Greg Vaughan on DAYS’s ‘Very Touching’ Farewell to Drake Hogestyn’s John
As family and friends come together to say good-bye to John Black, it’s time for Greg Vaughan to make another return to Days of Our Lives as Eric Brady. The actor made his comeback in the May 30 episode as part of the farewell to John and his portrayer, the late Drake Hogestyn. “The celebration of life and the celebration of Drake were very, very touching,” Vaughan remarked in a new interview with TV Insider. “It was a very hard day for everybody, obviously, and bringing Eric back was very sweet, but I wish it was under better circumstances.”
Father Figure
While shooting the emotional scenes proved difficult, Vaughan was grateful to have been a part of them so that he could pay tribute to his co-star and friend. “There’s not enough time in the day to tell you all the great things about Drake Hogestyn,” he declared. “He had a quiet leadership. He prioritized his family and life outside of work, but when he came in, he was always geared up to contribute. I cherish the conversations and the stories we had, and we exchanged text messages up to the very end.
“He was more than just a co-star,” the actor continued. “Our connection was deeper than I had with other people. Josh Taylor [Roman] and Drake were like two fatherly figures in my life. He was a dear friend. He always just gave me great wisdom, great advice, and there wasn’t a day that ever went by that he didn’t pull me aside to ask about my sons. I’m very blessed to have known him, to have stood beside him, and to have worked and collaborated with him. He is dearly missed and very loved, and his memory will forever be cherished and remembered.”
Vaughan made his daytime debut back in 2002 when he played Diego Guttierez on Young and Restless for almost a year. He then moved over to ABC as a recast of Lucky Spencer on General Hospital from 2003-09. In 2012, the actor joined the cast of DAYS to assume the role of Eric Brady, previously played from 1997-2000 by Jensen Ackles. Vaughan took a break from the NBC soap in 2016 to play Calvin in the series Queen Sugar on OWN, then returned in 2017 before exiting in 2000. It was during this stint that he took home the Outstanding Supporting Actor Daytime Emmy Award in 2018.
After visits in July and December of 2021, Vaughn returned to DAYS in April 2022 before his exit in July 2024 when Eric left Salem with Nicole to raise their son, Jude, in Paris, far from the drama in Salem. The last time viewers saw Eric was in the fall of 2024 when he returned home to help Brady, who had relapsed, and Holly discovered that Eric was the one who had killed her father, Daniel, in a hit-and-run.
While this visit to Salem will again be a short one, Vaughan assured fans that he’s up for a longer stint in the future should the soap come calling, saying, “I’m available.”
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