The Hallmark Movie You Never Knew Days Of Our Lives' Drake Hogestyn Starred In
While soap star Drake Hogestyn doesn't have a ton of film and TV credits under his belt, he's certainly become a legend playing man-of-action John Black on "Days of Our Lives" since 1986. He's pretty much made a career out of playing the character not only on the mothership show, but also in some spinoff TV movies including "Night Sins" (1993), among others. Beyond soaps, he's appeared in a few other projects, including the cult classic sci-fi series "Otherworld" in 1985 and "Criminal Minds" in 2018.
In 2020, he joined the ranks of soap stars who've appeared in Hallmark films when he played Benjamin Reilly, the father of main character Meg Reilly (Alicia Witt), in "Christmas Tree Lane." Meg works in and has deep ties to a small community in Denver, Colorado, mainly on a street that's the eponymous film title. Along the way, she encounters Nate Williams (Andrew Walker), an architect who is inspired by the nostalgic atmosphere of the borough. But when developers plan to raze the area and install high-rise buildings in its place, Meg must organize all of the neighborhood businesses to stand up and fight for their home turf. However, it turns out that the firm Nate works for and that his father runs is behind the gentrification proceedings, and he must figure out how to turn things around and help Meg.
While Hogestyn is mainly in a supporting role here, his presence brings gravitas to an already excellent production.
The romance is organic
Although romance is always a major part of Hallmark films, the love story in "Christmas Tree Lane" is more of an ancillary subplot; it's a by-product of Meg and Nate's interactions, and it comes about organically. Alicia Witt and Andrew Walker have great chemistry, and thankfully the story isn't about one of them having romance issues. Meg's driving force is to save not only her family business — a music shop called Reilly's — but also the neighborhood businesses that have enjoyed decades as a quaint section of Denver.
While it's difficult to not expect Drake Hogestyn to jump into action, this isn't that kind of story. As Meg's father, he provides key support for her efforts, in stark contrast to Nate's overbearing father, Edmund (Paul Anthony McLean), who wants him to level the neighborhood in favor of so-called "progress." But Nate's earnestness shows through, and things work out as you would hope when watching the story unfold.
His interest in everything nostalgic is a great plus for the film, introducing younger viewers to things such as vinyl records. At one point, the musically gifted Meg plays a record for him, and at first, he scoffs at the scratchy sounds. But she explains that the scratches or "imperfections in records is what makes it real." They close their eyes, and he hears the depth of the music that she hears. He feels like he traveled to Christmas past, and she explains, that's the point.
Hogestyn was excited to be in the film
In August 2020, Drake Hogestyn posted selfies of him with Alicia Witt and Andrew Walker with the caption, "Excited to announce I've joined the @hallmarkmovie family! We were able to shoot #ChristmasTreeLane safely and it will be coming to your living room this holiday season!" He was acknowledging the fact that in that year, the world was dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. He was grateful for having worked on the film and was excited for his fans to get to watch it.
Keen-eyed soap fans will also notice a cameo by "The Bold and the Beautiful" alum, Jacob Young. Overall, the film is highly enjoyable and hits all of the notes that any Hallmark fan would expect from one of their classic Christmas movies. And seeing Hogestyn take a break from playing John Black was a treat, so we're hoping for more roles like this in his future!