“We’re reliving it” — Days of Our Lives fame Alison Sweeney opens up about grieving Drake Hogestyn on and off screen

Alison Sweeney, who played Sami on Days of Our Lives, opened up about grieving Drake Hogestyn both on and off screen. This week on the Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives, the characters in Salem paid their respects to John Black. Drake Hogestyn, the actor who played the role of John Black, tragically passed away on September 28, 2024, due to pancreatic cancer.

It was announced that John's funeral on the show would begin on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. However, Sami, played by Alison Sweeney, would not appear this week. Sami would still get a chance to mourn John, but viewers might have to wait some more.

In a June 9 interview with Soaps.com, Sweeney said the show would show that grief does not follow a set timeline and promised it would be a meaningful moment. Sweeney shared memories of late actor Drake Hogestyn and talked about reliving the moment while watching the scenes showcasing John's funeral on the show. Alison Sweeney said,

"I’m watching these scenes on TV and seeing all the comments on social media. And we’re reliving it, so that’s really hard."

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What did Days of Our Lives star Alison Sweeney say about grieving Drake Hogestyn?

Alison Sweeney recently opened up about grieving Drake Hogestyn in an interview with Soaps.com that was published on June 9, 2025. She revealed that the showrunners of Days of Our Lives had planned to showcase the funeral of John Black's character. Sweeney stated,

"I don’t know if it was meant to be a secret so I don’t want to step on their toes but I came back a little bit later because I couldn’t be there for those scenes. They arranged for me to do it a week later, maybe two weeks later. I do come in and have scenes about John, but my timing was a little bit off after all of that."

Sweeney admitted that it was quite difficult not to be with the show's cast to film the intense scenes. She explained that seeing the previews for John’s funeral had been tough for her. She said,

"We knew when we were filming the scenes that it wasn’t going to air [until] six months from now and we’re going to have these feelings all over again and that’s sort of what’s happening."

While discussing her character, Sami, Sweeney thought that Sami’s later moments with Marlena (played by Deidre Hall) would feel extremely realistic to viewers because mourning does not always happen when everyone gets together on one day. She said John Black was Sami's stepfather and discussed her character's relationship with John on the show. Sweeney added,

"Sometimes, that’s an ongoing thing. Having Sami come back and share those moments with Marlena, like a week later or something, allows us to tell that story."

Alison Sweeney made it clear that the scene gave Sami an opportunity to honor the man who was a second father figure to her, even though their beginnings were somewhat rough. While mourning John Black's character on-screen, Sweeney recalled that he was the love of Marlena’s life and a great stepfather to Sami.

While talking about Sami Brady's scenes with Marlena during John's funeral, Sweeney stated that those moments on-screen would help both the cast members and viewers to process the loss of not only John, but also Drake Hogestyn, the legendary actor. Lastly, Alison remarked,

"I’m really glad that I got to be a part of it in the way that I was, it felt very real."

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More about Alison Sweeney's life and career as she mourns the loss of Drake Hogestyn

Alison Sweeney was born on September 19, 1976, in Los Angeles, California. Daytime fans recognized her for her performance as Sami Brady on the Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives. For this role, Sweeney landed a Daytime Emmy Award nomination and won four Soap Opera Digest Awards.

Apart from playing Sami's role on Days of Our Lives, Sweeney appeared in multiple films and television shows, enhancing her acting portfolio. Alison's fans could catch a glimpse of the actress in popular productions such as Simon & Simon, Friends, Bay State, The Price of Life, Christmas At Holly Lodge, and Night Sins.

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Days of Our Lives: Everything you need to know about Drake Hogestyn

The late actor Drake Hogestyn, known for playing John Black on Days of Our Lives, passed away on September 28, 2024. Hogestyn was born on September 29, 1953, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He graduated from North Side High School and later attended the University of South Florida in Tampa on a baseball scholarship.

Besides playing John Black on the Peacock soap opera, Drake Hogestyn starred in several films and televison shows such as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues, One Stormy Night, and Criminal Minds.

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Fans of Days of Our Lives can watch new episodes of the show on Peacock.