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Missing You: Martha Madison (r.) with Deidre Hall (Marlena) and the late Drake Hogestyn (John) in 2022.
With Days of our Lives gearing up for its big 60th anniversary in November, cast members have been returning for some special episodes and gathering for some new photos together. At the show’s recent photo shoot, the actors in the Brady/Black clan posed together, but one special member was missing: its patriarch, Drake Hogestyn, who played John Black and passed away last September.
Family Ties
Martha Madison (Belle) was present for the photo shoot, as was Deidre Hall (Marlena), Eric Martsolf (Brady) and returning fan faves Alison Sweeney (Sami) and Greg Vaughan (Eric). “It was done in the [DAYS] studio, just down the hall from where we were shooting,” shares Madison. “We’re doing a lot around the anniversary on the show, and so everyone was kind of back for that. It’s always so fun when we do these big umbrella events, because everybody is there. I love that they really paired us all together in families, not just couples. It was really special to be in the Brady/Black family photo. We don’t get to do that very often.”
Madison points out that this time around things were “obviously a little different, because Drake [Hogestyn, ex-John] was not there. So there was a lot of conversation around that,” she reflects. “I always am very cognizant of Deidre. I feel like we all experienced this absence in a big story in a big milestone year like this, but I think we all just wanted to be surrounding her. She’s the one that’s without the husband at her side. So it was nice that we all got to flank her both on the show and during the shoot.”
Yet Hogestyn’s absence was definitely felt. “All of these things are very nostalgic, and at a time when you’ve just lost someone that’s very close to you, you feel that extra [deeply],” acknowledges Madison. “I think my feelings might not be shared by everybody, but I feel Drake’s presence all the time. So I don’t always feel like he’s missing. I feel like he’s there, and I’m very aware of that all the time.”
Madison cherished the opportunity to spend time with her visiting Salem siblings, Vaughan and Sweeney. “Greg Vaughan actually lives in my old neighborhood in Texas, so we always talk about home and being in North Dallas and Frisco,” says Madison. “We keep tabs on each other through Instagram. I love watching his kids go to the high school that my nieces went to. We always have a lot to talk about. And then, of course, Ali. I love talking to her and just catching up. I mean, talk about entrepreneurial! She constantly has her hands in something and is just carving her own path. I obviously have a huge amount of respect for her, because I’m trying to do a similar thing. We end up talking business and definitely get nostalgic when we get together.”
Aside from seeing Sweeney and Vaughan, Madison also enjoyed reconnecting with Chandler Massey (who is reprising the role of Will for the anniversary episodes) again. “He wasn’t part of our particular setup for the picture, but I worked with him a lot while he was here,” reports Madison. “We were chatting and stuff behind the scenes. It was nice to have him back. He’s always so funny, and he’s a lot of fun to talk to.”
Overall, Madison was delighted to be part of the show’s big 60th anniversary shoot. “The people who put on these giant photo shoots and make this kind of milestone a big memorable event work so hard,” notes the actress. “It just felt so professional, and it was really lovely to be there. I wasn’t there for the 50th anniversary, and I was sad. So I’m glad I made it to the 60th.”
The actress is excited to see the final results of the photo shoot — and to snag a few images for her personal collection. “I’m sure there’s going to be no shortage of options,” she smiles. “So as soon as I see a good one, it’s definitely going up in my dressing room.”
