‘He Was My Favorite’: Kirsten Storms Pays a Heartwarming Tribute to Late Days of Our Lives Star

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Actress Kirsten Storms, known for her role in “Days of Our Lives“, recently reminisced about her fellow actor Drake Hogestyn and shared insights into their close friendship that developed beyond the set of the long-running soap opera.

Belle Black, played by Storms, joined the show in 1999, as the daughter of fan-favorite characters John Black (Hogestyn) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall). In an interview, Storms disclosed that her bond with Hogestyn strengthened when she started dating his son, Ben. “For a couple of years, I dated Ben, Drake’s son, which allowed me to spend a great deal of time with Drake and his family,” she shared.

Hogestyn tragically lost his life to pancreatic cancer on September 28, 2024, at his Malibu, California residence. He was 70 years old. Storms expressed her feelings about Hogestyn’s passing, saying “He was my absolute favorite and a true legend. Always so cheerful and well-prepared, giving his all in every role he played. I was devastated to learn of his demise. Yet, it still doesn’t feel real to me.

Before appearing on ‘Days of Our Lives’ from 1999 to 2004, Storm gained recognition for her character Zenon Kar in the ‘Zenon’ trilogy. Later, she moved to ABC’s soap opera ‘General Hospital’ in 2005, and its spin-off, ‘General Hospital: Night Shift’. Speaking about her departure from ‘Days’, Storms mentioned, “I had many emotional moments when I left because I had developed a family there. It was the longest project I’d worked on, and everyone was always so kind to me.

Days of Our Lives is Now Airing on Peacock

Back in 1965, I became a devoted fan of “Days of Our Lives” when it first aired on NBC. For an impressive 57 years, this captivating show held the title as the longest-running scripted television program globally. However, NBCUniversal decided to part ways with the series in 2022, bringing its run on NBC to an end. But, just when I thought my favorite soap opera was coming to a close, Peacock stepped in and renewed it for another two years, ensuring that we’d celebrate its 60th anniversary together!

From 1986 to 2009, and then again from 2011 until his passing in 2024, Hogestyn was a main cast member on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” During this time, he played the role of John Black. He reprised this role for the Peacock miniseries “Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem” and the original film “Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas.” Throughout his tenure on the show, Hogestyn received several Soap Opera Digest Awards, including one for Favorite Male Star in 1994 and 1995. He also shared a win for Favorite Couple in 2005 with Deidre Hall, his on-screen partner.

Days of Our Lives is now streaming on Peacock.

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2025-05-21 17:20