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B&B's Jack Wagner discusses 6,000th episode & his hope's for Nick's future!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Today, The Bold and the Beautiful aired it’s milestone 6,000th episode. And to mark the occasion, the daytime series that of late has been doing an extraordinary job of tackling socially relevant issues of the human condition, added another thought-provoking and informative episode on lung cancer. If you missed it, you can view it here at CBS.com. At its center is Susan Flannery whose Stephanie Forrester has been dealing with stage four lung cancer, and Jack Wagner as Nick Marone, who recently found out he had a spot on his lung. Throughout the episode real life cancer patients and survivors are brought into the mix as sort of an intervention for Nick, and we hear about the emotional and physical toll this disease takes on people from all walk’s of life.
On-Air On-Soaps was at CBS this morning on the set of B&B for their 6,000th episode celebration which was streamed live on the Internet, and had the opportunity to speak with Jack Wagner regarding this important story and where he would like to see Nick head in the future. Here is our “quickie” interview with Jack!
When they said they were going to give your character Nick possible lung cancer, and thus making Nick and you a big part of the 6,000th episode, what went through your mind?
JACK: That my two sons and I have to go out and apply for jobs at Carl’s Jr.! Because when you get a spot on your lung on a soap opera, it’s kind of curtains (laughs). So we are now all working at Carl’s Jr’s… kidding!
Were you given much of a heads up by B&B head honcho, Brad Bell that this was going to be the story he was planning on telling for Nick?
JACK: I did get a heads up about it, but I did not know where they were going to go with it, of course. I was really grateful to be selected to drive this storyline with Susan Flannery. Today’s episode, episode 6,000, had no script. So it was really ground-breaking in that Susan and I were in character, but the people who were interviewed with cancer for our group therapy session that we were trying to put together, they were themselves, and we were in character with no scripted show at all!
It was really a Nick intervention spurred on by Stephanie that seemed to drive the show…
JACK: Exactly, but it wasn’t really set up for that. Ultimately, it turned out to be that and it was a nice bond between the Stephanie character and the Nick character. They really meet at this level of; from the heart and are kind of there for each other. It was very different from what I have done on this show previously, in terms of babies behind my back, or a whose baby is it type of storyline.
Do you feel the 6,000th episode, and Nick having a spot on his lung, showed or allowed a more sensitive side to Nick’s character?
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
JACK: I think what it showed and what I was happy about was the part about the process of recovery. I have been around that for quite a few years now and the dynamic that people face; the real tough battle of trying to quit something you know is legal. It’s not like you are drinking walking around the streets. So this is smoking, which gives you some relief for three or four minutes, and it kills you. And when you try to quit anything that is an addiction it’s hard. You know, Nick was able to go through all the different phases which were (1) This isn’t happening to me (2) The denial of, “Well I don’t have a problem” (3) “Wow, this is really a possible problem” (4) The reality and acceptance of, “You know what? My kid could get sick.” And, by the end of it, acceptance.
And the cigar smoking, do you Jack smoke cigars?
JACK: I will smoke one cigar a month or something like that, and maybe one or two cigarettes a month. And even after I do it, I still have that taste of going, “Well, that wasn’t quite as good as I thought it was going to be.” But it still kind of lingers there, you know.
Was Nick’s cigar smoking just brought in at this point for the purpose of this story?
JACK: No, he actually smoked from the beginning of his time on the B&B canvas. When Nick came on the show, he was a drinker, smoker, with a beard and all of that, and then slowly tapered off and went into the fashion world where they cleaned him up a little bit. Then CBS Standard and Practices did not want the smoking anymore, but then when this story came along they wanted him to start smoking again. Nick has always been very clear that he was a cigar guy on his boat.
What would you like to see happen to Nick in the next phase of his life on B&B?
JACK: You know, I have got to be honest. There is always that unanswered question with Nick and Brooke and it really was hit upon with the last baby and the insemination and all of that. I think to revisit that somehow for the Brooke/Nick fans would be great.
There is something electric and fun to watch with you and Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) on-screen together. You are both very strong, sexy performers!
JACK: That is kind of it, to revisit something with Brooke and Nick, where it’s something that has some real sexual energy to it, not just a small story arc. But it would need to be something to bring back that chemistry that people seem to love. Maybe that will be down the road.
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
With all your amazing list of television credits and that you’re a household name, why have you continued to stay with B&B all these years?
JACK: One of the reasons I came back to daytime was that my boys were where they were in their lives, and I was going through a divorce. You know I was married once, now divorced once. I really made a commitment that I would put my boys in a lifestyle that is the best for them. So I did kind of make that commitment. So, I am not going to now start to jump out of it and start auditioning. I like having security in my life. So it really was about my family. I have a boy who has two more years in high school, so I will be here for sure at least that long, I hope. And that was my commitment, to do the best I could to make this role as interesting as possible, and really fulfill my commitment as a father.
What makes Susan Flannery so amazing to work with, and what made this episode so special that aired today? She was so real in it.
JACK: You know that is the best part of Susan, she is really very real. It is a kind of a developed quality from a mature actress, and it is spontaneous. But yet, she is well rehearsed and at the same time you feel like you are challenged. I feel like I am challenged with Susan. Lesley-Anne Down (Jackie M), same thing.
And speaking of Lesley-Anne Down, that mother/son bond between the two of you has gone on for years and is still so interesting and enjoyable to watch because of the dynamic you bring together on-screen.
JACK: Thank you. It’s weird to have someone so close to my age, maybe five or six years older than me, and you would never guess that. I sort of revert back to this child or boy when she is around. (Imitating Lesley-Anne as Jackie) “You know, Nicky.” And then it kind of gets to that banter that tends to work with us and you take the dramatic license and believe we are truly mother and son, at least I think.
Coming up in a few months is your fifth Annual Jack Wagner Celebrity Golf Classic. What can you tell us about it?
JACK: It’s going to be held this year on Monday April 18th. It’s a one day event for Leukemia Lymphoma, and that will be at the Valencia Country Club, in Valencia, California. We are hoping to break the million dollar mark. That is what we are looking to do!
PROGRAMMING NOTE TO SEE MORE JACK! Make sure to also catch Jack this Wednesday, February 9th when he is the guest on an all-new episode of the hit TV Land comedy series, Hot in Cleveland! It all happens at 10PM EST/9CST!
In a surprise move, coming a week after ABC unveiled its 2026-2027 fall television schedule, Grey’s Anatomy is getting a new spinoff co-created by the original series’ creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes.
The new untitled medical drama will be written and executive produced by Rhimes and Grey’s Anatomy showrunner/executive producer Meg Marinis under the Shondaland and 20th Television umbrella. In addition, long-running ‘Grey’s’ star Ellen Pompeo will also serve as an EP of the spinoff.
The upcoming new series will debut midseason in 2027. This will be the first of Grey’s franchise not set in urban city or West Coast locale. According to Deadline, the new “edgy drama is about a team at a rural West Texas medical center — the last chance for care before miles of nowhere.”
Photo: ABC
In a statement, Marinis shared, “I am incredibly excited to expand the Grey’s Anatomy universe. This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that will embody the same heart, emotion and connection audiences have loved from Grey’s for more than two decades — all set in my home state of Texas. I am so grateful to Shonda Rhimes for creating this dynamic world and feel so fortunate that I get to be a part of it.”
A NEW GROUP OF DOCTORS IN RURAL TEXAS
The Texas spinoff will feature a a new group of doctors, but there will be some connection to the OG Grey’s Anatomy and possibly to Debbie Allen’s character of Catherine Fox. The amount of episodes in the series order has not yet been determined. Previous Grey’s Anatomy spinoffs were the defunct Station 19 and Private Practice.
Previously, Grey’s Anatomy was renewed for its upcoming 23rd season while the amount of episodes is unclear. The last two seasons the series produced 18 episodes.
It should also be noted, Grey’s Anatomy and the Texas spinoff would likely share a time period, which requires limited-run orders for both with Grey’s premiering in the fall, followed by the spinoff on the midseason programming block.
So, what do you think about a Texas spinoff of Grey’s Anatomy coming in 2027? Who would you like to see from daytime or primetime as some of the featured roles as new doctors? Put on your casting directors hat and let us know via the comment section below.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Tanisha Harper Opens Up About Being a Recast for the Role of Jordan Ashford
On General Hospital, Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper) is having her own crisis to deal with since the accident that scarred and disfigured her face. In addition, the man she loves, Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) was just hauled into the PCPD for punching out Dr. Isaiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson). Curtis is determined to put the blame on Dr. Gannon for being the driver of the other car.
Such is the drama that Tanisha Harper is currently involved in on the long-running ABC daytime drama. Harper sat down with hosts Rebecca Budig (Taylor, The Bold and the Beautiful) and Greg Rikaart (Leo, Days of Our Lives) for the latest edition of their Soapy podcast which dropped on Tuesday.
As GH fans know, there have been a total of four actresses to play the role of Jordan. Vinessa Antoine (2014–2018), Briana Nicole Henry (2018–2021): Tiffany Daniels (2021) who temporarily filled-in for Henry while she was recovering from Covid-19, and Tanisha Harper (2022- present).
Photo: CBS/Soapy
FINOLA HUGHES WAS A BIG CHEERLEADER FOR TANISHA
Tanisha recalls her screen-test for the role which was actually with Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) and Finola Hughes (Anna): “They were wonderful. I just adore Finola. I remember when I had finished one of the scenes, and I think we were doing another scene, or another take in a different way, and she was like, “You got this. You’re gonna get this.” She was so positive, so great, and just so lovely and it made me feel so good.”
BECOMING THE NEXT JORDAN ASHFORD
In addition, Harper shared how she really didn’t know what part she actually would be playing till shortly before her first day on set. “There were two other Jordans, and then there was another girl before me and Brianna,” she detailed. “Initially, I didn’t know that was the role I was going for. So I thought it was for the district attorney. Once I had booked the job, I think about a week before when they sent the script to me, they’re like, ‘You’re going to be playing the character Jordan.’ Even though she been played by two other girls, they didn’t want me to go in and try to emulate how the other girls did their performances. They just wanted me make it my own, and do my own thing. I think that helped. I didn’t really know anything about the character at all, and it was kind of hard at the time to see online other people’s performances. So, I was forced to make the character my own.”
Photo: ABC
JORDAN’S INSIDE JOB TO TAKE DOWN SIDWELL
Recently, Jordan went back to using her undercover skills to infiltrate Sidwell’s (Carlo Rota) organization and get the dirt on his crimes. As she explained her character’s current plight, “Jordan decided to take it upon herself to go undercover to get this bad guy Sidwell, who’s come into town. So I resign from my position, and now my character has been working for him undercover, but he’s a very wealthy man. So my character, she was enjoying that life. She’s all of a sudden walking around with her fancy bags and her cars, but she’s still undercover. Now, Jordan was in a big car accident and now her face is all scarred.” Viewers need to stay tuned-in to GH to see what happens next!
Watch the full conversation with Tanisha on her visit to the Soapy podcast below.
Now weigh-in, do you think Jordan will eventually get the goods on Sidwell, or is she useless in this situation? Will she wind up needing Sidwell to get her to some specialist to help remove the scars on her face? What do you think about Tanisha’s process to becoming the recast Jordan? Let us know in the comment section below.
Last Friday, the cast and crew of Days of Our Lives gathered together on set to honor the iconic Deidre Hall for her 50th year with the long-running soap opera. Next month, will mark Hall’s first on-screen appearance as Dr. Marlena Evans back on June 21, 1976.
Days of Our Lives, executive producer, Ken Corday presided over the proceedings in honor of his legacy star. Several of Deidre’s longtime co-stars were also in attendance as was Access Hollywood who on Monday night’s May 18 episode featured a segment on Hall.
While taking her turn at the podium to speak, an emotional Hall shared, “I’m just stunned. I’m very touched. Every moment has been a gift. I’m so deeply grateful for today.” She added, “I’m grateful for the friendships and I’m so grateful for you all.”
Courtesy/AccessHollywood
KUDOS FOR HER CO-STARS
Speaking with Access Hollywood, Deidre shared how affected she was by seeing those she work with taking time to honor her five decades contribution to the soap. “You look out and see this face, and this face, and this face, and think, ‘I know all of you. I’ve worked with all of you. I’ve suffered with all of you. I’ve wept with all of you. I mean, it’s just a family.”
Deidre was surprised by videos played to her during the celebration from Alison Sweeney (Sami), Thaao Penghlis (Tony) and Leann Hunley (Anna), plus The Young and the Restless icons, Eric Braeden (Victor) and Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki).
Speaking to the Access Hollywood cameras, Eric Martsolf who plays Deidre’s son on the show, Brady Black expressed, “My first day was with her. I walked in and she gave this giant just enveloped hug. I knew right then and there that this was probably a place I was going to be for a long time.”
Courtesy/AccessHollywood
Susan Seaforth Hayes, who plays Julie Williams and is the current longest running cast member of the soap, added, “When I was losing my husband (Bill Hayes) in real life, who was also my husband on the show, she came to be at Bill’s bedside. The support and the the tenderness, that outpouring has stuck with me a lot.”
Stephen Nichols (Steve “Patch”Johnson) said, “It’s the queen, the diva of daytime television, Deidre Hall. I had to dress up and I know that she’s the kind of person who would appreciate that because she’s always so perfectly coiffed and beautiful.”
Photo: JPI
RYAN GOSLING/DEIDRE HALL COLLAB UPDATE
With 50 years and showing no signs of slowing down, Hall recently learned she had another big star who also admired and adored her, three-time Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling.
Hall gave an update if a collab with Ryan is in the cards? We know Ryan’s partner, Eva Mendes is all for it! “I’ve been in touch with Eva, and she’s amazing and generous, and kind and thoughtful,” teased Hall. “So, I hope we all get to go toe to toe at some point.”
Catch Access Hollywood’s report on Deidre Hall 50th anniversary on set celebration below.
Now, share your thoughts on Deidre Hall’s incredible milestone of five decades as Dr. Marlena Evans via the comment section below.
BEYOND THE GATES: The Cotillion Brings High-Society and Debs; as Shots Rings Out In Warehouse
ABC Announces ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Texas Spin-Off Gets Straight-to-Series Order
‘General Hospital’s’ Tanisha Harper Opens Up About Being a Recast for the Role of Jordan Ashford
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Emma Wants to Save Anna, Isaiah’s Career is All But Destroyed, Joe Makes an Arrest
‘Days of Our Lives’ Deidre Hall Marks 50-Years as Marlena Evans
‘Santa Barbara’ Alums A Martinez and Marcy Walker: In Conversation; Two-Hour Livestream Event with the Iconic Cruz and Eden Announced
Patrick Muldoon Laid to Rest in Celebration of Life Attended by ‘Days of Our Lives’ Stars
‘Days of Our Lives’ Dan Feuerriegel Teases the Mystery of Marlena’s Chess Set, and Opens Up About the Departures of His Co-Stars (Exclusive)
‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Trisha Mann-Grant Opens Up About Difficult Scene, Getting Her Son Off the Streets, and Plight of the Homeless
Anthony Geary’s Husband, Claudio Gama, Shares Remembrance of How Much the ‘General Hospital’ Legend Loved Working with Erika Slezak
‘General Hospital’s’ Tanisha Harper Opens Up About Being a Recast for the Role of Jordan Ashford
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‘Beyond the Gates’ Execs Preview First-Ever Cotillion Episodes Juxtaposed with an Unexpected Death and a Stunning Reunion
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Detective Fitzpatrick is on the Scene, Nina Has to Silence Jack, Josslyn Needs an Escape Route
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Reflects on His Time with TV Parents Stuart Damon and Leslie Charleson
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Great article on one of daytime’s enduring legends. Hopefully try will let Jack Wagner sing on the show soon!
It is a great article, thanks you very much!
Oh boy! Where is RJ? Who is Baby jacks actual Mother? Continuity Brad!
I really like Jack Wagner. He truly seems like a great person. It is great that you had this interview with him, Michael. Telling the new story about him becoming sick from a smoking addiction is being done effectively. Having Stephanie the person that he has turned to and her willingness to help him is very good. We saw him taking a cigar and starting to hide it and as luck would have it ,Stephanie saw him and stopped him. His life with women has not gone well,though. But smoking addiction is another topic I’m happy the show is doing. I hope they don’t kill him off, though. Nice article, MIchael.
I’ve started to watch B&B now and then since i don’t have my beloved ATWT anymore..I’m not crazy about some of the actors but i am starting to really appreciate Jack Wagner .He has a special charm without being over the top.I like watching him he’s so real.And he’s a handsome guy too.I would not like to see him back with Brooke.I hope this show keeps him for a very long time because he’s now one of the good guys!