Interviews
The John McCook Interview – The Bold and the Beautiful
Photo Credit: Getty Images
For the past 25 years fans of The Bold and the Beautiful have witnessed the ups and down of the show’s patriarch and matriarch, Eric and Stephanie Forrester. And now with the departure of series star and multiple Daytime Emmy winner, Susan Flannery (Stephanie) a new chapter will begin, but not before viewers, the characters and the actors themselves are put though the emotional ringer of having to say goodbye to this soap icon, and central figure to B&B’s ongoing drama.
And while Susan Flannery, and rightfully so, is receiving all the accolades for her bravura final performances, it is her on-screen partner John McCook (Eric) who has been doing some of his most subtle and heartbreaking work of his career. So what does John think the on-screen death of Stephanie will mean for Eric? A new lease on life? A deep grieving process? You will find out as On-Air On-Soaps sat down with John in his dressing room to get him to share his thoughts on the end of a 25-year plus on-screen relationship.
From Stephanie’s goodbye party to Susan and John’s final scenes, one thing is for certain; John feels a tremendous amount of respect for what Susan Flannery has meant to B&B and to the genre. However, as one door closes another one opens. Hopefully, this will give John the opportunity to explore new story arcs… and as he expresses, after the dust has settled… with the stunning departures and losses of both Ronn Moss (Ridge), his on-screen son, and Susan, his on-screen wife. The series is turning the page, but not before we all have a very good cry.
MICHAEL:
John, what did you think when you found out that there was going to be an on-screen party celebrating Stephanie’s life, which for all intent and purposes was going to be the vehicle for Stephanie, and for Susan Flannery, to say goodbye on-air to all the characters?
JOHN:
Courtesy/CBS
The premise of the party was Eric wanted to throw her a celebration of her life. Stephanie originally told Eric, “I don’t want to have a party. Everyone will just sit around and cry.” And he said, “No. Not like that… a real celebration of your life while you are still here to enjoy it.” So she decides to go for it, and then Stephanie comes up with the idea to handwrite invitations to people that she loves and that she wants to be there. So, she hand-delivers them personally to people, which was a wonderful device for our show, that as she delivers them to different people we see flashbacks of her with whatever character Stephanie is delivering the invite to.
MICHAEL:
Have you gotten to see any of those episodes? The one where she delivers the invite to Brooke, and the performances of Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) and Susan was fantastic.
JOHN:
Yes I have. It was a great opportunity to indulge in these flashbacks, instead of just sticking them in when she is dead. So instead of having a party where we go back and look at all of that, we do that beforehand. Eric is kind of the host and is the ringmaster of the party. He says to the guests, “No long faces! No crying. I want everyone to enjoy themselves. I know this is a difficult thing.” But then he sits down and serenades Stephanie at the piano with When Irish Eyes are Smiling, and then starts to cry himself. He does a short little rendition of it, but quietly, and it’s sad. And then Eric hired Celtic Woman, who came from far and wide to be at the celebration, and he brings them in from outside and they come in to the party and sing.
MICHAEL:
Did you know before this arc of the story that Stephanie was even Irish?
JOHN:
Courtesy/CBS
Well, I could tell from time to time with her temper! (Laughs) And, she can drink like an Irishmen! (Laughs) Brad Bell, our executive producer and head writer, said to me one day up in his office, “You’re Irish, right?” And I said, “Yeah. some, but I am Scottish mostly.” Brad replies, “Good, because we are going to do this party…” It wasn’t exactly out of nowhere, but it was. (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Is Eric breaking inside? This has got to be so deeply painful for him dealing with the impending death of his beloved, Stephanie.
JOHN:
He and Stephanie decided to commiserate a lot before the party. We see them in the doctor’s office. They heard the news that her cancer had returned. They are mourning together. And as a couple and a team, they decide they are not going to do that anymore. They decide, “Let’s show everybody that we can rise above this. Let’s be matter-of-fact about this, and try to get everybody to be as joyful as humanly possible.” Is he dying inside? Of course, but only very little. It’s very important for him to have this whole thing be a celebratory thing for her and for everyone. They want to leave the party at the height of it, and they do. So Eric and Stephanie say goodbye, and everyone realizes it’s the last time they are going to see Stephanie, and she says, “When Eric comes back, he is going to be by himself. You are going to need to help him.” And, oh my goodness, we leave and we go away and she doesn’t return, and there you are. I am very pleased by the way that Brad and the show was able to handle this, and that Susan Flannery was gracious enough to be selfish as an actress in a good way, and that is to say, she said, “I want to play this! I don’t want you to sweep her death under the rug. I want you to kill Stephanie Forrester. I want to stay here and play it out, so that we have really wonderful drama.” Brad then rolled up his sleeves and created a really terrific way to salute her character, and salute Susan.
MICHAEL:
How was it for you and the rest of the cast to step on set and film those heart-wrenching and emotional goodbye party episodes?
JOHN:
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
This was real and those feelings were real, when we look at one another in the scenes and indulge in the reality of losing our friend. It wasn’t just the characters losing Stephanie; it was also all of these actors losing Susan as an actor and everything else she brings to work. Susan brings a great deal to work. She takes up a lot of room, and she makes choices and she forces you to believe what you need to believe in a scene, and you argue with her if you think you are right. If you are right, then Susan will let you do it in a scene. But Susan is probably one of three of four most knowledgeable actresses on daytime television for this genre. What she knows about this type of material is more than all of us combined. I really give her that credit.
MICHAEL:
How was the taping of your final scenes with Susan?
JOHN:
It was wonderful. And as the two old war horses that we are, we love it when it is real. We have years and years of manufacturing, in our way, big emotions and big love, and being actors together.
MICHAEL:
Will Eric go through a deep grieving process?
JOHN:
So far, yes. When you lose a character like Ridge and you sweep it under the rug until you decide what to do, it’s not very fulfilling and it’s unsatisfactory. The audience is going to mourn the loss of this Stephanie character like crazy. You don’t sweep that under the rug. You mourn with them, and show how Eric mourns the loss, and how Brooke mourns her loss, and how Pam mourns her loss. These characters all of had relationships with Stephanie.
MICHAEL:
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
There have been some recent scenes between you and Alley Mills (Pam) that have been very sweet. There was one in particular where Eric held her when she started to cry at work after Stephanie delivered more invitations to the party. Could it be that Pam and Eric could eventually develop a romantic relationship coming out of their grief and loss for Stephanie?
JOHN:
I think Eric and Pam will continue to enrich the relationship that they have, whatever that is. We wanted to indulge in that at the beginning when Pam first came on the canvas. At that point, they started to write a competition between the sisters for Eric. But then we got away from that. Pam is very sad about losing Stephanie. She says to Eric shortly before Stephanie passes, “Are you going to send me back to Chicago?” And he says, “What?” And she goes, “Well, I am not family here. I don’t have anybody here.” She then says, “Wait, and remember when I was in love with you?” And Pam just does not know what to say or do at the moment. She is like ten years old in those scenes. She is alone in the world now having lost both her mother and her sister. Eric says to her, “This is your family now.” There is sweetness between them that both Alley and I want to mine. I don’t know what is going to happen down the road, but certainly they can mourn together. My opinion is that Pam and Eric depended on Stephanie in a way that nobody else did. They can grieve in a way that is private, and in a way that nobody else sees or knows about. I would love for Eric to see Pam weeping on the floor at Forrester Creations, and for him to comfort her, and for her to comfort him through the loss of Stephanie.
MICHAEL:
We heard from many of your co-stars when Ronn Moss (Ridge) decided to exit the series so abruptly. Were you shocked by his decision to leave, and then Susan’s?
JOHN:
Susan has been talking about leaving for ten years and she never left. Of course not, she has been snarking about it for years! But when this negotiation began, Ronn, Susan, Katherine and I went out to dinner one night after taping the show. Ronn said at that meeting, “I am not going to stay.” And then Susan said, “I don’t know if I am either.” But in fact in the next coming weeks when Ronn’s deal did not happen, Ronn was willing to go. He was very excited about leaving. That is because he had the music thing going on and was looking forward to it. Ronn was not bitter, or angry, or anything like that. He felt that he had really given the show a lot and he loved doing it, and that it was time to turn the page and move on. We all said, “We respect that.” The fact that Ronn was being so honest with us, and did not hide it from us was really cool. Katherine was going, “Oh, my God!” And then Susan said, “I am going to leave! But I am going to go talk to Brad and tell him to kill my character. I will stay the weeks it will take to give my character a proper send-off.” She did not want to just go up to the toilet and not come back down for the next three months! (Laughs) I am very happy for what the show had done for her, and for the fans.
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
MICHAEL:
Now as B&B move into the future, there are only two of the “core four” original cast members and characters … played by yourself and Katherine Kelly Lang!
JOHN:
And then there was two … Katherine and myself. On-screen, she and I cross paths in the night. She and I have not had scenes together about anything, about the kids, let alone our past relationship. Things have changed around here, though. Katherine is in Susan’s old dressing room now. It’s refreshing for her to have a new environment. And, it is not about “getting” Susan’s room; it’s about having a new beginning for all of us. My dressing room has been cleaned up a bit. I have a parking space now, and I never had one before. Katherine has one now that is hers, too. This is not the beginning of the end for this show; it is the end of the beginning. We have turned the page … Katherine and me, and Hunter Tylo (Taylor) and the young couples, and the Spencer family. That is good. That has plugged in here very well. Don Diamont relishes the part of Bill Spencer. He has brought to the show a different flavor and spice that we didn’t have before. I salute that. And, to put Heather Tom (Katie) with Don is a brilliant move. I am glad that Rick (Jacob Young) is back, also!
MICHAEL:
With the current battle over the top spot of Forrester Creations raging on since Ridge is now off the canvas, don’t you think Eric should step in there and take the reins over Thomas and Rick?
JOHN:
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
I hope I get to be a mentor in there and a referee, and get to step in there. We shall see. That is a very key part of losing Ronn Moss as Ridge. Now it’s about who is going to run the business? It’s an international fashion house. I get that Thomas and Rick want to run the family business, but I think Eric needs to step back in.
MICHAEL:
What is your takeaway from working with Susan Flannery for these 25 plus years? Good, and or bad?
JOHN:
When I got here 25 years ago to do this show, I was armed and educated for what I needed to know to work with Susan Flannery, or anybody else. What I learned from Susan was how wonderful it is to trust another performer and another performer’s opinion, and what it is like for years and years to be dependent on each other’s talent, preparation, and commitment. Susan has stolen scenes from me over the years. I have been able to do that to her, too. When it happens, she goes, “O.K.” When she would do it to me, I would go home and yell at my wife, Laurette! (Laughs) I have had times when I wanted to play a scene a certain way and Susan absolutely refused. You pick your battles. Stephanie has been wearing the pants in the family for a long time. I have used the expression that Eric has been in Stephanie’s shadow quite a lot over the last few years on the show. So as an actor, I look at this as an opportunity to be, “all about me” for a minute, because that is what actor’s do. I relish the opportunity to be out in the light, and be part of the future here for a while.
MICHAEL:
We know viewers hope to see Eric really going through the appropriate stages of grief, and the isolation of that. Will we see that play out on-air?
JOHN:
Courtesy/CBS
We are just beginning to do that now. We have so many viewers that are more than 70 years old, and a lot of grown up viewers. Some of them have experienced this. So we can’t be cavalier about, “Oh, he is going to drink too much now and start having sex with younger girls.” I think that is kind of cliché, folks. That is soap opera cliché. We could do it and do it well, but let’s have Eric mourn in a real way, and be alone and feel what it is like to be left behind. I don’t think he feels he was ready to be left behind. Yes, your family is there for you. However, when you are alone in your house, it doesn’t matter how much your family loves you. At the end of the day she is not there anymore.
MICHAEL:
Clearly, you would tell fans to have their boxes of Kleenex ready as the final moments of Stephanie approach … and even past that?
JOHN:
No question about it. People have cried all ready just at the idea of losing Stephanie. I am going to even say, I think that would be true of any of your favorite beloved characters on any soap opera. When one of those dies, the show needs to honor that, and go there and indulge in that loss, and show the audience that, “Yes, we know how hard it is going to be, as in this case, for Stephanie not to be there.”
MICHAEL:
So when all is said and done, John, what direction do you hope B&B takes with Eric once Stephanie is no longer on the canvas?
JOHN:
Photo Credit: Gilles Toucas
What are they going to do with Eric? I am not sure. I know I will be rattling around that house for a while. Will Pam be there? Sure. But everybody else is going to be there too, trying to help Eric. Is he going to have a new relationship and get laid? Who cares! That is not what the story is about. What we need to do is show Eric being by himself for a while, and coming back into his work life for a while. Just about him trying to get through the day where he is thinking to himself, “Where is my coffee? Where is she? Where is my Martini?” These are sad things. It would be so funny for Pam to try to make a Martini for him, and for him to say, “I am never going to have a Martini ever again in my life.” And for her to say, “O.K.” and then she walks away, but then all of a sudden for Eric to say, “Do you know how to make a Manhattan?” (Laughs)
I hope they have the character of Eric and Brooke have some growth after all this I do not care to see either one jump into relationships. The one thing I would disagree with is Winsor Harmon has played Thorne the longest he should have a meatier role but maybe it is because I disdain the actor who plays Rick. The show will go on but I fear we will get back to the horrid teenybopper triangle. Mr. McCook has done some good work this last month.
I love the show and have been watching it since the beginning. I’m ready to carry on with the young people and see what will happen with Liam, Steffy,and Hope. I’m already seeing Katie and new baby Will back together and Dollar Bill will follow. As for Brook, don’t know maybe she will be laid back and alone for a while like Taylor. Bring back Jackie and her gang. The next few weeks or months will be something to see. Like always I will be glued to the T.V. everyday at 12:30 on CBS. Great Show!!!!!
It appears that Eric will not be supporting Thomas. He sides with his snake-of-a-son Rick over Thomas every time, which is funny because Rick can’t design a dish cloth!
Many viewers would like to see the Logans – Brooke, Donna and Hope — gone from Forrester Creations and have the Douglas/Forester clan can pull together. Thomas is the star designer and Rick is supposed to have business savvy, too bad their bad blood will not allow them to work together.
I just watched the last episode of the great Flannery. KKL and SF both made incredible performances. For me this was really the end of The Bold and The Beautiful. The show lost a lot when the late great Darlene Conley passed away, but with SF in the key role, B&B stayed alive though show’s golden years were gone (90’s). It’s extremely sad to see Flannery retiring (she absolutely deserves it!!). In the last 10 years, she has been the only reason to watch this show that has become only a shadow of what it once was! Thank God we will always have the clips from the golden days 🙂 KKL is a wonderful actress but no one can replace SF!!! Thank YOU SUSAN from the bottom of my heart for the unforgettable years. You are my true acting idol! The greatest actress of daytime!!! <3 Take care!!!
Iagree susan was and is a great actress,. she was in another soap years ago but i cant rember which one and she wa great in that one to . SoSUSAN COME BACK TO SEE USin spirit on occasion,like john does on y&r. thank you for such great acting it was so beliveable
GR8 interview, Michael. I just watched the final Stephanie scene and am still sniffling. It’s hard to imagine the show without her. Still miss Ronn Moss. I hope that John McCook is right and the writers give us something different than expected soap mourning. I’d love to really see Brooke and Eric mourn before jumping in bed with new relationships, and more focus put on their characters not the teeny boppers (which has gotten old fast). I find myself missing Nick, Jackie and Bridget too. Enough of preachy Taylor and her “entitled” kids. BORING.
But excellent writing here, Michael. You painted a wonderful inside portrait of what’s going on!!!!!!!
I loved Susan Flannery’s work. She was a major part of B & B. She will be so missed.
I have watched this show from day 1 and I love Susan and Katherine. The writers did a wonderful job with the hate love relationship between these 2 women. I cried my eyes out today to see Stephanie go but I think it was wonderful that Brooke was with her. I hope to see more exciting things for this show so that I can watch for another 25 years.
Nice interview, Michael. And I am one of McCook’s biggest fans.
I have watched this show from day 1 and I love Susan and Katherine. The writers did a wonderful job with the hate love relationship between these 2 women. I cried my eyes out today to see Stephanie go but I think it was wonderful that Brooke was with her. I hope to see more exciting things for this show so that I can watch for another 25 years. John is the back bone of this show I hope he is not planning on leaving any time soon.
SUSAN I HAVE ENJOYED WATCHING YOU ON B & B, I HAVE WATCHED THE SHOW SINCE THE VERY FIRST SHOW IN 1987, SF WILL BE MISSED, I ALSO MISS RONN MOSS, HOPEFULLY YOU BOTH WILL HAVE A GREAT TIME IN WHEREVER LIFE TAKES YOU BOTH. I WILL MISS YOU BOTH BUT THE SHOW WILL GO ON & BE GREAT AS EVER, SO MANY NEW YOUNG CHARACTERS BUT THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER SF.
I just want to say the very best to Susan for alll the years on t.v. You are one amazing lady B&B will not be the same without you May our LORD be with you and Bless you in whatever you intend to do love you Susan and will miss you
Stephanie Forrester it was a pleasure watchin you on th B&B..
I wish you didnt have to leave the show, you really made my day
When i watch you on the show, you were a woman not to mess with..
Well all must come to an end.. I wish you luck in everthing you do…
You will be missed!! <3
I am so sad to see Susan leave I am glad though her and Brooke had quit feuding that was getting tiring I still dont understand why they gotr
id of Nick and Jackie they just quit showing them I wish they would bring them back. i was hoping they would do more with Deacon and Ambers characters it doesntlook like they will though,I wish I could write for them.
Today was a great day for B&B. I cried and am still upset even through I knew it was coming that Stephanie would die on the show. I think Brook did a great job and I wonder if those tears were real because they sure looked real and always do when she cries. Great ending for a new beginning. Looking forward to all future shows with all the young and old . Thank you B&B . At one time I watched 2 soaps everyday but sometime way back I only tune in for the B&B and if I miss an episode I’ll turn on the computer and kick back and watch,
These last couple of weeks have been hard I have road with BB for the entire 25 years ever since they took ove the Capital spot,even though the selfish side of me wants things to stay the same,with the oringinal characters, I understand that people must move on and make room for the next generation the next chapter,but it is still sad, we the viewers forget that these actors work as we do and there comes a time when wanting to retire kicks in, be it acting ,bus driving, people want to retire,people want to experience new horrizons,I wish Susan and Ronn well on their journey and thank them both for the dedication that they have given,God Bless to you both. Afaithful fan Syreeta
excellent interview michael!
WOW!!! What can I say. I have been there the whole 25 years of the show also. I think it is wonderful that they let Stephanie & Brooke end with a good relationship. Susan will be missed so much. She was one of those characters that you had a love/hate moment with. I like watching the new actors on the show but the old ones are the best. It is hard to replace those. I would love for NBC to make B&B a hour long Soap Opera. There seems to be a down fall on the Soaps now. I am beginning to think that they are trying to do away with all of them now. My generation and the older ones were the die hard fans who never misses a episode. The generation now just don’t watch them as we have. I hope that B&B will keep Katherine & John for a long while. I know he is getting on up in age and his time will come when he is ready to retire also. I know Leslie Downs had to fight with cancer for a while and I think that is why she did not sign another contract. Also Jack Wagner and Brandon Beemer contract ran out also. There has been a lot of soap stars lately who are not signing new contracts. It seems that they are getting out of it I guess. I hope that this is not the end of my favorite soaps. There is only a few of them left on daytime TV now. So if you are a devoted fan to the soaps that are left on NBC, please keep on viewing them because if there ratings go down they will take them off like they did the other shows. God Bless Susan, may your retirement be very fulfilling. Ron I hope your next journey is very fulfilling also. I never knew that you were in that group until I read your interview. I miss seeing your face on there. If they decide to replace you on the show, I hope it is someone who favors you because it will seem so strange looking at a different person. Good luck to all the cast & crew in the future episodes.
bold and beautiful is on CBS notNBC
I really enjoyed this interview. I hope JM will get the chances to shine in the spot light again. When I watched the flashbacks and saw how beautiful his hair was I almost swooned. I remember those days so well. (He is still a handsome man but when he was salt-and-pepper he was so debonair.) The actors who have recently left will be missed, but I know that JM and the rest of the cast will make the show so interesting that we will all continue to wait impatiently for it to begin every week day! I am an Irish girl, btw, and the party scenes, and those leading up to it, were some of the most enjoyable on television during the past few years — in any time slot.
I have not seen the passing of Stephanie yet .here in Cyprus we are behind……….have watched entranced since 1987.in South Africa now here in Cyprus……………..I salute you Susan and thank you for the many many years of great entertainment i have enjoyed in my living room…will miss Ron too………Blessings and thanks to all at B AND B
SUSAN SPASSING WAS A WONDERFUL SEND OFF DONE WITH PASSION WARMTH AND SO VERY WELL DONE WITH GRACE AND DIGNITY. THANK YOU WRITERS.
MICHAEL. THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL INTERVEIW YOU DID ON THE bold&beautiful.
Is Eric going to leave the show and the people on there should let him be with the woman he wants in his life
In the Sept 30th episode di John Mccook leave the show?
I don’t think he did, he said in an interview that he was glad to have frontburner for the first time in years. I think he just passed out again in today’s episode though.
I am from Sri Lanka, I am trying the best to contact John McCook and Stephanie for over 10 years. It’s a shame, because I am a very good fan of both of them. I cn even giv my personal no.0094767733195
Pls contact me. I love both of u.
God bless both of u
With love, Freeda
General Hospital
(INTERVIEW) Adam Huss Talks on His Latest GH Return, Maura West, Nicholas Chavez, and Being a Swiftie
This week, General Hospital fans were in for a surprise appearance when Adam Huss reappeared as Nikolas Cassadine while serving jail time in Pentonville. He also had a very intriguing visitor, his ex, Ava Jerome (Maura West)!
In the key scenes, Ava seemingly tells Nikolas, who can do nothing about the situation, how she is getting closer to Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and within his inner-sanctum, much to Nikolas’ chagrin. For Huss, those scenes were difficult to shoot, because in real-life he has just lost his beloved grandmother, but he soldiered through and delivered an effective performance.
Adam has had quite the adventure as GH’s dark prince of the Cassadine clan. Having first subbed for former Nikolas, Marcus Coloma, a few times and over a few years time, then taking over the role and being instrumental in moving story forward, but yet not always physically on the canvas. Since taking over the role, Huss has put his own spin on Nikolas, while delivering some top-notch performances. Look no further than in scenes with the exited Nicholas Chavez (Spencer), the aforementioned West, GH icon Genie Francis (Laura), or the twins that the play Baby Ace (Joey Clay, who shares the role with twin brother Jay) to name but a few.
Michael Fairman TV chatted with Adam to get his thoughts on: Nikolas’ emotional state now, where he thinks the storyline may head in the future, his co-stars, reflecting on what the late Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas) brought to the role, and yes, some banter with us about Taylor Swift! Check out what Adam had to say below.
Courtesy/ABC
Nikolas is kind of the gift that keeps on giving, as you keep popping back up on GH. Just when you think the show literally has written him off, he makes a return. Look no further than on Monday’s April 29th episode when he gets a visit from Ava while in prison.
ADAM: Listen, I’ve really fallen in love with playing the character. I’ve stated that I’m super passionate about it. I really like that the more I delve into his backstory, I learn about the layers of who he is. Watching Tyler Christopher’s (ex-Nikolas) work, because he really originated that character, I become even more enthusiastic about it. I have so much respect for this medium as it is. I’m a fan of TV and film. I am coming in to the story sometimes not knowing where Nikolas may be mentally. So, it’s been nice to be guided once you’re on set. You can’t come in with just your ideas and you have to be open to the collaboration. It’s been a challenge, but a lot of fun.
In the scenes that just aired opposite Maura West, it seemed you could tell that Nikolas still cared for Ava.
ADAM: I thought that was a happy surprise. I am so fond of Maura as a person. I could say that we’ve mutually grown closer each time I come in and play the part. I don’t think Ava knew what she was going to really get when she came to see Nikolas. When he saw her, I think he was just taken with her. It was interesting. There was one moment when she’s talking about Sonny. I felt as if Nikolas didn’t want to hear this, but I was advised by our director, Allison Reames Smith and Frank Valentini (EP, GH), “Remember, Nikolas hasn’t seen her in months and this is really exciting for him to be sitting across from her. ” So that really fed the motivation.
Courtesy/ABC
Nikolas gets an earful from Ava, and he is left with her secret, which is the dose of medication in Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) pills are causing him to act erratic. Ava kind of admitted to Nikolas what was going on and what she was planning.
ADAM: She did, and you’re right. I think she told him because it was safe, and in her mind he’s not going anywhere.
However, Nikolas isn’t always on the up and up, either.
ADAM: No, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants. This is all speculation, but maybe to get her away from Sonny he uses the information she shared. I think Nikolas is thinking that he doesn’t want to see her get hurt, and, “I cannot lose another person right now. I lost my newborn son,” in that, he is not going to raise him. And even bigger, he lost his son Spencer who he believes is gone. So, imagine then losing the love of his life. Their last interactions around New Year’s Eve showed that he still had feelings for her.
Photo: ABC
So, when you first met Maura, what was your reaction to this daytime dynamo?
ADAM: From day one, she was so lovely to me. I tested with her. I got to know her in that moment. She was just so welcoming and wanted me to succeed. Then, when I did fill in for Marcus Coloma, the first time, she and Ken Shriner (Scott) were super lovely. It was like, “You’re my scene partner today. You are Nikolas today. Let’s have fun.” Each time I came in to work, I got the same thing, if not more – more trust, more openness and kindness. Then, as you’re aware, my grandma passed right before these most recent scenes. Maura was so lovely about it. We were running lines, but she just wanted to stop and talk about it for a second. I almost didn’t want to come to work. I just wanted to get home. Maura really got me focused. It was something you wanted to get off your chest with somebody. Then we filmed, and she called me after, and just made sure I was doing alright. I said to Maura, “You are a class act, you know that. Thank you so much.” I am so glad I didn’t have to miss the funeral and I still got to film at General Hospital, which my grandma loved to watch me on.
Courtesy/AHussIG
Now. did you have any context when you started that your on-screen mother was Genie Francis (Laura)?
ADAM: I did. In the nineties, when I was on Long Island in college and working as a DJ in the summers, I just remember seeing soap opera magazine covers. I’d see that triangle between Nikolas, Lucky and Elizabeth. So, I very much knew of the world that those people were part of. I knew how big the Luke (Tony Geary) and Laura wedding was and all of that. I definitely knew the legacy I was coming into. When I read these sides for the role, I was like, “I think this is Nikolas Cassadine!” Later, when I was on the show, and doing scenes with Genie, where Laura was warning Nikolas about making up with Spencer, she said, “You’re doing wonderful work.” To hear that from her was a big sigh of relief for me. I love connecting with actors in the eyes. I know when things are cooking when you almost feel like magnets in your eyes with another actor, because you’re drawing that emotion through them. The eyes are the windows of the soul, right? I felt that with Genie, Maura and Nicholas Chavez, too. You feel that magnet pull and it’s so beautiful.
Photo: ABC
I’m going over your gut-wrenching scenes in my head. There was obviously when Spencer hands baby Ace to Nikolas, and then the baby is so taken with you, and the scenes where Spencer tells Nikolas how much he loved him as a young boy and vice-versa.
ADAM: The three scenes you just mentioned are highlights for me in shooting the show thus far. Those moments felt so authentic to me. As soon as Spencer got Ace in my arms, I just would melt, and it made me emotional just to hold him. And then, he really took to me. His mom was like,”I think you kind of remind him of his father,” because there is a similar energy. He’s just a great little actor and a great little empath. The moment with him laying his head on my chest was so emotional. In the one scene with Nicholas Chavez, he’s supposed to not hand me Ace till the end, but as soon as we started the scene, the baby reached out to me with this smile. Nick is like, “OK, here you go.” We sort of had to improv around it a little bit, but it was amazing.
Courtesy/ABC
However, then there is the scene where Spencer cries about how Nikolas meant everything to him, too.
ADAM: I think Nikolas went to Spencer with the intention of like, “I’m taking this baby no matter what. And if I have to get through my son, I’m going, too.” There was so much power in the words that those writers chose especially when Spencer goes, “You were my whole world” as a child. Nikolas was saying how I loved him fiercely as a kid. I was watching a lot of those scenes between Nicolas Bechtel (ex-Spencer) and Tyler Christopher. That kid was such a dynamo, too, and he was so cute. Their bond stuck with me.
Courtesy/ABC
You are one busy actor. I check in on your Instagram and you are either in one town or the other shooting a horror film or other projects.
ADAM: Not just horror films, there’s a mix of Hallmark, too. I’m super excited about an indie film I did called Pieces of Lilo. It’s about an estranged father and son. In it, my father gets sick and I get stuck basically taking care of him. And then he passes and when I’m burying him, all these memories start flooding back. It’s this sort of flashback of basically trauma and how this trauma affected, my character, Jerry, in the present day. I fought for this part and I got it. We just wrapped in March. I’m excited about that. Next week, I am off to Long Island to do a rom-com called The Wedding Bell.
Don’t you also have a role in an upcoming Melrose Place-type streaming soap?
ADAM: Oh yes. I wish it was the Melrose Place reboot! I did work with Daphne Zuniga on a Lifetime movie, though. She was awesome, and we’re friends, so who knows? It’s called The BLVD and I’ve taped it already. There’s supposedly five more episodes they’re going to shoot soon. So, we finished the pilot and I play one of the one of the clients of the PR firm. It’s all about cutthroat PR in Hollywood.
Photo: JPI
I know the fans really enjoy you in the part of Nikolas. However, the worst thing in soaps, I think, for any actor is having to replace a very well-known actor in a part; whether they’re good, bad, or indifferent. People just don’t like change. As a recast, you have to kind of go through that difficult part of waiting to be accepted by the audience. They often say how they don’t like the actor and then somewhere along the way, they are like “Oh! I love him in the part.” How has it been for you to ride that wave of, you’re not Tyler Christopher, you’re not Marcus Coloma, but now it’s you playing Nikolas?
ADAM: I get it. You want your original person to be the person, and sometimes they just can’t, and in soap operas, it’s more common. I also know it’s always polarizing. There were days in the beginning where I was like, “Oh, my God! Look at all these wonderful comments.” Then it’s, “Oh, my God.” and as you’re scrolling, you see “I’m a hideous monster” to these people. I think you just have to have a very healthy perspective. Thankfully, I do have tools in my life to secure my foundation of who I am. And sure, on those vulnerable days or those ambiguous days where you don’t know your future at work, it could weigh on you. You could think of every, “Oh, my God! Everybody hates me.” I am so glad and grateful that people have come around. You’re not going to please everybody. It’s just the nature of what we live in now. I will say, the warm embrace and the acceptance, and people who have really come around, has moved me and then they’re feeling the same way about my performances. When I say I’m humbled by it, I’m blown away, it’s true. I used to get annoyed at Taylor Swift when she would always say that. I’m like, “All right, honey, you’re selling millions of copies. Accept it.” But it is humbling, because you know how critical people can be, and for it to really start to change overtime, helps me every time I hear it.
Photo: DisneyPlus
Speaking of Taylor Swift, are you a Swiftie?
ADAM: I am a Swiftie, sure. I didn’t go to Taylor’s concert. I wanted to. But then, when my friend showed me The Eras Tour on Disney Plus, I was like, “That was amazing. That was like the best time.” I’d have a smile on my face for three and a half hours if I was at her concert. So, yes.
Did you listen to Taylor’s new album, Tortured Poets Department yet?
ADAM: Yes. I’ve been bouncing around in there. There are a lot of songs.
It’s a lot of songs. It took me a little bit to warm up to it. And now, just like in true Taylor Swift fashion, I’m like, “You know what? This track or that track is really good.”
ADAM: Yeah, at first they all sound the same for a minute.
So I wonder, how does Taylor Swift manage to suck us in all the time?
ADAM: I know. I think it works whenever someone’s just raw and honest. Taylor gets a lot of flak for talking about her exes and stuff in her songs, but that’s her life experience. We feel that and we resonate with that, especially younger girls, or anyone really, can relate to these like breakups and this heartache. I think that’s where she gets you.
Courtesy/ABC
Hopefully soon, it’d be nice to see Nikolas not in prison orange. So, he gets out of jail and where does he go then?
ADAM: I don’t want him on the run because that’s the whole reason he came to prison, you know, to reform himself. So, for me, that was a nice sign of like, “Hey, maybe the reformation comes and you finally get to be free.” Maybe Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) gets her law degree back and then she’ll help him get out. Wyndemere’s gone. It’s out of his hands. I think it’s a good time for him to start a different life and for us to see Nikolas in different stories. Let’s see a different person trying to put his family back together and falling in love again. If it’s Ava, wonderful, would love that. I’d love to see a really great, big epic love story like he had in the past. I try to infuse that when Nikolas is sitting across from Ava. The last thing I want to say is, I wish I was there at GH more, too. However, I really trust in the process and the writers, and the way things unfold. So, I’m hoping that it all leads to a beautiful place.
What did you think about the scenes this week on GH between Ava and Nikolas? Do you hope Adam Huss is back on-screen sooner than later? What are some of your favorite scenes with him thus far? Comment below, but ICYMI, below are the touching scenes between Spencer, Ace and Nikolas that GH fans are still buzzing about.
Interviews
(WATCH) B&B’s Katherine Kelly Lang and Annika Noelle Talk Lead Actress Emmy Nominations and Brooke and Hope’s Mother/Daughter Relationship
Two of The Bold and the Beautiful’s leading ladies, Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) and Annika Noelle (Hope), are in the running for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series at the upcoming 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
Original series star Lang, along with Noelle, play mother and daughter on the series, which makes for an interesting dynamic on-screen and off. For Katherine, this marks her fourth Daytime Emmy Acting nomination. She previously won a producer Emmy for Venice the Series, and for Annika, this is her first Lead Actress nomination after previously scoring a nod in the Supporting Actress category.
On B&B, Brooke and Hope have had a rocky road this past year, with Brooke disapproving of Hope giving into her feelings and desires for Thomas (Matthew Atkinson), and the dissolution of her marriage to Liam (Scott Clifton). Meanwhile, Hope watched Brooke have marital troubles with Ridge (Thorsten Kaye), in part to Taylor (Krista Allen), only for her to win him back.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
The two actresses chatted with Michael Fairman for an exclusive livestream interview this week on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where they shared their thoughts, reactions and scenes from their nominated reels, how they see the current climate between Brooke and Hope, and much more. Below are some excerpts from the conversation.
Katherine, what are your thoughts on getting a Lead Actress nomination as this point in your career?
KATHERINE: I think it’s great. I was so happy to be nominated. It was unexpected, but I was really happy about it. Of course, I think everybody wants to be nominated, or get an Emmy at some point in their life, especially if they’ve been on a show for a very long time and you put a lot of work in. You do many, many scenes and hopefully, good enough scenes to be able to be nominated, and get in into the running. But yes, it’s hard to me. It’s hard every time when it comes around. I get anxiety whenever Emmy-time comes around.
Photo: JPI
What scenes were on both of your nominated reels?
KATHERINE: I just submitted the two back to back shows that I had between Brooke and Taylor (Krista Allen). It was when their relationship came to an end because they became friends, which was really nice. They swore off Ridge, which was great, and they had a nice relationship for a little while. But then, Brooke finally realized Taylor still had her sights on Ridge and this wasn’t going to work. So, she ended the relationship with Taylor. At that point, she really had it with Taylor, because she really trusted her and she really liked their friendship. She was shocked to find out what Taylor was still doing and how she still wanted Ridge in the end. And so for Brooke, there was no going back after that.
Photo: JPI
ANNIKA: My reel launched into Hope’s denial of “I’m nothing like you, mom. I have a solid marriage.” Cut to Liam confronting her about what happened in Rome and the choices that were made there. And then Brooke walking in on her and Thomas together and mother/daughter going toe to toe, and then finally kind of wrapping it up with Hope just coming into her own and just not being so swayed by other people’s choices.
Is it difficult for you to chose to enter into the Daytime Emmy race?
KATHERINE: I don’t want to do a competition, because we do this for a living, because we love it. I think if you don’t love it, you won’t be here for very long. So, it just feels weird in a way that it has to be a judging where everybody’s judged against each other. I don’t like that feeling because I like it all to be about family, which it is. Sometimes in a competition it can get kind of of strange. So to me, the prize is just coming to work every single day, getting to work with wonderful people like Annika, everybody in the office, the producers, the writers, the directors, the crew, and just working with everybody. It’s wonderful how we all work so well together and just being able to do something that I love to do every single day and play this character of Brooke on a TV show on CBS.
ANNIKA: I would have never thought in a million years you would get anxious from it. For me, it’s very obvious that I get very anxious.
Photo: JPI
Katherine, what do you recall about Annika when you first met her and then shared scenes with her, after having Kim Matula as her predecessor in the part?
KATHERINE: Honestly, it was super easy to work with Annika. She just fell right into the character. I loved her immediately and her energy. Actually, I got to read with her. I loved her, even then in the reading. I was kind of mesmerized with her, like her eyes. She’s very innocent, open face, and you can feel her. I loved Kim Matula, too, who played Hope before Annika, and there was a little time between them. It was nice that they didn’t recast somebody right away, because that’s always kind of shocking. You want to give it a little time, and for the audience to accept it and to find somebody new and bring them on. People come and go andyou have to kind of go with the flow.
Annika, what was your first impression upon meeting Katherine?
ANNIKA: Oh, I understood that this was the legend who had been on the show since the beginning. I think you were my second callback. I think the first one I read with Scott Clifton (Liam). When they called me back again and they had me read with you, I remember I just opened the doors and she was just standing there. I was like, “Oh, Gosh. Okay. I’m reading with Katherine Kelly Lang.” She was very professional, knew her lines like back and forth, and she was saying the lines as if she was really the character. It wasn’t even like acting. That’s how good she is.
Photo: JPI
Where do you think Brooke and Hope’s relationship is at now?
ANNIKA: Brooke and Hope have maybe ironed out some misunderstandings. I think there’s still that little bit of Hope’s baggage or just unresolved trauma, or she needs to go see a psychiatrist about not wanting to become like her mother. I think she acted out in a lot of ways within the Thomas storyline.
KATHERINE: Brooke wasn’t happy with Hope and Thomas. She didn’t approve. Brooke’s a little bit more relieved and doesn’t have to deal with that pressure and can get back to the relationship with her daughter. I think they’re really good friends and I think they have a good understanding of each other and their positions within this relationship. I think it’s only going to get stronger and better, when they realize that they are two powerhouses together.
Photo: JPI
Remember when Brooke and Thomas had their psychedelic berry trip and we didn’t know if they slept together?
ANNIKA: I try not to think about it. (Laughs)
KATHERINE: Well, I loved it! I almost have to say that was my favorite fun story. In it, our plane crashed in the ocean and this was a huge production. They had made a pool inside a hangar, and then the pool was full with broken plane pieces, and we are sputtering up out of the water. It was dark and misty, they had the smoke, everything. It looked like a movie. So, we got to do that which was so much fun. When we were stranded on the island, we actually shot those scenes in Malibu. But, they also made a huge deserted island on set. It was humongous. It almost took up the whole stage, and that’s when Brooke and Thomas were high on berries, and the flowers would come out of the the cave. There were a lot of CGI effects. It was crazy and incredible. Adam Gregory was playing Thomas then, and we had a lot of fun. We never knew if Thomas and Brooke actually did it or not, but then it turned out they didn’t, because they realized it was like something in a dream.
ANNIKA: We like to keep things vague.
Photo: JPI
The show, at times, likes to pull out the classic line, “Slut from the Valley.” How do you feel about your character being called that when it was originated by Stephanie Forrester, who used to dig at Brooke?
KATHERINE: Do I mind, “Slut from the Valley?” I didn’t mind it when Stephanie (Susan Flannery) would say it, but I kind of mind it when other people say it. I thought that was Stephanie’s line, and that should just come from her.
Photo: JPI
Annika, one of the hottest topics on B&B’s fans mind in our live chat, is when Thomas returns from Paris, will he and Hope rekindle their relationship or is it truly over?
ANNIKA: I’m just as in the dark as everyone else about what is to come with that. So, I’m kind of waiting on pins and needles to see if we revisit it, or if Thomas has moved on. I’m just so curious to see what is to come. I think we’re going to find out very soon.
Check out the full video interview with Katherine and Annika below. Now let us know, do you enjoy the mother/daughter scenes between Brooke and Hope as played by Katherine and Annika? Are you rooting for one of them to win the Daytime Emmy for Lead Actress? What do you think will happen in the future for Brooke and for Hope? Weigh-in below.
Interviews
(INTERVIEW) Y&R’s Eric Braeden Chats on His First Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination in 20 Years, Why He Entered the Race After Voting Reform, and His Enduring Legacy as Victor Newman
The Young and the Restless’ iconic Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) received his first Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination in 20 years, when NATAS and the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards revealed who would be going for gold at the upcoming ceremony on June 7th live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
The iconic Braeden is a past Lead Actor recipient having won back in 1998. However, the last time Eric was nominated in the category was 2004. Throughout his enduring run on the top-rated CBS soap opera, he has now received a total of 9 Lead Actor nominations and a 10th, when back in 2002, along with Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), they were nominated in the now defunct and then special fan voted category for “America’s Favorite Couple.”
This year, Eric’s nominated reel features scenes between Victor and Adam (Mark Grossman) where they discuss their fractured relationship as father and son, and the struggles and conflicts they have had personally and in business. In addition, Braeden also shares scenes with Melody Thomas Scott’s Nikki, where Victor voices his disappointment that the Newman children seemingly can’t get along and work together within the Newman dynasty. In Eric’s reel, the only characters who make appearances are the aforementioned Adam and Nikki.
Photo: JPI
Michael Fairman visited the set of The Young and the Restless for a special video sit-down with the legendary star exclusively for the Michael Fairman Channel.
During the conversation, Eric touched upon why he will participate in the Daytime Emmys at this point in his career due to changes in the voting procedures, his most embarrassing Emmy moment, how he feels about his fellow nominees, and that he wilattending this year’s ceremony.
Here are a few excerpts from the interview below, followed by the full video interview in its entirety.
How does it feel to get your first Lead Actor nomination in 20 years?
ERIC: You can’t help but feel very good about it. I had not submitted any stuff for more than 10 years, because I didn’t believe in the voting process. Finally, the academy had the sense to invite outsiders to widen the circle of those who vote for this. You cannot ask for objectivity when you vote from within only your company. That’s nonsense. Then, personalities play a role in who likes who. I’m very happy about the nomination, though.
You had some scenes between father and son on your nominated reel, as Victor and Adam (Mark Grossman) discuss their complex relationship and history. How was working with Mark?
ERIC: Mark Grossman is a wonderful actor. He’s a good actor.
You would up this year in a Lead Actor category that also features: John McCook (Eric, B&B), Thorsten Kaye (Ridge, B&B), Scott Clifton (Liam, B&B), and Eric Martsolf (Brady, DAYS). I think you know some of these gentlemen?
ERIC: Thorsten Kaye is a very good actor. I’ve known John McCook for 150 years, I think 140 years, maybe. And the other gentlemen, I don’t know, but I’m sure they’re all worthy of receiving the same award.
Photos: CBS and JPI
I talked to Eric Martsolf after he received his Daytime Emmy nomination, and he said he’s so honored to be in the category with you, and that his late mother would be so thrilled that he’s in the category with Victor Newman. My late mom felt the same way when she came to the set and met you years ago. For so many people, you are the guy they all want to meet.
ERIC: That’s nice. That’s really very touching to know. This medium in that sense has been wonderful. As I’ve told you before, I joined this reluctantly and signed on for three months, and here I am 44 years later. That’s very nice to know about Eric’s mother, and your mother.
What was your reaction to finding out you were nominated?
ERIC: To be very frank with you, I was very happy. I said “Oh, that’s nice.” Someone had listened because I’d complained for years about the voting system, and it was based on pure laziness as far as I’m concerned. There are 150,000 registered actors in Hollywood. You can’t tell me that you can vote only from within your company. It’s nonsense. It’s not right. You know, let other actors from the outside be judges of what they see.
Photo: Courtesy/NATAS
I believe when you won in 1998, you didn’t go to the Emmy’s, right?
ERIC: I was doing a Shakespeare play that evening, if I recall. However, I’ve got to tell you about the most embarrassing moment. Aretha Franklin was a big fan of the show and of mine. She had asked me if I would present with her at Radio City Music Hall in New York. These producers when you accept an award, be it the Oscars or whatever it is, they will sit in the booth, and they say, “Move on, move on, move on.” They want you to get on and off stage very quickly. That should not be allowed. When you receive an award, then it should last a little. So, there’s a ticker thing in front of me, and you look at it and kept on saying, “Eric Braeden move on.” I’d hardly been there with Aretha Franklin and I wanted to thank Bill Bell (co-creator and former head writer, Y&R). We owe everything to him. We owe everything to that man’s foundation and his genius. So, I stood there with Aretha and I saw again “Eric Braeden.” So I said, “And I would like to thank Eric Braeden.” The moment I said it, I wanted to sink in to the ground. Fortunately, it was a long time ago, but I had to bring it up again because I’ll never forget it.
Photo: CBS
You’ve done so much for this industry, so much for Y&R, and the soaps. You’re an icon in it. It must be nice to get recognized by your peers, at this point in your career.
ERIC: It felt wonderful, no question. I even sent the nominating announcement to my brothers in German. I’m very happy about it, very proud of it, you know.
So, will you be rooting for Eric come Emmy night to take home his first Lead Actor Emmy in 20 years? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
(INTERVIEW) Adam Huss Talks on His Latest GH Return, Maura West, Nicholas Chavez, and Being a Swiftie
Nicholas Chavez Confirms Exit From General Hospital
Steve Kent Exits Sony; Will Serve as Y&R’s Executive in Charge of Production
Richard Simmons Recalls His Time On General Hospital and Meeting Tony Geary, Genie Francis, Rick Springfield and More
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Jack and Nikki Hit Rock Bottom with Riveting Performances by Peter Bergman and Melody Thomas Scott
GH’s Laura Wright Previews How Carly Gets Clued-In to Sonny’s Behavior: “All the Questions That Anybody Would Have, We Hit on Them”
Lane Davies Joins the Cast of General Hospital Setting up a ‘Santa Barbara’ Reunion with Nancy Lee Grahn
Tristan Riggs is General Hospital’s New Aiden
Nicholas Chavez Confirms Exit From General Hospital
Kimberlin Brown Back to The Bold and the Beautiful
(INTERVIEW) Adam Huss Talks on His Latest GH Return, Maura West, Nicholas Chavez, and Being a Swiftie
Richard Simmons Recalls His Time On General Hospital and Meeting Tony Geary, Genie Francis, Rick Springfield and More
(WATCH) B&B’s Katherine Kelly Lang and Annika Noelle Talk Lead Actress Emmy Nominations and Brooke and Hope’s Mother/Daughter Relationship
Juliet Donenfeld is the Temporary Recast as General Hospital’s Georgie
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Deacon and Finn Make a Shocking Discovery and Find Sheila
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