Longtime Days of Our Lives star Drake Hogestyn died at the age of 70 following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer on Saturday (September 29), the show announced in a statement shared on its Instagram account.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Drake Hogestyn,” the statement reads. “He was thrown the curve ball of his life when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but he faced the challenge with incredible strength and determination.

“After putting up an unbelievable fight, he passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones. He was the most amazing husband, father, papa and actor. He loved performing for the Days audience and sharing the stage with the greatest cast, crew, and production team in the business. We love him and we will miss him all the Days of our Lives.”

Hogestyn played John Black, a police officer, private investigator and secret agent on the NBC soap opera from 1986 to 2024, appearing in more than 4,000 episodes, according to his IMDB page. The actor was also credited for roles in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Criminal Minds and the Hallmark movie Christmas Tree Lane.

Hogestyn was a collegiate baseball player and earned a double major in microbiology and applied studies at the University of South Florida, according to Soap Opera Digest. The Indiana native planned to become an oral surgeon before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and later the New York Yankees in the last round of the 1976 MLB Draft, having played in the Yankees' farm system before injuries ended his baseball career, at which point he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.