Days of Our Lives stars to honor Drake Hogestyn with special tribute walk for pancreatic cancer

The cast of Days of Our Lives are coming together to honor late actor Drake Hogestyn as they have joined forces to co-chair the Hogey's Home Runners team for the PanCAN Purple Stride Walk in Santa Monica.

For the unversed, Hogestyn died at his home in Malibu, California, on September 28, 2024, due to pancreatic cancer, as reported by Deadline. He was best known for portraying John Black on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives.

On March 7, 2025, Martha Madison (Belle) and Eric Martsolf (Brady) announced on Instagram that they will join the PanCAN Purple Stride Walk on April 26, 2029. Martha wrote in the caption:

"In honor of our TV dad and Days of Our Lives' most iconic hero, Drake Hogestyn, Eric and I are committed to walking toward a future without pancreatic cancer.... And we want you to come along."

As the actress talked about partaking in the tribute walk, she also shared the details of the venue and urged fans to join the fight against pancreatic cancer. She added:

"So, consider this your personal invitation to join our team and walk with us (and many other familiar faces) on Saturday, April 26th, at the Santa Monica Pier."

---

Days of Our Lives: A glance at John Black's character

John Black, played by Drake Hogestyn, was featured on Days of Our Lives from November 18, 1985 to January 29, 2009. After a brief break of around two years, John returned to Salem city on September 26, 2011, and continued till 2024.

In the episodes released in June 2024, John felt guilty after a confrontation with Konstantin about what happened with the latter's daughter. To get rid of his guilt, John told his wife, Marlena, that he needed to leave Salem and find Catherine's grave to apologize to her for his actions. Marlena heard from John for the last time when he landed in Greece, post which he completely disappeared.

Throughout John's tenure on the show, his character confronted various challenges on Days of Our Lives, including his shady past and memory loss. As he went through multiple identity shifts, he believed that he was a DiMera pawn, a former priest, and a mercenary.

His romantic entanglement with Marlena was also an important aspect of his character. After discovering his ties with the DiMeras, he often engaged in conflicts with Stefano DiMera, as Stefano continued to manipulate his memories.

---

More about Drake Hogestyn: Everything you need to know

Drake Hogestyn was born on September 29, 1953, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He graduated from North Side High School and went ahead to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa on a baseball scholarship. He and his wife, Victoria, had four children.

Apart from playing John Black on Days of Our Lives, Drake Hogestyn had featured in many films and television shows. Fans can catch a glimpse of him in popular productions such as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Otherworld, Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues, One Stormy Night, and Criminal Minds.

Drake had received numerous awards and landed prestigious nominations for his performances on-screen. He was named the winner for the Hottest Male Star in 1994 and 1995 at the Soap Opera Digest Awards. He also received nomination for the same category for two consecutive yeras, 1997 and 1998.

---

Drake's fans are eager to witness the Days of Our Lives actors partaking in a tribute walk to honor the late actor and raising awareness about pancreatic cancer. In the meantime, the daily soap is available to stream on Peacock.