Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn reveal their

relationship is about to undergo aserious overhaul

ays Of Our Lives fans were up in arms over J the killing off of Salem hero John Black,

leaving his beloved wife Marlena widowed. Viewers threatened to switch off in droves if he was not brought back, but no sooner had the threats been issued than news came that actor Drake Hogestyn had re-signed to bring John 'back from the dead'. Some believe the comeback was contrived, but here Hogestyn and Hall set the record straight ... Drake, some Days Of Our Lives fans believe you knew all along you'd return as John Black. Is that true? DRAKE "Absolutely not! I'm working with an acting coach right now and we're plotting out the new John Black. What I signed back on for was to explore the real reason John Black was created and brought to Salem, and to explore his dark side. They said, 'This is what we want: dangerous, untrustworthy and emotionally void'. It's thrilling and exciting, and that's how I felt in 1986."

Deidre, how has it been having Drake back as a 'dangerous, untrustworthy, emotionally void' John? DEIDRE "It's challenging and fun. Marlena needs to decide if she likes him or not. She needs to decide if it's going to work for her or not."

What does the new John think of Marlena? DRAKE "He's intrigued by her and her stories, and why she stays around when he has treated her so poorly. He has heard all her stories from the life they had together to the point where he's nau­seous. The frustration is knowing he will never go back to being that 'other guy'."

Will we see Marlena change? DEIDRE "I think we are going to see her antenna up. She's smart and decisive, and she has an instinct about this man, although it doesn't always prove to be who she wants him to be."

What were your thoughts on the love-making scenes in the tent after the plane went down? DEIDRE "Unfortunately, the audience didn't see all those scenes." DRAKE "There were some very aggressive scenes. John comes from the lowest common denominator: his instincts. She's a beautiful woman and it's cold. She wants to be kept warm and

characters. I respect that, but they were still wonderful scenes. They were challeng­ing, adorable and sexy."

What more would like see change for the characters? DEIDRE "I think what we're doing is the most entertaining. We are at the beginning of a love story." DRAKE "I want to see (John) get back on track. It's not like when I started 23 years ago. If you take it into a different kind of love story, we can still satisfy John and Marlena fans that want to see the couple together."

Drake, late last year. you and Deidre and Executive Producer, Ken Corday, went to Australia to promote the show. The trip came at a strange Urne for you... DRAKE "I arrived the day the show aired in Australia where EJ shot John and put him in a coma. One journal­ist was asking me something and I felt my emotions well­ing up. It was an awkward moment, but the spin of the ball changed in Australia because a lot of stuff was happening in LA at that moment (too). John's funeral was airing over two days and I understand they got a spike in the ratings numbers."

In terms of the country and its people, what did you take away from visiting Australia? DRAKE "You have a secret, the most pristine, unbeliev­able society. You don't know how cynical you have become until you go to a country like that, where peo­ple bend over backwards to help you and accommodate you. I was amazed. I walked down the street with Deidre, telling her how clean the streets are. Their energy and love for their fellow man is so commendable."

But. does John sense a connection at times? DRAKE "He remembers nothing about her before (but) sometimes he has these lighting bolts that go by so fast. There's something that John felt for a second that makes him curious now. Is Marlena beautiful? Absolutely. Is she smart? Without a doubt, and was sex in the tent spine shattering? Well, you know it was. But outside of that, is there emotional attachment? Well, he has no emotion, but he wants to know more about her."

he thinks, 'You're beautiful and want to be kept warm. I'm the man for the job'. And my God, I have never expe­rienced anything like that in my life - that I remember! It's like, 'What was that? Let's do it again!' and she said, 'Not until you remember who I am. I thought being intimate with you would jog something'. Marlena was coming from a point of desperation."

A lot of the footage didn't make it to air. Why? DEIDRE "I was told at the 11 th hour they felt it was too much too soon for the