‘Days of Our Lives' Filmed John Black's Funeral While Actor Drake Hogestyn Was on His Deathbed: ‘He Understood That This Is a Story Fans Would Want to Be Told' (EXCLUSIVE)

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'Days of Our Lives' fans, get out a box of tissues, because you are going to need them this week. Beginning Monday, the citizens of the mythical town of Salem, Ill., lay to rest and mourn the death of John Black, who succumbed to injuries in a lab explosion. Although that in itself is worth plenty of tears, it's the passing of Drake Hogestyn, who played him for 40 years, last September at 70 from pancreatic cancer that adds the real heartbreak to this already emotional scenario. To add even greater pathos, John's death and subsequent funeral were shot while Hogestyn was still alive as he was dying.
Executive producer Ken Corday approached Hogestyn's family and got permission to bring John's story to an end this way, and they signed off on it. 'Drake, as the consummate storyteller that he is, said, 'Absolutely. You gotta tell the story,'' Eric Martsoff, who played his son Brady, tells Variety. 'Drake knew what he was facing. He understood that this is a story fans would want to be told. So Drake graciously said, yes, let's do it. But knowing that this man was on the planet, and we were literally taping his funeral and his death, that was hard. It was really hard.'
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The filming of his funeral took three full days, and Hogestyn died the following weekend. 'There was literally zero acting going on during those three days,' Martsoff says. 'Everyone was holding hands to the point where our hands were getting white.'
Martha Madison, who played John's daughter, Belle, said it was all very real for the cast and crew. 'For us, it felt like our responsibility and an honor to do it the very best that we knew how,' she says. 'The fact that we were losing Drake at the same time, it was very hard on us emotionally, as we're losing someone we really love. We didn't really have to perform. It wasn't like we were having to dig for anything. It was just all right there.'
In a way, it was a beautiful release for everybody on set those days, because of the collective sentiment of, 'We Love you, and we're gonna miss you.' Madison says, 'None of us were able to really see him or be with him towards the end. This was our opportunity to do it as a family, and do it together. And I thought it was so beautifully written — all of the flashbacks and really honoring his whole 40-year career on that show. It was all just very special.'
In these exclusive videos, John's family gathers to pay their last respects at his funeral. There, Marlena (played by soap legend Deidre Hall) flashes back to her and John's wedding where she says they think of their family as a garden: 'Each child is unique, beautiful, cherished in their own way.' The couple symbolically builds a 'bouquet' of their family, with each child represented by a flower. Back in present day, each of their children lay their flower beside candles and a memorial photo as a sign of their eternal love.
Speaking about Hogestyn brings Madison to tears: 'I just looked up to him so much, and I admired everything about him — his deep commitment to his work and to his family, his joy and playfulness and his ability to bring people together.' Her voice cracks. 'I just admired him so much, and I don't think that he was even aware of the impact that he was having on all of us.'
Among the speeches eulogizing John is Marstoff's Brady, who says that his father could be summed up in one word: eyebrow. 'My dad had many, many skills — spy craft, martial arts, baseball. But I think the use of his eyebrow was perhaps his single greatest asset, not only was it effective, but extremely versatile.' Anyone who has watched 'Days of Our Lives' knows exactly what he's talking about: Hogestyn had an ability to raise one eyebrow to express everything from curiosity to consternation.
'Eric's speech that he gives at the memorial is both touching and funny, and I think that is something that Drake, as a person, would enjoy,' Madison says. 'I don't think that he would want us sitting around crying all day, even though people like me couldn't stop. I think he would want this to feel more celebratory, because he was very celebratory of his own life and how lucky he was to have this beautiful job and beautiful family. I think he would want us to honor that. I think that's what you see in Eric's monologue. It's really perfect.'
Marstoff says he 'lost a father figure' when Hogestyn died. 'Drake and I were buddies. He usually started the day with a story. He just had so many life experiences. I mean, he was a Yankee at one point, for God's sake!' he says, referring to Hogestyn's pre-acting career as a professional baseball player. 'Fans should tune in because we're going to say goodbye to one of the most iconic men ever to hit daytime television. He was the epitome of a soap opera star on and off the stage, and the man deserves eyeballs, and he deserves that tribute.'
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