Drake Hogestyn portrays John Black, a man with many pasts, on Days of our Lives.

Back in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Drake Hogestyn had every intention of becoming a doctor if his career as a professional baseball player didn`t pan out. A gifted athlete, scholarships provided his college education. He not only graduated with a double major in microbiology and applied sciences from the University of South Florida, but was also drafted by two professional baseball organization: the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees. Drake signed with the Yankees as a third baseman and was climbing the farm system ladder when he sustained a career ending injury.

At the same time, Columbia Pictures was heading up a national talent search. The director in charge encouraged Drake to fly to Los Angeles to participate in an intensive four-month acting training workshop. Drake`s wonderment as to why he was chosen was met with a "You act like a ball player, you don`t play like one" response from the director. Looking back, Drake thinks he may have had a point.

He also received the Best Actor award five years in row from Soap Opera Update.

For his portrayal of "The Pawn," "John Black," "Roman Brady," "Roman II," "Romulus," "John Stevens," "Father John" and "Mercenary John," Drake has received Best Actor Awards from as far away as Australia, South Africa and Germany. He also received the Best Actor award five years in row from Soap Opera Update and Hottest Male Star for two years running from Soap Opera Digest. Drake tops the Daytime TV Readers Poll with more number one rankings than any other actor in the history of soap operas.

Drake surfs, snowboards, works on his old `61 Corvette and `57 T-Bird and generally spends all his free time with his wife Victoria and their four children: Rachael, Ben, Whitney and Alexandra, at their beach home in Malibu.