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John Black is a fictional character from ''
Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...
'', an American soap opera on the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
network. He has been played by actor
Drake Hogestyn Donald Drake Hogestyn () (born September 29, 1953) is an American actor best known for his long running role as John Black on the American soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. Early life Hogestyn was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he gradua ...
since 1986, with a break in between from January 2009 to September 2011. John was created by script writers
Sheri Anderson Three-time Emmy-winning writer Sheri Anderson is responsible for helming over 3000 hours of network television. She has been involved in every aspect of the writing process including long-term storyline, daily episode breakdowns, dialogue writing ...
,
Thom Racina Thom Racina is an American television writer and novelist. Personal He hails from Kenosha, Wisconsin, went to school in Albuquerque and Chicago, where he got a MFA in Theatre Arts and Directing. He is close friends with Sally Sussman Morina. Posi ...
and
Leah Laiman Leah Laiman (born August 29, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an American soap opera writer and romance novelist. Career Laiman got her start on daytime television during the early 1980s at General Hospital. Laiman succeeded former Head Writer, ...
as The Pawn in 1985 and introduced by executive producers
Betty Corday Betty Corday (born Elizabeth Shay; March 21, 1912 – November 17, 1987) was a Broadway dramatic actress and long-time American television producer. She co-created and executive produced the long running NBC drama ''Days of Our Lives'' from 1966 ...
and
Al Rabin Al Rabin (January 26, 1936 – August 14, 2012) was a producer of soap operas, specifically known for his work on ''Days of Our Lives''. Rabin served in multiple capacities in his sixteen years at ''Days'', first as a director and then as a supervi ...
. John becomes one of the series' most popular characters when he is revealed to be the presumed dead
Roman Brady Roman Brady is a fictional character from the long-running NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was originated in 1981 by Wayne Northrop, who played the role until 1984 and from 1991 to 1994, and is currently being portrayed by series ve ...
(
Wayne Northrop Wayne Alan Northrop (born April 12, 1947) is an American actor known for his parts in soap operas such as ''Dynasty'' and ''Days of Our Lives''. Career Northrop portrayed chauffeur Michael Culhane on ''Dynasty'' from the pilot episode, " Oil" (1 ...
) with plastic surgery and amnesia. However, Northrop's return in 1991 led to Hogestyn's Roman being
retconned Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
into the entirely separate character of John Black, which also establishes the
supercouple A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...
pairing of
John and Marlena John Black and Marlena Evans are fictional characters and a supercouple from the American daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives''.Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn: SOAP OPERA DIGEST talks with Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn about their on-screen relatio ...
, due to John's affair with Roman's wife,
Marlena Evans Marlena Evans is a fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, ''Days of Our Lives'', a long-running serial about working life in the fictional town of Salem. She has been played by actress Deidre Hall since 1976, but the character was absent fr ...
(
Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
). Hogestyn was attributed with helping the series out of its ratings slump in the 1980s. He was often featured in soap opera magazines, such as ''
Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional in ...
'' and ''
Soap Opera Weekly ''Soap Opera Weekly'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional i ...
''.


Storylines


1986–2009

John Black was modeled after
Robert Ludlum Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 – March 12, 2001) was an American author of 27 thriller novels, best known as the creator of Jason Bourne from the original '' The Bourne Trilogy'' series. The number of copies of his books in print is estimated b ...
's super-spy,
Jason Bourne Jason Bourne () is the title character and the protagonist in a series of novels and subsequent film adaptations. The character was created by novelist Robert Ludlum. He first appeared in the novel '' The Bourne Identity'' (1980), which was a ...
, with some elements of
Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...
's
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
and of renowned martial arts exponent
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
, as John Black is a practitioner of the art of
Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do is a primarily wing chun kung fu inspired eclectic martial arts philosophy heavily influenced and adapted by the Taoist personal life philosophy and experiences of martial artist Bruce Lee. Overview and philosophy Jeet Kune ...
along with that of fellow martial arts actor
Sonny Chiba , known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fuku ...
. Accordingly, the character has spent a good portion of his tenure on the show as an undercover agent for the International Security Alliance (ISA), the show's fictional secret intelligence service. ''Days'' introduced audiences to the character, "John Black", as a heavily bandaged amnesiac who was recovering from extensive facial reconstructive surgery (similar to Lee's character in his last film, ''
Game of Death ''The Game of Death'' (Chinese: 死亡的遊戲) is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, filmed between August and October 1972, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee, in his final film project. Lee died during the making ...
''). Initially known only as "The Pawn", a mystery man connected with
Victor Kiriakis Victor Kiriakis is a fictional character on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was portrayed by John Aniston from 1985 until his death in 2022, with a storyline driven absence in 2004 when his character was "killed off" but found alive on the ...
, Stefano DiMera, and
Roman Brady Roman Brady is a fictional character from the long-running NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was originated in 1981 by Wayne Northrop, who played the role until 1984 and from 1991 to 1994, and is currently being portrayed by series ve ...
, he soon named himself "John Black" after a name he read on a war memorial, and met Dr. Marlena EvansLucille Giordano, ''Inside Days of Our Lives'' July 1995. Almost immediately, John and Marlena established a rapport. After a while, Marlena began to wonder about John Black's "true" identity. The pair came to believe that John was really Marlena's husband Roman, who had been presumed dead. They resumed their lives as a happily married couple and parents. John Black, now Roman Brady, rejoined the Salem PD, and due to his sleuthing prowess, received a promotion to Commander. The couple's happiness was fleeting as Marlena was kidnapped by Roman's old enemy Orpheus, and purportedly died. "Roman" moved on, eventually getting engaged to
Isabella Toscano Isabella Toscano is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The character first appeared on a recurring basis on October 16, 1989, and was portrayed by actress Staci Greason. Greason was put on contract in December 19 ...
. Around the same time, though, Marlena reappeared in Salem alive, and was reunited with "Roman". That same year, Wayne Northrop was recast as Roman Brady and the character that Hogestyn had been portraying for five years was
retconned Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
to be a soldier of Stefano DiMera who was brainwashed into believing he was Roman for two purposes - to use his "Roman" imposter to infiltrate the ISA for clues to the whereabouts of a priceless ancient Mayan treasure, but more importantly, to cause havoc within the Brady family with whom the DiMeras had a longstanding feud. Still lacking memories, the character returned to the "John Black" name that he first used. Marlena reunited with the real Roman, and John resumed his relationship with Isabella. John then discovered that he was Forrest Alamain, brother to the evil
Lawrence Alamain A list of notable characters from the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1, 1990, and the end of 1999. Stephanie Johnson Stephanie Johnson was created by head writer Richard ...
. Stefano had brainwashed Forrest into believing he was Roman as part of Stefano's vendetta against the Brady family. During this time, John received help from
Victor Kiriakis Victor Kiriakis is a fictional character on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was portrayed by John Aniston from 1985 until his death in 2022, with a storyline driven absence in 2004 when his character was "killed off" but found alive on the ...
in figuring out his identity, determining his birthright within the Alamain family, and ultimately setting up his own business. In 1992, John married Isabella, who later gave birth to their son, Brady Victor Black. Sadly, Isabella died of cancer soon after. Distraught over the death of Isabella, John's feelings for Marlena resurfaced during "The Pit" storyline. Though the two tried to ignore them, John and Marlena gave into their feelings, embarking on a passionate affair. However, Marlena's Daughter,
Sami Brady Sami Brady is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network, portrayed by Alison Sweeney since 1993. The character is first seen as a newborn baby in the episode of October 16, 1984, in which mom Marle ...
,stumbled upon the affair and resented John and Marlena for hurting her father. This affair resulted in the birth of their daughter, Belle. Initially, Roman was believed to be Belle's father, but the truth came out, and Marlena and Roman divorced. Knowing that their affair had hurt so many people, John pursued other relationships – most significantly with
Kristen Blake Kristen DiMera is a fictional character and currently the main antagonist from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. The role was originally portrayed by Eileen Davidson. Davidson joined the cast of ''Days of Our Live ...
, who turned out to be Stefano's adopted daughter. Kristen later found out she was pregnant. John and Kristen were engaged, but when Kristen miscarries, she fears losing John to Marlena. Kristen has a pregnant look-alike,
Susan Banks Susan Banks is a fictional character on NBC's daytime drama '' Days of Our Lives''. She was played by Eileen Davidson from November 4, 1996, to April 8, 1998, and again in 2014 and 2017. Susan is the eccentric mother of Elvis "EJ" DiMera, and on ...
, stand in and marry John in her place, with a plan to take Susan's child and raise it as hers and John's. Kristen's schemes were exposed, and John broke up with her, reuniting with Marlena. John and Marlena eventually married in 1999, but on their honeymoon, John disappeared and was brainwashed by Stefano into sleeping with
Hope Williams Brady Hope Williams Brady is a fictional character from '' Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by writer William J. Bell, she was portrayed by Kristian Alfonso on and off from April 1983 to October 2020. Hope is a mem ...
. Hope found out soon after that she was pregnant, and John was believed to be baby Zack's father, until it was proven the father was Hope's husband, Bo. When a serial killer called the "Salem Stalker" began to murder Salem's most prominent citizens, evidence suggested that Marlena was the stalker. She was caught and sent to prison, but John worked to prove that Marlena had been set up. Marlena ended up shot by the police while trying to escape, and died in John's arms. John eventually uncovered that the Salem Stalker debacle was another diabolical DiMera plot; Marlena and her "victims" were found alive on a remote island, "Melaswen" (New Salem spelled backwards). John was seriously injured during his failed rescue attempt. Addicted to painkillers, John sought solace in the all-too-welcoming arms of—and proposed to—Roman's widow Kate Roberts. John and Kate eventually broke off their engagement when Roman and Marlena managed to escape Melaswen and reappeared in Salem. When Marlena became an amnesiac, the specialist summoned to help her – Dr. Alex North – turned out to be her first husband, presumed dead, making Marlena's marriage to John invalid. Marlena rejected John's love, feeling obligated to Alex. Nevertheless, John discovered that Alex was a fraud who had plotted to marry, then kill Marlena. He was able to save Marlena, who eventually got her memory back. John and Marlena's subsequent reunion was cut short when a dying Stefano reignited his vendetta with John, by compelling his son,
EJ DiMera EJ DiMera is a fictional character from '' Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by head writer James E. Reilly and introduced under executive producers, Ken Corday and Tom Langan, EJ is the son of crime boss ...
to shoot John. John eventually came out of his coma in May 2007, but was then hit by a car, dying in Marlena's arms on October 17, 2007. However, in January 2008, John was discovered alive in Stefano's basement, with his memory wiped and programmed into a super soldier. Marlena found him, but he was not able to remember her, and continuously committed crimes ordered by Stefano. Stefano ordered him to kill
Colleen Brady The following is an alphabetical list of characters (and their performers) from the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', sorted by character surname. A ;Annabelle :Alisa Alapach (2016) ;Artemis : Kwesi Boakye (2007) ;Umar Abboud :Rick Fitts ( ...
, but John found out that he was Colleen's son with
Santo DiMera Santo DiMera is a fictional character on the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. He was portrayed by James Scott from July 9, 2007 to September 28, 2007. Scott reprised the role on August 20, 2008 as a figment of John's imagination. He is the fa ...
, Ryan Brady, making him Stefano's half-brother. He went after the DiMera empire and Stefano after discovering his identity. Frustrated in her inability to reach the old John, Marlena filed for divorce. John tried to recommit himself to Marlena and remembering their life together. He sought the help of a therapist, Dr. Charlotte Taylor, but she purposely kept John in the dark about his returning memories. With Brady's help, John and Marlena discovered Charlotte's duplicity. Charlotte tried to kill Marlena, and ended up drugging John instead. He woke up with his memories restored. He was paralyzed, but doctors said he could be cured at a clinic in Switzerland. John asked Marlena to marry him again before they leave, and she happily accepted. John and Marlena remarried in the hospital, and left Salem on January 23, 2009.


2011-2015

After a two-year hiatus, John and Marlena returned to Salem on September 26, 2011, for the dedication of the new Horton Town Square. During their visit, the couple announced that John's physical therapy was a success, and he is now able to walk again. Their shared joy was short-lived, however, when the FBI and the Salem PD order
Rafe Hernandez Rafe Hernandez is a fictional character on ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Portrayed by Galen Gering and created by Dena Higley, Rafe is introduced in 2008 as the FBI agent assigned to protect the troublesome Sam ...
to arrest John for embezzling from his company, Basic Black. To protect his family from danger, John pleaded guilty and was sent to prison for 25 years-to-life without parole. In the following days, Rafe and
Carrie Brady Carrie Brady is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera, ''Days of Our Lives'', a long-running serial set in the fictional town of Salem, Illinois. Created by head writer Margaret DePriest, the role of Carrie has been most notably portra ...
were able to prove the evidence against John was doctored, and he was exonerated. Hope and Bo found out that while brainwashed by Stefano, Hope and John had been married, making their respective marriages to Bo and Marlena invalid. John and Hope set out for Alamania to get a divorce. Viewers, along with the hapless couple, were forced to revisit two "Days" storylines: "The Pawn", and "Princess Gina". In December 2012, during a conversation between Hope and Marlena, "Days" viewers learned that John and Hope's divorce was now finalized. By then, Kristen had returned to Salem. Kristen insisted that she had changed her evil ways after therapy. John is willing to believe Kristen while Marlena is suspicious, quickly becoming frustrated with John's optimism. In the intervening weeks, Marlena continued to insist that Kristen had not changed, but John suggests to Marlena that she is obsessed with Kristen. However, when Kristen starts dating Brady, John is determined to get Kristen away from his son. He even goes as far as trying to seduce Kristen and push Marlena away to make this happen. Kristen decides to not get revenge and accept Brady's love, but when Brady discovers her scheming, he breaks up with her. Marlena, meanwhile, finds out about John's scheming, and they separate, hurt and angry with each other. John leaves town on an ISA mission, and he and Marlena file for divorce. In January 2014, John discovered that he is not the son of Colleen Brady and Santo DiMera, because the real Ryan Brady had died. Hence, John's origins are once more in doubt. In 2014, John returned to Salem, concerned about Brady's drug use and relationship with
Theresa Donovan Jeannie Theresa Donovan is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Introduced in September 1990, she was portrayed by several child actors until the character left the series in 1992, with furt ...
. After Theresa brags about eloping with a drunk Brady in Las Vegas, John records her confession, insuring that Brady dumped her. Theresa panics, and hits John over the head, sending him into a coma. He eventually wakes up, and finds out Kristen is back in town. When he learns Theresa lied and claimed Brady attacked John, he also confirms the lie so Brady won't get back together with Kristen. Brady finds out, though, and denounces his father. John leaves town to take care of Basic Black business in Europe, hoping to give Brady space. He later returns to Salem to work on salvaging his relationship with Marlena and Brady. In early 2015, Police Commissioner
Abe Carver Abe Carver is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. Actor James Reynolds has played the character since he originated it on the series in 1981, and is currently the fifth longest serving actor on the ...
asks John to rejoin the Salem Police Department. With Marlena's counsel and blessing, John takes the job despite a not-so-veiled threat from Stefano. More drama began to crop up for John in March 2015, when Salem newcomer
Paul Narita Paul Narita is a fictional character from the NBC Daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. Paul was created under head writers Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell and portrayed by actor Christopher Sean. Paul was introduced in November 2014 ...
is revealed to be John's biological son, the result of a relationship with Paul's mother Tori. As John and Paul had a falling-out just before the revelation, John is pursuing mending fences with Paul, and establishing a true father-son relationship. In August 2015, John was approached once again by the ISA to rejoin the agency's ranks. His consideration of the job offer causes friction between him and Marlena, and recent conversations between the two revealed that although the pair remain very much in love, they were still separated and living apart at the time. John later revealed that the motivation for rejoining the ISA was to take advantage of its resources to find his parents and decode the mystery of his past, once and for all, for the sake of his children and grandchildren.


2016-

John finally learned the truth behind his murky past in early 2016, 30 years after arriving in Salem with no memory of it. He was born John Robicheaux in 1953 in rural Louisiana, the son of Timothy and Maude Robicheaux. Timothy was a kind, charitable, and modest farmer who had been drafted into the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
to serve in the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and was believed to have died heroically in battle a couple of months before John's birth. Unable to care for John on her own, Maude first allowed a wealthy neighboring couple to adopt him, but when the couple was killed in an automobile accident, she put John in an orphanage, where he was eventually adopted by the wealthy and powerful Leopold and Philomena Alamain, taken to their home in Europe, and given the name Forrest Alamain. However, Timothy Robicheaux (
Tobin Bell Tobin may refer to: Name *Tobin (surname) * Tobin (given name) Places in the United States * Tobin, California * Tobin Bridge, near Boston, Massachusetts * Tobin Range, a mountain range in Nevada * Tobin Township, Perry County, Indiana * Tobin ...
) had not really died in the war. Wounded and disillusioned by his combat experiences and the political environment of the war itself, he deserted the Army and fled to neighboring China, where he resolved to start a new life. He steeped himself in the martial arts, Eastern philosophy, and Communist revolutionary ideology, and adopted a new identity, Yo Ling, a Chinese term for "Phantom". Yo Ling's views became ever more radical, and he helped establish an organization of professional assassins, called the "Phantom Alliance", whose ultimate goal was to destabilize the West and bring about worldwide revolution. Among Yo Ling's confederates in the Alliance was a Soviet agent named Ilya Petrov. The Alliance grew in power and influence, and established a clandestine training center in the United States, using a New England private school called Winterthorne Academy as a cover. Yo Ling eventually learned what happened to his son. He and Petrov located John with the Alamain family, and using some of the Alliance's funds, paid the family a hefty sum for custody of John, with the promise of a fine life and prestigious education in the U.S. (and possible threats if they refused to comply). The family faked "Forrest Alamain's" death with a swimming "accident", and Yo Ling and Petrov took him to Winterthorne to be indoctrinated, brainwashed, trained as a top assassin, and groomed for a role in the upper echelon of the Alliance. Unfortunately, the corrupt Petrov had formed a business relationship with the notorious international criminal Stefano DiMera, and provided him with the ultimate "soldier" in John (although never overtly stated, it stands to reason that Petrov may have been introduced to Stefano via the latter's common-law marriage to Philomena Alamain's sister
Daphne Daphne (; ; el, Δάφνη, , ), a minor figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth in whi ...
). Although unclear whether this was a betrayal of the Phantom Alliance on Petrov's part, or part of a Yo Ling-DiMera arrangement, Petrov was separated from the Alliance for a period and worked full-time for Stefano. Petrov taught Stefano how to "program" John using the Alliance's brainwashing methods (which were later "enhanced" by techniques developed by Stefano's
mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly amb ...
henchman, Dr.
Wilhelm Rolf A list of notable characters from the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1, 1990, and the end of 1999. Stephanie Johnson Stephanie Johnson was created by head writer Richard J ...
), creating DiMera's long-sought-after "super-soldier". John eventually became Stefano's "pawn", and was involved in a myriad of schemes and operations on DiMera's behalf. In 1986, Stefano (through Petrov) staked his "pawn" as a wager in a high-stakes yacht race in Miami with the ruthless Salem business tycoon and underworld figure
Victor Kiriakis Victor Kiriakis is a fictional character on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was portrayed by John Aniston from 1985 until his death in 2022, with a storyline driven absence in 2004 when his character was "killed off" but found alive on the ...
and the equally corrupt ISA Director George Nickerson. The stakes were a "Purse" (staked by Victor – a treasure that he didn't actually yet possess - an ancient priceless Mayan treasure whose location wouldn't be revealed until a specific astronomical event in 1991 - and so "securitized" with revenues from his drug trafficking operations), the "Power" (staked by Nickerson – a book of ISA codes, vaguely related among other things to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which purportedly provided the bearer virtual invulnerability from the worldwide law-enforcement and intelligence communities), and the "Pawn" (staked by Petrov, who was operating on behalf of the believed-dead Stefano at the time). Victor won the wager (and thus, custody of John), and brought him back home to Salem. Petrov and Nickerson had dropped a number of hints to Victor and other Salemites that John might be the presumed-dead
Roman Brady Roman Brady is a fictional character from the long-running NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was originated in 1981 by Wayne Northrop, who played the role until 1984 and from 1991 to 1994, and is currently being portrayed by series ve ...
, a police captain and former ISA agent of high value due to his abilities and knowledge of various highly classified subjects (and who was actually being held captive by Stefano at the time). Indeed, using the brainwashing techniques learned from Petrov and Rolf, Stefano had implanted enough facts from Roman's life into John's subconscious that he was able to convince everyone, including John himself, that he was in fact Roman Brady, for a period of over five years. Stefano did this for a couple of reasons - to use his "Roman" imposter to infiltrate the ISA for clues to the location of the aforementioned Mayan treasure, but more importantly to cause havoc within Roman's family, against whom it was later revealed Stefano's
father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
had a longstanding vendetta. John eventually located the dying Yo Ling, who held John and fellow Phantom Alliance acolyte
Eduardo Hernandez The Mad Caddies (or the Caddies) are a ska punk band from Solvang, California, United States. The band formed in 1995 and has released seven full-length albums, one live album, and two EPs. To date, Mad Caddies have sold over 500,000 albums worl ...
captive for a time. Yo Ling was later killed during the men's rescue of John's son
Paul Narita Paul Narita is a fictional character from the NBC Daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. Paul was created under head writers Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell and portrayed by actor Christopher Sean. Paul was introduced in November 2014 ...
. (This yet-again-retconned explanation of John's history never fully explained how he was temporarily mistaken for the deceased Ryan Brady, as it was suggested that the orphanage in which Maude Robicheaux placed him was in their native Louisiana, a long way from the South American orphanage where it was stated years before that
Colleen Brady The following is an alphabetical list of characters (and their performers) from the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', sorted by character surname. A ;Annabelle :Alisa Alapach (2016) ;Artemis : Kwesi Boakye (2007) ;Umar Abboud :Rick Fitts ( ...
had hidden baby Ryan, and from where the Alamains allegedly adopted him. Another unanswered question is how long Victor Kiriakis—initially responsible for bringing John to Salem—knew that John wasn't really Roman Brady, as he possessed a thick "John Black file" that contained various clues to the location of the aforementioned Mayan codices, as well as John's identity, during the time of the real Roman's return in 1991; Victor also expressed genuine surprise upon seeing the real Roman return to Salem that same year, and claimed to believe that Roman was actually dead.) As his past was slowly being revealed, John was also dismissed from the ISA (due to refusing long-term assignments), and he opened a private investigation firm with Steve Johnson called Black Patch. In late 2016 and early 2017, as
Drake Hogestyn Donald Drake Hogestyn () (born September 29, 1953) is an American actor best known for his long running role as John Black on the American soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. Early life Hogestyn was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he gradua ...
was recovering from injuries he sustained in an on-set accident, John's absence was explained at first with a visit to his native Louisiana, then by a long-term "assignment" or "mission", suggesting that John was either working for a high-level client of Black Patch, or had been reinstated in the ISA. Hogestyn's return to the show in mid-2017 was explained as the latter being true, as John returned from a deep-cover ISA assignment only to join his wife Marlena on a rescue mission to save several younger Salemites, including his son Paul, from a deserted island. John's adventures in 2017 included helping Paul solve the mystery of Deimos Kiriakis's murder, and yet another classic soap opera mistaken-identity caper In 2018, John became embroiled in yet another mystery, this time involving his own strange and out-of-character behavior in poisoning his friend Steve, and violent confrontations with his son Paul and step-grandson
Will Horton Will Horton is a fictional character from the American daytime TV soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', known for a highly praised coming out story, award-winning performances by actor Chandler Massey, and as one half of US daytime drama's first male ...
. This has been ordered directly by Pamela Van Damme, the Director of the ISA, under implied threats to John's family. As it turns out, Pamela had risked significant criminal and political exposure by claiming that
Ava Vitali Ava Vitali is a fictional character and former antagonist from '' Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by and introduced by then- executive producers Ken Corday and Edward J. Scott, the role is portrayed by Tama ...
's murder was an ISA-ordered hit under "national security" auspices, and wanted revenge against Steve and his family for allowing Joey to take the blame, and jeopardizing Pamela's career (and freedom). John was being blackmailed into poisoning Steve, but was in reality trying to buy time until he could procure an antidote. The antidote worked, and the friends and business partners reconciled, but with lasting damage to Steve's eyesight, for which John still blames himself.


Development


Creation and casting

On January 24, 1986, daytime newcomer and former minor league baseball player,
Drake Hogestyn Donald Drake Hogestyn () (born September 29, 1953) is an American actor best known for his long running role as John Black on the American soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. Early life Hogestyn was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he gradua ...
joined the cast as The Pawn without his bandages, who would later assume the alias John Black. As The Pawn (Glen Vincent, then Robert Poynton) was introduced onscreen in November 1985, the casting department at ''
Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...
'' had been searching for an older actor to portray The Pawn when Hogestyn wandered into the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
casting offices to meet with Doris Sabbagh, the head of the casting department at
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
about a guest spot on '' Crazy Like a Fox''. Instead, Sabbagh brought Hogestyn in to audition for ''Days''. Hogestyn later admitted that he didn't know anything about the role and he thought he had auditioned for
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
's ''
One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
''. Hogestyn was a fan of daytime soaps and his agent had passed on several soap roles "but Drake wanted this one." He watched some episodes and then went to the audition. Though everyone seemed to love him, Hogestyn almost missed out on the role because he was so young. However, it was his screen test with
Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
that put Hogestyn over the top. Hogestyn was chosen out of five other actors and signed a three-year contract.


Retcon (1991)

By the time John is revealed to be Roman in May 1986, Drake Hogestyn had grown quite attached to the character of John. He said "One of the things I'm concerned about now is that it's going to be sad to put John Black to bed. I've had a lot of fun and it's been a stretch for me as an actor." He continued, "I had a chance to be very creative and take chances." Then Hogestyn was suddenly forced to take the character in another direction to see how viewers would react. "But I don't think they'll totally close the door on John Black" Hogestyn suspected. A year later, though he was happy with Roman, Hogestyn said he initially wanted to find success in his own role instead of a recast. The actor later admitted that he never thought of himself as a recast "because I played five months as John Black before they told me I was Roman." During an interview in 1990, Hogestyn said he hoped
Wayne Northrop Wayne Alan Northrop (born April 12, 1947) is an American actor known for his parts in soap operas such as ''Dynasty'' and ''Days of Our Lives''. Career Northrop portrayed chauffeur Michael Culhane on ''Dynasty'' from the pilot episode, " Oil" (1 ...
– the original Roman – could someday return as Roman. "Then you could start a whole new character out of that complication." In the summer of 1991, it was reported that Northrop and
Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
were in talks to return to the series and reprise their respective roles as Roman and Marlena, leaving many to wonder what would become of Hogestyn's Roman. It was later revealed that Hogestyn's Roman was actually John Black all along, and Northrop was the "real" Roman. Hogestyn attributed the plot twist to the "producers' own brilliance" despite him suggesting the storyline a year earlier. He also appreciated the decision from a business perspective. When asked about the possibility of being Roman again if/when Northrop inevitably vacated the role—as the return was expected to be short term—Hogestyn said "I think I'd like to stay John Black because I've already been Roman and I wasn't him." Supervising executive producer
Al Rabin Al Rabin (January 26, 1936 – August 14, 2012) was a producer of soap operas, specifically known for his work on ''Days of Our Lives''. Rabin served in multiple capacities in his sixteen years at ''Days'', first as a director and then as a supervi ...
said "This is a story that we've wanted to tell for a long time." In fact, there were elements of the story and hints that John may not actually be Roman during the "Stefano Returns" storyline in 1988. Rabin promised that the plot would not affect Hogestyn's future with ''Days'' who at the time was locked into a four-year contract. The producer also shot down speculation that the story would take a page from the prime time soap ''
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'' in which
Patrick Duffy Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas'', where he played Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Miss Ellie, and the nicest brother of J.R. Ewing (pla ...
's
Bobby Ewing Bobby James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy (1978–1985, 1986–1991). Bobby had been kill ...
was killed off in
season 8 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...
and revealed to be alive in season 10 discounting all of
season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
as a dream. To avoid confusion during production, the two men were referenced in the script by number—Hogestyn being Roman II (John). Over the course of six months, the story explores all avenues most significantly, the effects on Roman and Marlena's twins
Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
and
Samantha Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Specu ...
who had been raised by Roman II for most of their lives. In 2002 Hogestyn commented on the retcon: "This is daytime television, and you never know where the story is going to take you." Such a development would be unique to ''Days of Our Lives''. And exactly 20 years later, ''One Life to Live'' would do the same thing with
Trevor St. John Trevor Marshall St. John (born September 3, 1971) is an American actor. He portrayed Todd Manning/Victor Lord Jr. on the ABC daytime drama ''One Life to Live'', and has starred in various primetime shows and films. He is known for his performanc ...
's very popular portrayal of
Todd Manning Thomas Todd Manning is a fictional character from the American daytime drama ''One Life to Live'' (''OLTL''). Created by writers Michael Malone (author), Michael Malone and Josh Griffith, the role was originated in 1992 by actor Roger Howarth. T ...
—a role that was originated by
Roger Howarth Roger Howarth (born September 13, 1968) is an American actor. He played character Todd Manning on the daytime drama ''One Life to Live'' (''OLTL''); the character earned Howarth a Daytime Emmy Award in 1994, and is cited as an icon in the soap ...
who was equally as popular—if not more popular. Ironically, a theory about the ''Days'' plot where Roman II turned out to be Roman I's long lost twin brother actually factored into the ''One Life to Live'' story in 2011.


Relationships

Hogestyn always hoped his character would be paired with
Marlena Evans Marlena Evans is a fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, ''Days of Our Lives'', a long-running serial about working life in the fictional town of Salem. She has been played by actress Deidre Hall since 1976, but the character was absent fr ...
(
Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
) – even when his character's identity is in question. Even viewers began to echo his sentiments—no matter who John Black turned out to be, he and Marlena were meant to be. When Deidre Hall left the series in 1987 and Marlena is killed off, it took quite some for the producers to pair John with another woman. "I get the impression they're trying to keep a low profile because of Deidre's departure." Hogestyn was warned that he wouldn't be getting much story. "I was told I was going to be virtually non-existent" at least until Roman could grieve properly. Though it was difficult wait, Hogestyn understood why the writers chose to put his character in the background. "You can't rush from one love story right into the next" he said. ''Soap Opera Stars'' magazine later reported that the show runners weren't sure if Hogestyn would work without Hall and there were plans to write his character out. "Roman's big goodbye scene was nearly in the works." However, after losing several high-profile stars after including Hall, and
Peter Reckell Peter Paul Reckell (born May 7, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Bo Brady, a role he originated in 1983 on the NBC drama ''Days of Our Lives''. Reckell has played Bo Brady on ''Days of Our Lives'' from 1983 to 1987, 19 ...
and
Kristian Alfonso Kristian-Joy Alfonso (born September 5, 1963) is an American actress, former figure skater and fashion model. She is recognized for her portrayal of Hope Williams Brady on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. Early life Alfonso was bor ...
as supercouple
Bo and Hope Beauregard "Bo" Brady and Hope Williams Brady are fictional characters and the signature supercouple on the American daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives''. Bo Brady, Bo is portrayed by Peter Reckell and Hope Williams Brady, Hope is portrayed by Kri ...
, the network knew they couldn't afford to lose Hogestyn as well. Hogestyn viewed John and Marlena's relationship as a "classic love." It is "the perfect relationship" he said. Hogestyn appreciated that the relationship showed viewers that such a love is possible. When asked about a recast of Marlena instead of a new love interest, Hogestyn admitted that he didn't think viewers would accept it. Finally trusting that Hogestyn was popular enough to hold his own, the writers introduced a new love interest for him. John/Roman was next paired with Diana Colville played by ''
General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'' superstar,
Genie Francis Eugenie Ann Francis (born May 26, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Laura Spencer (General Hospital), Laura Spencer on the television soap opera ''General Hospital'' from 1977 to present, for which she won a ...
. Hogestyn revealed that the writers had given the duo much more creative input to establish a more fun dynamic. There weren't any plans to pair Roman/John with Diana but their interactions helped the story write itself. The character of Diana also had a romance with Mike Horton (
Michael T. Weiss Michael Terry Weiss (born February 2, 1962) is an American actor known for his role as Jarod in the television series '' The Pretender''. Early life Michael Terry Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 2, 1962. His father was a steel i ...
) and a failed engagement to
Victor Kiriakis Victor Kiriakis is a fictional character on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was portrayed by John Aniston from 1985 until his death in 2022, with a storyline driven absence in 2004 when his character was "killed off" but found alive on the ...
(
John Aniston John Anthony Aniston (born Yannis Anastassakis, , July 24, 1933 – November 11, 2022) was a Greek-born American actor who played Victor Kiriakis on the NBC daytime drama series ''Days of Our Lives'', which he originated in July 1985 and played ...
) and was even considered as a love interest for the returning
Bo Brady Beauregard Aurelius "Bo" Brady is a fictional character from the NBC daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The role has been most notably portrayed by Peter Reckell, who originated the role on May 3, 1983. Creation and Casting Created unde ...
(Reckell). However, Hogestyn's chemistry with Francis "just couldn't be denied." It is actually John who kidnaps Diana before she marries Victor. While there was initial backlash from staunch Marlena fans fearing John and Diana had developed too soon, majority of viewers quickly became fans of the new pairing not long after their first few scenes together. The duo had really strong scenes from the very beginning. "That was an accident" Hogestyn said. Despite it being seeming too soon, the network ordered the producers to capitalize on the fan reaction. "Genie and I worked hard from day one to make Diana and Roman work" Hogestyn explained. The duo also injected humor into their scenes whenever they could. "That added a nice, little touch to our romance." John/Roman initially tries to keep Diana at arm's length because he fears getting so close to another woman, the way he got with Marlena. However, Diana's near death experience is a "turning point in their relationship." Diana and John/Roman are recognized as a supercouple in their own right. When Francis leaves the series in 1989, Hogestyn finds himself on the back burner once again. The character was next paired with Yvette DuPrés (
Lori Hallier Lori may refer to: *Lori (given name) *Lori Province, Armenia *Lori Fortress, a fortress in Armenia *Lori Berd, a village in Armenia *Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget, a historical Armenian kingdom from c. 980 to 1240, sometimes known as the Kingdom of L ...
) who is also involved with his rival, Victor Kiriakis. John/Roman keeps Yvette "at arm's length." However Hogestyn considered the romance to be a "relationship of convenience." It provides the opportunity for John/Roman to stick it to Victor "and at the same time have some fun." However, insisted that the romance could never live up to his previous two pairings. Hogestyn was surprised by the abrupt ending of John/Roman's romance with Yvette. He really enjoyed working opposite Lori Hallier. "She was very conscientious about wanting to work... working scenes out. That was so refreshing for me." John's short lived romance with Yvette seems to be a precursor to his next great love story. In early 1990, Hogestyn was informed that his character's next great love story was in the works. John/Roman was next paired with
Isabella Toscano Isabella Toscano is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The character first appeared on a recurring basis on October 16, 1989, and was portrayed by actress Staci Greason. Greason was put on contract in December 19 ...
(Staci Greason) – the illegitimate daughter of Victor Kiriakis. Hogestyn enjoyed working opposite the newcomer. "She reminds me of me when I first started on the show... I had no soap opera experience, and my energy was boundless."


References


Citations


Notes


External links


John Black profile – NBC.comJohn Black profile – Soaps.comJohn Black profile – SoapCentral.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, John Days of Our Lives characters Fictional mercenaries Fictional businesspeople Fictional business executives Fictional secret agents and spies Fictional Jeet Kune Do practitioners Fictional detectives Male characters in television Fictional characters with amnesia fi:Luettelo televisiosarjan Päivien viemää henkilöistä#John Black