Why DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Dr. Drake Ramoray Is the Best Fake Soap Character Ever

By Chris Eades Updated: December 13, 2017

In the second season of FRIENDS, Joey was cast on the NBC soap opera DAYS OF OUR LIVES as Dr. Drake Ramoray, and the character became legendary! A handsome doctor who fell in love with his patients, Drake was Joey’s biggest acting role ever… at least until he got too big for his britches and the writers punished him for his arrogance by killing him off the show!

Dr. Drake Ramoray - NBC

Is there a doctor in the house? (Photo Credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank)

So in honor of our favorite fake soap character of all time, let’s take a look at these eight reasons why Dr. Drake Ramoray is so unforgettable!

For more on your favorite daytime dramas, keep reading Soaps In Depth magazine!

Friends Erika Ford Ross

NBC
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He had a fictional brother!

Okay, yes, soap characters are all fictitious, but when Joey started dating one of his fans, he found out she genuinely believed he was actually Dr. Drake Ramoray. In an effort to throw her off, Ross told her that Joey was actually Drake’s evil twin, Hans, who pretends to be Drake in order to seduce women and never talk to them again! Insert water-throwing here!
Dr. Drake Ramoray Patient

Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank
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He wrote many of his own lines!

When Joey found fame as a daytime soap star, his ego got a little out of control. In an interview with the soap press, he told the reporter that Dr. Ramoray was such a great character because he made up his own dialogue! Needless to say, the actual writers of the show weren't thrilled to hear that...
Dr Drake Ramoray Dies

NBC
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He was “killed off” in an outrageous soap death!

Soaps are famous for killing people in crazy ways, and Dr. Ramoray was no different! While GENERAL HOSPITAL killed off a villain by having him fall down a bottomless pit, the writers of DAYS wrote Drake out of the show by having him fall down an elevator shaft! Although this didn’t actually kill him, it left Drake in a coma with such a severe brain injury, he was the only surgeon talented enough to fix it! Oops!
Drake Ramoray Jessica Lockhart

NBC
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He was brought back to life by a brain transplant!

Characters return to life all the time on soaps, and writers will sometimes make up the most incredible stories to bring them back. But no actual daytime drama can hold a candle to Drake’s resurrection after the brain of Jessica Lockhart was implanted into his body! (Interestingly, Jessica was played by Susan Sarandon, who got her start as Sarah Fairbanks on the classic soap SEARCH FOR TOMORROW back in the ’70s!)
Dr. Drake Ramoray At Work

Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank
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He got paid for doing very little!

Dream job?! Dr. Ramoray was a renowned neurosurgeon who never really seemed to do any actual work, but that’s par for the course for most soap characters! At least he was at the hospital most times!
Joey As Dr. Drake Ramoray

Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank
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His character entered the real world!

While everyone was at the hospital waiting for Rachel to give birth, Phoebe met a cute guy in the elevator who had broken his leg. Joey drew on his acting abilities to play Dr. Ramoray in reality to get the guy’s room number for Phoebe, then asked him some rather probing questions to see if he was worthy of her!
Matthew Ashford On Friends

NBCU Photo Bank
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He had a lot of famous friends!

Alison Sweeney — who actually appeared on DAYS as Sami Brady — starred alongside Joey as Jessica Ashley. And DAYS stars Matthew Ashford (ex-Jack) and Kyle Lowder (ex-Brady) both attended Joey’s rooftop party! (Ashford even hit on Rachel!)
Joey

Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank
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He died twice!

Although Joey continued to play Drake on FRIENDS, on his spinoff series, JOEY, it was revealed that Dr. Ramoray was once again killed off of DAYS when he was stabbed by a nurse while performing surgery. But on the plus side, Joey won the award for “Best Death Scene!”