Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn were both laid off from Days of Our Lives yesterday.
" 'Days of Our Lives' has decided to rest the characters of John Black and Dr. Marlena Evans," NBC officials said in a statement that was obviously written to spare the feelings of loyal fans.
"After a year of separation, John and Marlena will finally reunite before exiting the canvas in early 2009," it promised.The layoffs of the show's stars is in response to budget cuts made by the producers earlier this month to keep the soap on the air for at least another 18 months. Deidre Hall has appeared on the soap since 1976; Drake Hogestyn, since 1984