Days of our Lives' Peter Reckell opens up about losing his 'brother' Drake Hogestyn

Days of our Lives is about to lose one hero while welcoming another one back. John Black risked his life to save Bo Brady in a tragic story that the soap was forced to tell. For Peter Reckell, it was as emotional a journey on-screen as it was off.

Holding out for a hero

Hope (Kristian Alfonso) prayed by Bo's side after he was administered a life-saving experimental drug, while Marlena (Deidre Hall) prayed in the hospital chapel that her severely burned husband would survive. After Drake Hogestyn passed away last fall, DAYS revealed that John Black's exit story had already been penned with the actor's approval. We now know that it coincides with Reckell's return.

Since Reckell last played Bo in 2023, DAYS has been plagued by loss. John Aniston, who played Bo's father, Victor, Bill Hayes, who played his father-in-law, Doug, and Wayne Northrop, who played his brother, Roman, also passed. Reckell and Bo weren't there for Victor's on-screen memorial, but he will be there for John's.

"It’s still difficult to talk about because Drake touched everybody in his sphere so closely, and he was my brother and one of my best friends,” Reckell told TV Insider. “Having his memorial, there was no acting required in those scenes, because you’re saying things as the character that parallel your feelings in your personal relationship. When I went to John’s memorial and all these emotions came up, I just wanted to run away and be by myself and feel those feelings. To have to do it as a character was really difficult."

Reckell admits that he did not have a chance to say goodbye to Hogestyn the last time the Alaska resident was in L.A.

"I tried to go see Drake, but when I went down, it was just a couple of weeks before he passed, and so I didn’t get to see him," Reckell said. I’m not feeling sorry for myself, but you gotta take that time to tell people how much you love them and how much they mean to you. We’re at that age in our lives where people are going to transition."

Reckell's Days of our Lives reunions

Despite the bittersweet sadness that surrounded his return, Reckell was happy to reunite with other Days of our Lives co-stars just as Bo finally reunited with his loved ones.

"It was cool because all the cast members, we had these awakenings," he relayed. "I got to, not only in person, but in character, have these reunions and tell people how much they mean to me."

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Bo and Hope's real and true reunion has been a long time coming for fans, as he allegedly died in Hope's arms 10 years ago. When she found him again in 2023, they barely had two minutes together before Shawn shot his father and put him in his two-year coma. However, as June begins, Bope will also begin again.

Catch all-new episodes of Days of our Lives weekdays on Peacock.

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