Days Of Our Lives Star Drake Hogestyn's Son Ben Has A Soap Opera Past
Working in the family business is a hallmark of soap operas; whether it's the Abbotts on "The Young and the Restless" working at Jabot Cosmetics or the Kiriakis family on "Days of Our Lives" working at Titan Industries, soap opera companies have a way of keeping it all familial. And sometimes the art reflects real life, like with "Days" star Drake Hogestyn's son, Ben Hogestyn.
Drake Hogestyn rose to fame after landing the role of John Black on "Days of Our Lives" back in 1986. A big part of John's popularity was his relationship with Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), but in reality, Hogestyn's personal life is not so dramatic; he married Victoria Post and has raised four children, Ben, Alexandra, Whitney, and Rachael. Hogestyn's stepson Ben took up the family craft and became an actor, starring in "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" and "Buds for Life," as well as a few soap operas, including "General Hospital" and "The Bold and the Beautiful."
Hogestyn started in Port Charles, then moved to Los Angeles
Ben Hogestyn's first official soap opera role was that of Lucas Jones on "General Hospital." He played the character from 2005 through 2006, replacing fan-favorite Ryan Carnes. During this time, Lucas was coming to terms with the fact that he was gay, and he eventually told Georgie Jones (Lindze Letherman). The fallout of Lucas coming out was a major storyline for Hogestyn, as it not only touched on real-life issues, but it also set a precedent for more gay characters to come on soap operas.
The second soap opera Hogestyn appeared on was "The Bold and the Beautiful." He played the character of Harry Jackson, the son of a Marone Industries crew member. Nick Marone (Jack Wagner) hired Harry to come to Los Angeles and fix his houseboat, where Harry met Phoebe Forrester (Mackenzie Mauzy). Phoebe was being blackmailed into dating Shane McGrath (Dax Griffin), and Harry got into a fight with him over the deception; Shane left town, and Harry left in search of him, never to be seen again.
Hogestyn married soap star Danica Stewart
Apparently, acting on soap operas runs all through the Hogestyn family; in 2019, Ben Hogestyn married actress Danica Stewart, adding yet another soap alum to the brood. Stewart played Maxie Jones on "General Hospital" in 2002, and Jessica Bennett on "Passions" from 2003 to 2008. Drake Hogestyn was obviously thrilled at the new addition to the Hogestyn clan, tweeting out his congratulations to the happy couple.
"Woohoo Ben!! Congratulations Son," Hogestyn enthused. "And welcome to the family Danica! We love you!"
Ben has yet to join his father in a storyline on "Days of Our Lives," although he did play an unnamed gang member on the soap in 2002. Hogestyn has since moved on with his career and away from entertainment, instead focusing on his fashion brand, Ben Hogestyn Malibu. Even though he has left the world of daytime, soap opera characters are never really gone, so fans might have hope for a father/son reunion yet.