF OUR LIVES' John wakes up, which means Drake Hogestyn is finally back on-screen. After twenty years on Salem's front burner, fan favorite Drake Hogestyn (John) suddenly found himself nudged off the stove. On-screen, John was shot in the head by EJ on December 29, 2006 and fell into a coma; bizarrely, his subsequent appearances were few and far between. (OOPS! This is wrong. John was shot in the chest, not in the head.) In the past five months of 2007, he has made only eleven appearances (for comparison's sake, Willow has made more than three times as many). Not that Hogestyn lacked for drama off-camera: On December 31, 2006, Hogestyn and wife Victoria should have been celebrating their twentieth anniversary. Instead, he found himself at the police station, filing a report after a crazed fan trespassed on Hogestyn's private property and terrorized the family. On May 25, John shows signs of life by squeezing Belle's hand. Next week, he finally wakes up. Here, the actor breaks his silence on his reel and real-life drama. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: How'd you feel when you heard John was finally going to come out of the coma? Drake Hogestyn: Well, the only way I heard was someone from Sony called and said that I was working. And then a script arrived. I've got several of them here. In the first show, I just lie there and hold Belle's hand. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: When did you first hear that John was going to go into a coma? Drake Hogestyn: In November, right around Thanksgiving. I was told that it's a very interesting story, one that they're excited about, and there will be a series of dreams and I will be offering information pertinent to storyline and it will carry on through the end of February, maybe first week of May. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: What was your reaction? Drake Hogestyn: Well, I'm always excited for a challenge. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Were you aware that it would be so few episodes? Drake Hogestyn: No. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Were you concerned when it turned out to be that way? Did you wonder about the future of your character? Drake Hogestyn: One can't help but wonder, but those decisions are out of my control. That's up to the Headwriter and the Executive Producers. Did I call and voice my opinion? Absolutely not. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: That's not the kind of actor you are. Drake Hogestyn: That's not my position. My position is of talent, and I take what's on the script and I put it on the stage to the best of my ability. And if there's nothing on the script with my name on it, I just wait until I get a script with my name on it. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: What was it like for you to have so much time off after over twenty years of working steadily? Drake Hogestyn: I realized right after the Christmas break that I wasn't working. I just waited for the call to come in, but we were going through the incident (see side-bar), so it was okay that I was home and taking care of business there. And then we started getting into later in January, I've been around the block. I could kind of see that the spin of the ball had changed. I could see that the story was going in a different direction and so then there was concern. I don't know if it was frustration or disappointment; kind of like flux between the two of them. And then I kind of enjoyed having my time. You give your heart and soul to this company here for twenty-plus years and you reflect on ten years of working here without a vacation, and my kids growing up so fast. Now they're adults, so I had time to reflect on a lot of that. That's good. I also spent time with one of our dialogue writers, Randy Holland. I've got a couple of ideas for a project, as everybody does. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Were you aware what was going on at the show, that the ratings had dropped a lot? Drake Hogestyn: Some friends of mine across the country who have been very ill have been telling me what's going on. But they're very optimistic. They have to be, in the physical condition they're in. Through them, I kind of got the idea that it was a different show that they were watching. In whatever way, shape or form, they weren't familiar with it. But you know, everything changes. You've got to change with it or you get left behind. I have a feeling that more changes are on the way. All I can add to the show is to go out there and signal the charge and try to bring a sense of energy to the floor. Raise the morale, let everybody know we're back on track. DAYS fans, they may leave the show for one reason or another, but they always have their ear to the ground and when things start turning around, they're gonna tune back in. I have a feeling that moment's right around the corner. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Well, that's great. Drake Hogestyn: You've got to have story, story, story and that's where we are right now. Stefano's gonna come back. Does he have John Black's kidney? By God, I want it back! Have John and Stefano mix it up again; we never finished our story anyway. There's some dynamics there. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Do you think having a break from the character will give a renewed sense of him to both you and the audience? Drake Hogestyn: Yeah, because it did get crazy. To be honest with you, I didn't recognize John Black. I basically was given a script to play. After twenty years, I didn't enjoy the character. It's the first time it happened in twenty years. It was a tough place to be. I basically haven't worked in a year, if you look at it. I think as soon as Wayne (Northrop, Ex-Alex/Roman) left, that was it. I had all of May off, all of June off, July, August, came back for a short period in September and October, I was shot in November. You get the idea. We're so muddy with John Black and his character that basically the time off for him will give the audience a chance to kind of forget about how crazy all that area was. There was a lot of madness. So now maybe the waters will be clear. With that said, I think the Basic Black set has been torn down for Mythic. John Black is no longer with the ISA at the urging of Marlena, so he has no job and he has no kidney (laughs). The only thing he's got left is his heart, by God, and instincts and determination. That's what I'm hanging on to. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: We haven't done an interview with you since July 2005. Care to comment on that? Drake Hogestyn: There hasn't been anything really to report. This business is crazy and it all turns on a dime. The reality is, it could all end tomorrow. In my case, my contract's up in six months and it could all end then. I always roll my sleeves up and do the best that I can do when I'm here. And I hope there's some story for John to play. I hope there's something he can sink his teeth into. For me, the next month or so will be very crucial to see what they lay out. I'm guardedly optimistic. Home Security: On December 31, Drake Hogestyn and his family – wife Victoria, daughters Whitney twenty-one, and Alexandra eighteen, and son Ben (Ex-Harry, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; Ex-Lucas, GENERAL HOSPITAL) twenty-five – were enjoying a day at home in their gated Malibu home when a fan, Carl Raymond Cheney, appeared in their backyard. Hogestyn was on a ladder, painting, when all hell broke loose. Cheney went after Hogestyn's wife and daughter. Ben grabbed Cheney in a chokehold. A struggle ensued. Finally, Ben and Drake were able to duct tape Cheney's hands and feet until the police arrived. Here, for the first time in print, the actor tells his story: SOAP OPERA DIGEST: You're someone who's always been very giving with your fans. Did it surprise you to have one who was this aggressive? Drake Hogestyn: Yes. Partway through the confrontation, he realized it was me. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: So, he first thought it was John Black and then realized it was Drake? Drake Hogestyn: No. When he saw I was shot on the show, I should have been dead. If I'm not dead, it's because the devil has entered my body. So, he Googled me, got my address, went to MapQuest and drove twenty-six straight hours (from Oregon) to the gates. He followed a car in, jumped the gates of my house and stormed around to the back. Fortunately, the whole family was together. I was painting on a ladder. I heard Whitney screaming, "Daddy," and I saw this guy chase her up the stairs and grab my wife and all hell broke loose. I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with paint splattered on it, so I didn't look like John Black. And then after I had duct taped him up, I think he recognized my voice. We were waiting for the police to arrive and they did, twenty-one minutes later. So don't call 9-1-1 on your cell phone, that was what my daughter was doing. Call them on a hardline. Especially during the holidays when police are doing double shifts. That's information that should be passed on. We had eight black and whites, a hook and ladder, two paramedics and an ambulance. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Yet you had already subdued him? Drake Hogestyn: He was already duct taped up, his hands behind his back to his feet. He was incapacitated, but I'm lucky that Ben was there. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: In what way? Drake Hogestyn: If Ben wasn't there, the man would be dead. It would have been me and him and the girls. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: How did you have presence of mind to subdue him? Drake Hogestyn: You don't prepare for anything like that. You either protect or you don't and it was an unreal moment. Your instincts take over and you size the situation up immediately. I saw that he had a Bible in his hand. He was on a mission. He was possessed in a different way. Sometimes they write you as the hero on a soap opera, and sometimes life imitates art, to a certain degree. You just do what you do. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Were you scared? Drake Hogestyn: No. That's not an emotion that comes into play in a situation like that. I'm guarded and protective of the kids. Get them away from this guy, whoever he is. I don't remember it all. I remember flying up the ladder and all the paint and cell phone and everything flew into the pool. (OOPS! This is wrong. Typo alert! It sounds to us like the reporter heard Drake incorrectly when she played the tape in her tape recorder back. In our opinion this should say, "I remember flying off the ladder" not "I remember flying up the ladder" like this article states.) I was on him, and he was down the stairs and then Ben was on me. And then Ben was on him and again, it was just a crazy moment. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Did your neighbors come by? Drake Hogestyn: The house on one side of us has been under construction since before we even bought our house. There's nobody there, but on the other side, they have a rental unit in the back. They rented it out to Pepperdine kids. This guy came after the police were there and he said, "Whoa! We heard all this like, noise. We thought you were shooting an MTV commercial (laughs)." I looked at him and then (country singer) Glen Campbell comes up because the hook and ladder was blocking the lane. They wanted to know what was going on and that was pretty funny. I said, "This is like out of THE TWILIGHT ZONE." SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Where is Cheney today? Drake Hogestyn: I don't know. He was released to a psychiatric ward back up in Oregon. I called the detectives, and his release date was unfortunately on a day that I was out of town doing a personal appearance in Mobile (Alabama). He was released to the parents. His parents knew about this fixation with the character and didn't do anything. He pleaded guilty for criminal assault and criminal trespass. I could not get him on criminal stalk because it was the first time he made contact, and that was the one that would have put him away. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: How did your family deal with the aftermath? Drake Hogestyn: It was a very disconcerting moment, to say the least. And one which the children and my wife are still not over. Sleep patterns disrupted, mine included. I spent many nights sitting in the garage on the hood of my car after I had searched the house again for the fifth time because Victoria heard a bump in the night. Yesterday, I was at Costco with Ben and I saw four rolls of duct tape on sale for twelve dollars. Never can have enough duct tape... Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 5/29/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Logan Crosses Over In this monthly column, TV GUIDE'S Michael Logan explores the worlds of the spiritual and supernatural - with some help from famed psychic John Edward. John's new cable series, JOHN EDWARD CROSS COUNTRY, airs Friday nights on WE. Father's Day is a time to honor our patriarchs, those who are here and those on the Other Side. It's also an opportunity to acknowledge just how tough being a dad can be. "There's no greater pain for a father than to see his child hurting and to not be able to do anything about it," says DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Drake Hogestyn (John), who has seen a lot of chaos and heartache in his household over the last year and a half. I'm sure many of you saw news reports about the crazed DAYS fan who broke into Drake's home and terrorized his family, leaving psychic wounds that may take years to heal. (Drake spoke about this for the first time in a terrific, very revealing interview by SOAP OPERA DIGEST Editor Stephanie Sloane in the May 29 issue.) On top of that, two of Drake's kids - son Ben, whom you know as Lucas on GENERAL HOSPITAL and Harry on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, and his oldest daughter, Whitney - have both experienced personal tragedies. (OOPS! This is wrong. Rachael is Drake's oldest stepdaughter, with Whitney being his oldest natural daughter with his wife Victoria.) Last fall, a young lady Ben had frequently dated committed suicide (Drake asked that the details not be printed). Several months earlier, Whitney's longtime boyfriend, Keith, died, along with her close friend, Tyler, in a motorcycle crash on Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway. The accident, in which the kids were killed by a driver making a sudden, illegal U-turn, made Los Angeles headlines. "The entire Malibu community was affected by it," recalls Drake. "Everyone knew those kids. I'd coached both of them in baseball since they were fetuses. And I really loved Keith. To have a young man introduce your daughter to love and for you, the dad, to totally approve, well, that's really saying something." The service - presided over by the Mayor of Malibu - drew one-thousand-five-hundred people. A candlelight shrine on the spot where the boys died remained for a year. But the sadness lingers on. Says Drake: "I'll be driving with Whitney and a song will come on the radio and she'll say, 'Daddy, turn it off' because it was their song. She had a lot of songs with Keith - one for each year of their relationship - and they will always be a reminder. A forever thing." Continues the actor wistfully: "As a dad you sometimes feel so helpless. All you can do is hug and hold your kids and promise 'em every thing's going to be okay. You try to help them make sense of the senseless. But it's just not enough..." Michael Logan, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 6/19/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Back In Black Drake Hogestyn sounds off about being MIA as John, the changes at DAYS, and the stalker he almost killed with his bare hands. While longtime DAYS OF OUR LIVES hero John Black spent five inexplicable months lying flat on his back in a coma, Drake Hogestyn used the time off to help his wife, Victoria, and their children Ben, twenty-three (Ex-Harry, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; Ex-Lucas, GENERAL HOSPITAL), Whitney, twenty-one, and Alexandra, eighteen, cope with a frightening home invasion that still haunts them. With the culprit finally locked away and his DAYS character released from storyline limbo, the actor is looking forward to getting Back in Black. In a candid interview, Hogestyn discusses his family's ordeal, how he got through his long daytime lull, and his hopes to bring John (and the soap) back to their glory DAYS. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: How is it being back after playing comatose since December? Drake Hogestyn: Well, I'm looking forward to resurrecting the character of John Black. Obviously, that's going to be left solely up to the Headwriter. I'm curious to see what he has in store. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: How did you gear up for work every day, when all you got to do was lay in bed? Drake Hogestyn: It was hard, but I think I did it pretty good (laughs). I would go out there before everyone came to the set and get hooked up into all the gear in the dark. By the time the lights came on, the crew got there, the cast came in, and the director was there doing the blocking, there was just a body in bed, who was in a coma. The only times I would interact was if Deidre (Hall, Marlena) needed some room and wanted to make a move on the side of the bed. Then, I would move over. Other than that, I was just totally unavailable. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: Did you ever fall asleep during a scene? Drake Hogestyn: One time I was concentrating on…a technique to put yourself in an out-of-body experience, when you lay there. It works if you have insomnia. It puts you into a deep sleep. While I was laying there putting myself into another dimension…I did realize that I had dropped off. It happened in a scene with Belle and Marlena. I actually startled myself and did a jerk. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: Did you know the length of this story before it began? Drake Hogestyn: I wasn't aware of how long the coma was going to last. It was indicated to me by one of the producers back in November that they were excited about this storyline and this was what was planned: "You're going to be shot. We don't know if it's going to be in the head or the stomach, but there will be oxygen deprivation of some type and it's going to lead to a coma. We'll do dream escape sequences, and you'll be in a coma for about two months." Stories change, as you know, and sometimes other stories take precedence. Evidently that is what happened. The storyline was stretched out to five months of inactivity. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: Was that difficult, considering you've always played such a heavy role on the show? Drake Hogestyn: It was frustrating. Disconcerting at first. Then, you have to accept that and say, "Hey, maybe that's the way it is now." Being a competitive person, you want to remain in the lineup and help the team out. But the manager calls the shots, and I'm just a player. You put me in the lineup and I'll do my best to swing the bat. You take me out of the lineup and I'll do my best to cheer my team on. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: What's it been like waking up and returning to the forefront? Drake Hogestyn: Coming back, I saw the difference in attitude here, I didn't feel an intensity. But we're turning the corner now, I can see it. I can feel the intensity on the set changing. The stakes have been upped. It takes time. Shows go in cycles. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: What are your hopes for John? Drake Hogestyn: The audience needs to reattach emotionally with the character. What are John Black's strengths? What are his weaknesses? Over the course of the last year, he has been a shadow of who John Black is: weak, waffling. The total opposite of who he is and what he has developed into over the last twenty-one years. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: Have there been any fun moments working again with Joseph Mascolo (Stefano) or Thaao Penghlis (Tony)? Drake Hogestyn: I'm not in the business of fun right now. I'm not here to fart around. I'm not here to laugh and scratch and do this and that. I'll leave that to someone else. I'm here to bring the show back up to where it belongs. I'm not used to being with a show that's spiraling out of control. My job is to come out with a sense of urgency and professionalism. That's all I bring to the table. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: What about reconnecting with these old co-stars behind the scenes? Drake Hogestyn: It's wonderful. Big hugs. Welcome back with open arms. Let's roll our sleeves up. Let's go back to work and take the show back to where it belongs. That's exactly what I said to each and every one of them. I'm just delighted to have them back here. It changes the spin of the ball. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: What did you do during your time off? Drake Hogestyn: I got back into several areas of my life that I found fascinating. Like my major in biology and applied sciences. When I last left the laboratory in 1976, I was in the midst of killing rats…removing their livers and centrifuge liver cells, isolating them and looking for the mitochondria in the cells, which is the fat-burning furnace. I did research on the Internet and at the library. I talked to my doctor daughter, Rachael. We had many stimulating conversations. I'm actually writing a book, and it's going to be a mind-blower. It started out with workouts, which I'm the king of. I consider myself in pretty good shape for the age that I am. Basically, we want to live a long, happy, healthy life with three ingredients: balance, flexibility and strength. But nutrition is always the most important aspect of any exercise routine. I've figured out the cycle. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: Did you get to do any fun stuff with your family? Drake Hogestyn: The first couple months were not fun at all, after we were visited by the stalker (Carl Raymond Cheney). That was December 31, Victoria's and my anniversary. That was insane. He is someone who crossed the line between the show and reality. He had multiple personalities. I had multiple identities. I think he picked the wrong actor to fixate on. He Googled me and got my address – MapQuested directions right to my house from his house. He jumped my gates and attacked my wife. Bad move! So he got to meet John Black up close and personal. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: You live in a gated community in Malibu. How did he ever get through? Drake Hogestyn: He waited outside the gate. Someone drove through, and he tailed them right on in. He pulled up in front of our house, jumped the gate and chased my daughter, Whitney, down in the backyard. I heard her screaming, "Daddy!" I was up on a ladder painting the arbor around the pool. I saw (Cheney) running up the stairs, Whitney running past Victoria, and Victoria screaming, "Get away from my daughter!" Then he grabbed Victoria and raised his hand. That's probably all he remembers. Thank God I was there. Thank God Ben was there, or I would have killed the man. Simple as that. If it had just been me and the girls, the man would have been dead. The way it turned out, I ended up having to save him from Ben, too, because Ben was going to kill him. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: Cheney is locked up and out of California. Do you take any comfort in that? Drake Hogestyn: The guy pleaded guilty to all the charges. He was released to his parents and put in a psychiatric ward up in Oregon somewhere. But (the system) basically bought him a Starbucks and slapped him on the wrist, is the way I look at it. The residual effect with my wife and the girls is ongoing to this very day. I'm just glad that I actually had the time to tend to emotional needs and just form a sense of security that I'm here. It's okay. There have been a lot of sleepless nights. My sleep pattern was disrupted simply because Victoria woke up twenty times a night thinking she heard something. So I would get up and walk through the house. It got to the point where I would just get up like a robot when she'd tap me and walk around. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: Did you take extra precautions to secure your home after all this? Drake Hogestyn: We installed all the motion detector lights. We have full security alarms, bells, whistles and all that. But we lost Lucy, the wolf dog, last year. She was a beautiful, loving animal, but she looked like a wolf. You have her walking around and that's a pretty good deterrent. Nobody knew she was going to roll over and want you to rub her belly. That wolf dog was replaced with a French bulldog puppy. Mix that in with two pugs and they're not going to deter anything. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: On a happier note, the brunt of that ordeal is behind you and you're back to doing real work at DAYS. Can you give us any clue as to what's coming up? Drake Hogestyn: Deidre was saying something about love on the beach. So I'm looking forward to that, and I'm sure the fans will be too. Hopefully, there will be an emotional payoff there. There has to be some kind of consummation of not being together for such a long period of time, so that it hasn't just been the black-hole coma for five months. This goes way back. It's been over a year's time now with the debacle of the story that was Alex North and the Roman/Kate/John/Alex/Marlena thing. The waters got so muddy during that period of time. I can look back and say that maybe this black-hole coma was a good thing, just to let the waters settle and then start fresh. I'm back refreshed. I feel great. My sleeves are rolled up. Now I just want to see this show get back to where it should be. Janet Di Lauro, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 6/26/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' Drake Hogestyn Fired? Say It Ain't So! "You Pout, You're Out" The News - Hogestyn Out?! Some industry insiders are claiming DAYS OF OUR LIVES has fired long-time star Drake Hogestyn (John), but no one's confirming it - and worried fans are burning up SOAP OPERA WEEKLY'S in-boxes. "I haven't heard that rumor," gasps a baffled Peter Reckell (Bo). "I can't say that it's true." One story has it that new Co-Executive Producer Ed Scott addressed the cast and crew recently, saying how excited he was to have come on board, but adding ominously, "If you pout, you're out." Hogestyn has made no secret of his frustration with the lack of story DAYS has given him this year, saying at his June 2 fan event, "I've got six months left on my contract. At some point everybody is going to leave the show." But was he 'pouting?' Knowing Hogestyn's good nature and professionalism, it's doubtful. So what's the real story? Speculation is that perhaps DAYS is killing John, or at one point considered it, which sparked these rampant rumors. But considering Hogestyn's popularity with cast, crew and fans, no one can believe they'd actually kill John for real. "I have no answers except to say how much I absolutely love Drake," asserts Alison Sweeney (Sami). "What a wonderful addition he is to the show. He started way before me, so we've worked together for fifteen years. I love him dearly, like a father." "D**n!" responds a surprised Lauren Koslow (Kate). "It would be very sad (if Drake was let go). It's always sad when you lose someone, and I like Drake. We have a really good time working together." Has the axe fallen? "I don't know anything," she shrugs. "We might all be finding out at the same time!" Or not, a representative for DAYS firmly dismisses the hullabaloo as "not true," :/) so, all we can say is stay tuned - and don't believe everything you read on the Internet. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 9/11/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' John Out? Late-Breaking News - DAYS: Drake Hogestyn Fired? No, but that's the backstage buzz at the studio after a storyline that could spell the end of John Black appeared in advance scripts. Word then spread that Hogestyn, whose contract expires at the end of the year, is on the chopping block. "Everybody at the set is talking about it," says an insider. But it appears that rumors of his exit have been greatly exaggerated. "We can assure you that Drake Hogestyn has not been let go," says a show spokesperson. "John Black is an important asset to DAYS OF OUR LIVES and will take part in a mysterious and exciting story ahead." :/) The mystery surrounding Hogestyn's future with the show he's called home since January 1986 began in June, when the actor alluded to an end for his alter ego, calling his fan event "The Final Mission." "At some point, everybody is going to leave the show," he said at the time. "I have six months left on my contract, so…after twenty years of throwing fan club gatherings, this is the final mission…The reality of it is, sooner or later, you're at the tail (end) of your talent cycle, whether it be here or somewhere else...Our (show) contract is up (in) March 2009. That doesn't mean we can't go someplace else. With that, it would necessitate huge budget cuts, which we're already going through. It's business." Hogestyn – who has seen precious little airtime since waking up in May from his months-long coma – was optimistic when he last spoke to SOAP OPERA DIGEST. "I'm still emotionally attached to this show. I want to see it succeed," he said. But he admitted to some dissatisfaction under the previous writing regime. "It did get crazy. To be honest with you, I didn't recognize John Black. I basically was given a script to play…After twenty years of being in that area, I didn't enjoy the character. It's the first time it happened in twenty years. There was a lot of madness." But he also acknowledged that there are no job guarantees. "My name's on the door," he noted. "It slides off." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 9/11/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ SOAP OPERA WEEKLY News Buzz... With John Black dead and buried this week, DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Alison Sweeney regrets never having had a proper apology scene. "We didn't have the big reunion that I would have loved to have had with him and that I know the fans would have loved, too," laments Sweeney. "Sami spent thirteen years hating John, saying horrible things to him." Sweeney did find some solace in one of her final moments opposite Drake Hogestyn (John), though: the pub scene where John said how proud he was of Sami for offering to marry EJ and end the vendetta. "Sami said, 'It means a lot to me, because you're my dad, too,'" recounts Sweeney. "It was a really nice moment. When Drake and I were rehearsing it, I said, 'And I'm really sorry about trying to make you a druggie and all that other stuff I did, too,'" she adds with a laugh. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 10/23/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ SOAP OPERA WEEKLY News Drake Says Goodbye :( It's been more than twenty years since Drake Hogestyn first appeared on DAYS OF OUR LIVES as Stefano's pawn and started a journey that molded him into one of the most revered daytime heroes ever, John Black. "From the early beginning as The Pawn, to John Black, to Roman Brady, and back to John Black, married father of two, it's been a hell of a ride," reflects Hogestyn, who airs in his final scenes this week. Those final scenes were very difficult to tape in light of the bond Hogestyn has formed with his castmates, particularly longtime television wife, Deidre Hall (Marlena), screen daughter Martha Madison (Belle), and Salem stepdaughter/tornado Alison Sweeney (Sami). "It has been an incredibly difficult several weeks due to the disbelief, shock and then final acceptance and closure which is inevitable in any creative endeavor," confides Hogestyn. "But the relationships formed with the actresses I have had the pleasure of working with on the show will not diminish as a result of the death of the character John Black. They have not seen the last of me," the actor promises. While Hall has described John and Marlena's last onscreen moments as "brilliantly, touchingly and tenderly written," Hogestyn sidesteps the question of whether he feels John and Marlena's final scenes were a fitting tribute to such a popular supercouple or to the many fans who have loved and supported them over the years. "The only thing I can say is, 'Always leave them wanting more,'" says Hogestyn, noting that taping John's death "was truly an out-of-body experience. And, as I reflect back, it is still a surreal event for me." Hogestyn does have a last message he'd like to send to his devoted and much-appreciated fan base: "I have enjoyed the most amazing relationship with my fans, and, in many cases, (have) formed deep friendships. They have supported and encouraged me through every twist and turn my character has endured. I hope we will continue this relationship in whatever direction it takes us." Ditto! SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 10/23/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ SOAP OPERA WEEKLY News Revolving Door :'-( DAYS Out: Though Drake Hogestyn's contract isn't up until December, sources say John's demise this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES isn't just a case of John chilling on Melaswen. Hogestyn, who joined DAYS in 1986 and was a front burner fan favorite, languished on the back burner throughout 2007. See pages four and six for more. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 10/23/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ HERALD SUN GUIDE Soap Star's Day Of Terror... HERALD SUN GUIDE - Worst Day Of My Life: Soap star Drake Hogestyn can't forget the day a crazed intruder tried to kill him. A mentally ill man broke into the Malibu home of DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Drake Hogestyn, trying to kill him. Hogestyn, a father of four, says he managed to subdue the man and tie him up with duct tape before police arrived to arrest him. The stalker is now in a psychiatric hospital, but Hogestyn and his family were rattled by the terrifying New Year's Eve break-in. "My wife and daughter were screaming. I look over and see this guy in a hooded sweat shirt running through my house," he says. "I went to town on him. I would have killed him if my son hadn't been there to pull me off him." "When you do what I do, it's easy to start to believe you are invulnerable, and that can be dangerous." "It was a terrifying moment for me, and for the girls." The man, who believed he was getting messages from Hogestyn's character John Black on the popular daytime soap, found the star's address on the Internet. These days, nothing is private for celebrities, and their phone numbers and addresses are bought and sold like stockmarket shares, putting them and their families at risk, he says. The attack obviously still concerns him - particularly because he had to leave his wife at home alone in the United States to make a two-week publicity tour of Australia with co-star and on-screen wife Deidre Hall this month. And it's not the first time Hogestyn has been the subject of a fan's delusions. Several years ago he was called away from the set to help police talk a woman out of killing herself. The woman said she would do it if she couldn't talk to her favorite actor, Hogestyn. He was happy to oblige, and the woman eventually gave herself up to police. Hogestyn suspects soap stars might be particularly vulnerable to obsessive or deluded fans because the actors become part of people's daily routine for decades. He has been on the show for twenty-two years, playing a role he says is inspired by Jason Bourne, the character made famous by Matt Damon in the BOURNE film franchise. But his two bad experiences have not made him wary of fans, he says. "Ninety-nine point nine percent of them are great. I know that Missy Brennan (who plays Jennifer Horton on the show) had some problems with a fan, too," he says. (Please Note: Melissa's maiden name used to be Brennan when she first joined the show but when she married Scott Reeves, she changed her name to Melissa Reeves. We think it is absolutely adorable how Drake often reverts to calling her by her maiden name simply because he called her by that name for such a long time.) "But mostly it's a positive experience. I appreciate all my fans. I always take the time to talk to them and find out about them..." Soap: DAYS OF OUR LIVES, Parental Guidance, Channel Nine, Weekdays, 2:00 PM, Long-Running Drama. Duration: One hour. Siobhan Duck, HERALD SUN, 10/31/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ TV News - Final Exit (Please Note: I'm Canadian, but if you look through our website, you'll see that the spelling and grammar is VERY American. This is simply because my partner is American as are most of the soap opera magazines that we type articles from. In an effort to keep consistency throughout BASEBALL MEMORIES AND MALIBU DREAMS, even though the following article uses Australian spelling, we've changed it to American spelling throughout.) During their Oz visit, we asked DAYS' Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn about John Black's last days: Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall's recent trip to Australia was tinged with sadness as it coincided with the on-screen death of Drake's DAYS OF OUR LIVES character John Black in the States. Although John's fate is some way off in Australia, the twist confirms persistent rumors that the character was to be written out. In a candid chat with TV WEEK, Drake and Deidre discuss John's highly emotional death. TV WEEK: John has just been shot in episodes screening here. What happens next? Drake Hogestyn: Well, he's in a coma for quite a while. There are some dreamscape scenes. But John will (wake up), and then they bring in some of the characters who have been very powerful in his past, like Tony (Thaao Penghlis). We are at an interesting point in the story. Deidre Hall: (Marlena) comes to his side and she won't give up on him. People want to put him in a rest home, but she is dogged about it and takes on the hospital. She gets into bed with him and lets Belle (Martha Madison) talk to him. She includes him in everything. TV WEEK: Drake, you said in an interview that this is "the end of the mission…" Drake Hogestyn: I looked at this (storyline) and thought, "John Black has had a good run." John gets shot, and they steal his kidney while he's in the coma and give it to Stefano (Joe Mascolo). When he comes out, he tells Marlena he wants to go home, but they have sold the house so he has no home to go to. I knew then it wasn't looking too good for John. So this year, I called it John Black's final mission. Do I want to go anywhere else? Absolutely not. They will take me kicking and screaming out the door. TV WEEK: John finds himself in hospital again after a hit-and-run accident. What was it like filming the final deathbed scene when John passes away from his injuries? Drake Hogestyn: I don't remember it. I remember getting into bed and sinking into it. (And) I remember Marlena coming in at the end. I dissolved in those scenes and had an out-of-body experience. I saw my grandparents and they've been dead for fifteen years. I was in an altered state. It was actually quite scary. Deidre Hall: But you were sobbing. Drake Hogestyn: I do remember sobbing and saying, "It's not time yet." Deidre Hall: I said, "Are you afraid you'll miss something?" and you said, "I'll miss you." That's when everyone fell apart. It's so funny to learn he wasn't (completely there for the scene) as it was intense. I was at that place where I was holding myself at simmering level without tipping over. Then when the scene ended, it was okay. People around us couldn't stop crying and neither could I. TV WEEK: What happens for Marlena now? Deidre Hall: I don't know. They've been writing some wonderful things - the funeral was amazing. We talked about the nature of grief and I felt like we were doing a public service announcement. Marlena says, "I didn't know what grief was until I lost John." TV WEEK: When is your contract up? Deidre Hall: It's up August 2008, and then we'll decide what happens. TV WEEK: Do you think of life beyond the show? Deidre Hall: Sure, I love going to work, but that's not my life. When I have long stretches of time off, I'm with my family. DAYS OF OUR LIVES weekdays, check guide for times, Nine Network. WWW: For more of our interview with Drake and Deidre, visit HERE Crazy DAYS: Drake and Deidre discuss some of their characters' more memorable - and bizarre storylines. 1. The Pawn's Bandages Are Removed: "John Black reminded me of Jason Bourne from THE BOURNE IDENTITY," says Drake. "I thought it was a foolproof story, with the whole Pawn in Miami background. Everyone was so polished when I started. I just sat back and learned from them." 2. Presumed Dead, Marlena Returns To Salem: "I never thought that really came together," Deidre says. "I thought the set-up was good, but there was no pay-off with it and it didn't go anywhere." 3. John's Wife Isabella Dies: "When Isabella (Staci Greason) died from pancreatic cancer, that period gave me goose bumps," Drake says. 4. Marlena Is Possessed By The Devil: "I just loved this," Deidre enthuses. "The possession storyline was fun. My colleagues never knew what I was going to do, if I was going to scream or go a little nuts at them. I could do anything!" 5. Marlena Is Revealed To Be The Salem Stalker: "The stalker was absolutely gleeful. It is about how far outside my parameters I get to be. It was the joy of the hunt and the joy on the set," Deidre says. TV WEEK, 11/10/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' John: Back Already? Late Breaking News - Drake Hogestyn Back To DAYS? If the rumor is true, yes. Sources say the show is planning to bring the super-star back to Salem at the end of the year, or the beginning of 2008. Hogestyn's John Black appeared to be really, most sincerely dead after the October 17 episode, but DAYS has overcome that obstacle before, most notably after the Salem Stalker's killing spree in 2003 - 2004. Though Hogestyn insisted in the October 23 issue that "John Black has met his Maker," other castmates weren't convinced that the actor was gone forever. "I would be naive to say no to that because it's never say never," offered Deidre Hall (Marlena) in the same issue, adding "The indications and ear-markings are that we won't see him again, but we've done it before...if he comes back then it would be wonderful." Martha Madison (Belle) echoed the sentiment saying, "I'm devastated if Drake is leaving. DAYS is famous for killing and bringing back people, but at this point, none of us knows what is going on. I'll continuously keep my fingers crossed that Drake isn't leaving." Peter Reckell (Bo) recently told SOAP OPERA DIGEST, "It doesn't really feel like good-bye. If it was, it would be hard to believe. I hugged him and everything, but was like, 'Well, I'll see you down the road.'" The buzz is that the actor will return as another character, but an insider insists, "If he's back, it will definitely be as John." A DAYS spokesperson had no comment. SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 11/27/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Who's In? Who's Out! Drake Hogestyn: January! Casting News On The Cover! Expanded Revolving Door: DAYS Back? Sources say Drake Hogestyn is heading back to DAYS OF OUR LIVES in January, but don't expect John Black to rise from the ashes a-la Stefano. Word is, Hogestyn will be returning as a new character who has a connection to the late John. "The show was always planning to bring Drake back," reports a setsider. "It was just a matter of how." One website, DAYSOFOURLIVES.ABOUT.COM, went so far as to map out a story scenario giving Hogestyn's new character a name, Russell McCallister, a teenage son named Gadge, and a wife named Annie, whom Belle will encounter as a teacher at Salem University. A DAYS representative offered the standard, "No comment," noting all of the above is just a rumor. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 11/27/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ RoundUp SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Who do you turn to for advice on your show and why? Bryan R. Dattilo (Lucas, DAYS): "I don't turn to many people for advice, but whenever Drake Hogestyn (Ex-John) opens his mouth, I shut up and listen. Always. I look up to him in so many ways, as a person and as an actor. He is so knowledgeable." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 12/4/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Shake-Ups At All Your Shows! THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Drake In? Ins And Out - THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Is A DAYS Star Bound For THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL? Status: Ever since DAYS OF OUR LIVES killed off John, rumors have circulated that portrayer Drake Hogestyn will be joining THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. But are the stories true? The In Depth Story: Several factors make THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL a likely future home for the most valuable player, including the fact that his hiring would reunite him on-screen with Eileen Davidson (Ashley), with whom he was paired during her stint as DAYS' Kristen. In fact, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL has something of a history of hiring former DAYS players, among them Susan Flannery (Stephanie; Ex-Laura, DAYS), Kyle Lowder (Rick; Ex-Brady, DAYS) and Joseph Mascolo (Ex-Massimo; Stefano, DAYS). Throw in the fact that THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL'S West Coast locale would mean no relocation for the actor and even a bit of family history with the show (son Ben took on the short-term role of Harry back in 2006), and it's easy to understand why some view the soap as a frontrunner for his services. However, for the moment, the actor can't join any soap. "Legally, I'm still under contract at DAYS until about December 18," he admits, adding that the writers' strike has meant few shows are casting major roles. "There's been nothing going on." And of course, when it comes to soaps, nobody is ever really dead, which means John might not be quite the goner everyone assumes. In fact, while the actor says, "I'll never consider (DAYS) a closed door," sources already are whispering that Hogestyn will be back in Salem early next year! CBS SOAPS IN DEPTH, 12/11/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS: Is John Alive? Late-Breaking News - DAYS' Drake Watch Continues: The rumor that Drake Hogestyn is returning to DAYS as John Black is about to gain a whole lot of momentum, judging by a story point in this week's on-air shows. Dr. Rolf, wearing bloody scrubs, tells Stefano that the "patient" will recover soon. Stefano says he'll need the "patient" to fight someone he refers to as his nemesis. Could the DiMeras have had John the whole time? It's certainly possible: He was buried awfully quickly – the morning after he died in the hospital – and the casket was never opened, fueling speculation that Salem's Number One hero is not really, most sincerely gone. The buzz at the studio is quiet for now. "Drake's name hasn't appeared on any scripts and he is not scheduled to be at the set anytime soon," says a source. "But they might be keeping it quiet so word doesn't leak out." The actor, whose current contract with the show expires this month, was recently in Australia on a publicity appearance with Executive Producer Ken Corday and co-stars Deidre Hall (Marlena) and Thaao Penghlis (Tony). "Why would they send him to Australia if they weren't going to bring him back?" points out another setsider. "It wouldn't make sense. Plus, Ken was there. If he had really fired Drake, wouldn't that have been awkward?" Though Hogestyn insisted in October that John Black "met his maker" on DAYS, coming back from the dead is just another day in Salem. SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 12/11/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ GENERAL HOSPITAL Drake Coming? Ins And Out - GENERAL HOSPITAL: DAYS Star Joining GENERAL HOSPITAL As Liz's MIA Dad? Status: Ever since DAYS OF OUR LIVES killed off John, rumors have circulated that Drake Hogestyn would be joining GENERAL HOSPITAL. But is it true? The In Depth Story: Before John's body was even cold, rumors began spreading that the actor was in talks to join another soap, with GENERAL HOSPITAL and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL the shows most often cited. Several factors make GENERAL HOSPITAL a likely future home for the most valuable player, including the fact that its West Coast location means he wouldn't be forced to relocate or commute to New York City. Who could he play in Port Charles? The popular theory making the rounds is that Hogestyn would step into the lab coat of Dr. Jeff Webber, Elizabeth's absent dad (and Monica's ex). Ironically, Hogestyn and Jeff's original portrayer, Richard Dean Anderson, played siblings on the 1982 series SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. However, at the moment, the actor can't join any soap. "Legally, I'm still under contract at DAYS," he says, adding that the writers' strike means few shows are casting. "There's been nothing going on." And of course, when it comes to soaps, nobody is ever really dead, which means John might not be quite the goner everyone assumes. In fact, while the actor says, "I get the feeling that anything could happen there," sources already are whispering that he and his popular alter ego will be back in Salem, alive and kicking, early next year! ABC SOAPS IN DEPTH, 12/17/07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ RoundUp SOAP OPERA DIGEST: What was your favorite scene from 2007? Martha Madison (Belle, DAYS): "When Belle said goodbye to John (Drake Hogestyn). I think that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. Also, the wedding scene with Shawn. I'm very proud of the way it turned out." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 12/18/07