The sands in the hourglass have run out for longtime "Days of Our Lives" stars, Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn -- both have been fired from the 43-year-old soap.

"`Days of our Lives' has decided to rest the characters of 'John Black' and 'Marlena Evans,'" NBC officials said in a prepared statement." After a year of separation, 'John' and 'Marlena' will finally reunite before exiting the canvas in early 2009."