Despite his decades of experience in the daytime medium, Drake Hogestyn (John, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) isn’t one to dole out advice to the show’s newcomers. However, he will dole out a compliment when something really strikes him. “I have the monitor on. I’m always watching the show when I’m at the studio,” notes Hogestyn. “I want to see what everybody’s doing, and how they’re doing it.” Recently, Hogestyn caught a scene between Jamie Martin Mann (Tate) and Ashley Puzemis (Holly). “I watched the kids work, and they were really, really good,” enthuses the actor. “As soon as they finished, they walked off the set and were standing there. I walked out of my dressing room and up to them and said, ‘Hey guys. Amazing. Give me a high five.’ And I went boom, boom. I said, ‘I don’t think anybody is going to come out here and tell you if you’re on the right track, but you’ve got it. ‘The look’ is worth a thousand words. Just remember that ‘look.’ ”
Hogestyn went on to tell Mann that it was “the way he looked [at Puzemis]” in their scenes together that would really resonate with viewers. Mann and Puzemis both appreciated Hogestyn’s assessment. “They were like, ‘Oh my God. Thank you. That’s so nice.’
“That’s the only time I’ll say anything, because I don’t want to overstep boundaries,” continues Hogestyn. “I thought they needed someone to come out and give them a little pat on the back. A long time ago, when we had the time, a producer or a director would come out and kind of explain the moments, what’s going on and those type of things. It all comes down to, ‘What does the audience want to see? What do they hang their hats on?’ Al Rabin [former executive producer] always said that when he did impact polls around the country, it always came down to, ‘l like the way he looks at her.’ That’s it.”
