Drake Hogestyn joined the cast of "Days of Our Lives" as the heroic John Black in January 1986. In 1994, he won the Soap Opera Digest Award as Hottest Male Star.

Hogestyn's initial career goal was to become a dentist. He attended the University of South Florida in Tampa on a baseball scholarship and majored in pre-dentistry. After graduation, he was drafted by the New York Yankees. Hogestyn played third base for their farm team until he was injured in 1978. He began his acting career by taking part in a Columbia Pictures national talent search that included 75,000 hopefuls. He was among the 30 selected, and his first starring role was in the prime-time series "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."

Hogestyn was born in Fort Wayne, Ind. He has been married to his childhood sweetheart, Victoria, for 11 years, and they have one son and three daughters.

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