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B&B's John McCook Chats On His Final Scenes With Susan Flannery & Eric's Life Post-Stephanie!
Photo Credit: Gilles Toucas
While Susan Flannery is garnering all the attention as she and her long running character, Stephanie Forrester get set to depart The Bold and the Beautiful after 25 years, its time to shine some light on the other half of the duo that will remain behind!
TV Guide spoke to John McCook (Eric), one of the core four of B&B, to discuss life post-Stephanie for the patriarch of the Forrester clan. Plus, how with Flannery’s exit (which will honor the character in a profound way), it will push McCook in new story directions, which indicate that exciting times are ahead as an actor for this soap veteran. But before any of that occurs, circle November 9th, 12th, and13th on your soap viewing calendars, as that is when Stephanie’s big goodbye party comes to fruition on-air! Here now are a few excerpts from the interview below with John McCook!
John weighing in on how Stephanie’s imminent death is also Eric’s story too: “It is! When I first heard Susan was retiring from the role, I went to executive producer Brad Bell and said, “What will we do? How do we handle this? What’s going to happen to me?” (Laughs) Because, as an actor, it’s all about me, of course! But Brad is using this great loss to refocus B&B in a new, really exciting direction. Of course, right now everyone is watching how Stephanie deals with this as the days tick down but in time it very much becomes Eric’s story and I’m really excited to have it. This is a huge change for our show and for me, personally. Eric has kind of been in Stephanie’s shadow in recent years, even in business. (Laughs) Even in mourning! She won’t even let him grieve the way he wants to grieve. She’s running everything from the catbird seat, telling everyone how to be sad! But, yeah, Eric will be getting his power back.”
John on how it was to film his final scenes with Susan Flannery: “She’s been my TV wife for 25 years, almost as long as I’ve been married to my real wife (actress Laurette Spang), so we couldn’t help but go to a really emotional place. After all, we’re not only losing each other as characters but as actors, too, and we indulged all those feelings. As usual, Susan was a titan. It was huge thing to play. It was dramatic. It was beautiful. Eric and Stephanie are just so wonderfully amused with each other because they’ve survived as a couple. They’ve hurt each other, offended each other, stepped in shit together all along the way, but somehow they’ve managed to build a wonderful life and create a marvelous family. And their love endures, stronger than ever. It’s such a dark and awful thing to have Stephanie die but we’re bringing the light to every scene. Usually on soaps, you’re pulling up a chair at the hospital bed. This is so much better than that. There will be no deathbed for this exit!”
Are you looking forward to seeing the final scenes between B&B’s Stephanie and Eric? What would you like to see happen to Eric after Stephanie passes away? Let us know your thoughts!
If Brad Bell is serious about taking the show in a new direction, I better not see Eric renewing vows with Brooke or Donna. And let’s not rush him into someone’e arms with any haste. Please let him grieve, hit bottom and come back, or discover something new about himself, focus on a strong business story. Run for public office. Reconnect with his children. Let him sing… literally! This man could be so better used and I will go into this dark time — saying goodbye to Stephanie — believing Eric (and McCook) will be treated well.
Hey he is going to have to have about two chins removed for him to be a hunk that the actor and the character thinks he is. Never have liked this actor he gives me the creeps just like Jacob Young. Yuck!
I am very excited about the new direction this show will be forced to take. Things happen, people retire, characters die. Ronn Moss and Susan gave 25 wonderful years to this show, and they chose to leave. It’s now time to move on, as we all have to in life when things happen. Personally, in 2011, I lost my two older brothers, both to cancer, within a month and a day of each other. You can NEVER imagine, or prepare, or fathom such a tragedy hitting your life until it happens. But when it does, you have to cope, and deal however you can. This is a SOAP, folks. In the grand scheme of our lives, it is a half an hour a day of fluff that doesn’t matter. It is an escape, a diversion. People work hard to bring us this little escape, so just go along for the ride. Whoever Eric ends up with…whoever Brooke ends up with…remember…it does NOT affect your life. Watch the show, enjoy it, and then go back to your own life, and cherish your spouse, enjoy your children, love your family, appreciate your friends. THAT’S what matters. People are dying on the east coast due to major storms. What happens on this show is insignificant to your life! Put it in perspective, enjoy what they do, and keep living!
What a touching, well written and thoughtful post, thanks Jesse. It is amazing what we think is so important until real life gets a hold of us and reminds us what our true treasures are. It is a lesson most of us only learn when life has given us something beyond ourselves to deal with. Soaps and even bitching about them can be escapist fun at times, which we should enjoy, but if our blood pressure is going up because tptb aren’t writing things the way we want, then it perhaps time to turn off the television and find a more relaxing hobby. I only hope many will heed your sage advice because it is spoken from the voice of experience.
I agree. This show doesn’t do panoramic storytelling very well — they focus all their attention on one storyline at the neglect of others (e.g., Liam/Steffy/Hope). They desperately need to bring in new characters and drop a few more (i.e., Donna, Taylor, Oliver). If they really want to move forward, they need inject new life into this show instead of retreading the past.
If they are dropping characters they should drop Pam. This character is so annoying, adds no comic relief to the show at all. I have no idea why she is still there except to make lemon bars.
Not having seen this show since ages, well almost 10 years, the announcement of the death of Stephanie Forrester lured me back to catch that storyline and withness her death. Being a loyal viewer from day one at the end of the 80’s I left at the beginning of 2000 because I could not stomach the badly written storylines anymore around Brooke, Taylor, Rich, Eric, Stefanie, Sheila, Sally, Macy, Thorne… and all the others anymore! Over and over and over again the same endless drab, unfinished storylines, non saying episodes… you get it if you follow the show! I was for me a complete waist of time and energy! So did the show improve after ten years of non viewing? Boy oh boy was I in for a shock! That soap is even worse than I remembered. What is this??? A kiddie’s show for kids at lunch break? 90210? Degrassi High on Fashion? You have a few adults as frame and than you have dozens of juvenile characters prentending to be adults running around, kissing, breaking up, kissing again, breaking up again… in an endless cycle. And what has happened to the production side of the show??? Where is all the high glamour? The wealth and beautiful people? All gone into the desert never to be seen again! And then the main cast is looking so tired and bloated like Eric and Thorn! So on the one end you have a kindergarden show and on the other end a elderly nursing home show!!! This is just horrible to watch! Not even mentioning the storylines, if you can speak of storylines! They are complete devote of reality now! In case Stefanie is dying, ok, I accept that, but hey, did that women in her entire life of being rich and wealthy never had any friends and extended family of her own? Only the few cast members she says goodbye to??? And what nerves me is the lack of domestic staff! A women like Stefanie opens her own door??? So we assume that the mansion we always see from the outside in bird perspective is being maintained by Stefanie in an apron??? Where is the Stefanie in her diamond glittering dress from the first year??? Enough!!! Made my point. After Stefenie’s death I am out of her untill Brooke or KKL leaves the show say in 30 years time if I am still alive that is!
I feel like I just wasted 40 seconds of my life reading this 🙂
The waste of 40 seconds is nothing compared to the waste of 30 minutes each and every working day during 25 years watching the Bold and Beautiful so you should not complain!
I am looking forward to Eric getting his MoJo back and seeing where it takes him. B&B is not just about Stephanie. It’ll be fine without her (but I’ll certainly miss the character very much). Keep up the good work, Bell Family!
Just take him to a good place he is great he may end up with his sister-in-law,she is great as well that would be interesting just dont have him end up with some younger women again. Thats to boring!
This has been such a unique way to deal with the death of Stephanie. It is so much better than the hospital exit . Thankyou for that! It has been thoughtful as well as beautiful! We will miss this fine actress! I wish her well.
It looks like the current run of Lucas Adams (Noah) and Tamara Braun (Sienna) on The Young and the Restless is coming to an end, after the Monday, August 3 edition of the CBS daytime drama revealed that Noah and Sienna are leaving Genoa City and heading back to Los Angeles.
In the storyline, Noah informed his mother, Sharon (Sharon Case) and half-sister Mariah (Camryn Grimes) that he and Sienna made the decision to move back to the West Coast to put distance between themselves and Matt Clark (Roger Howarth). Although Noah did not say it was a permanent move, he did assure his mom that once Matt is hopefully gone from Genoa City they could return.
However, as previewed already on the video teaser for this week’s episodes of Y&R (see below), it appears Noah left Genoa City’s The Shadow Room to be run by a returning Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian). So with that, coupled with today’s episode, it would appear the move could wind up being more permanent.
Photo: JPI
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Adams made his Y&R debut on November 4, 2025 as the successor to Rory Gibson who last played Noah on-screen in April of 2023. Earlier in 2025, Gibson took over the role of Michael Corinthos on Genera Hospital replacing Chad Duell, who stepped away from the part after 15 years.
Braun who played Adam’s mother on Days of Our Lives when she was Ava Vitali and he was Tripp Dalton, first appeared on Y&R back on October 14, 2025, where we soon learned she had become Noah’s lover as the new character, Sienna Bacall. It should be noted, Adams was on contract with the number #1 soap, while Braun has been on recurring status.
With Josh Griffith now exited as head writer of The Young and the Restless, and the newly announced co-head writing team of Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor having taken his place and starting their new tenure this week, it will be interesting to see how the duo resets the show, and if a Noah and Sienna return is in the cards for the future or not.
So, what do you think about the seeming departures of Lucas Adams and Tamara Braun from The Young and the Restless? Weigh-in via the comment section. But first, check out our recent live chat with Tamara and Lucas on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Rosie O’Donnell revealed that she plans to head back to a seat at the table of ABC’s morning talk show The View.
The announcement came during Monday’s episode of The Tangle Podcast where she shared she will participate in “in whatever way they want” her or “just as a guest” for its upcoming 30th season.
The View’s season 30 will kick-off this fall in September. O’Donnell explained, “They’re bringing back all the hosts, I think. And, you know, I’m pretty proud of that show, what it’s become and how it really speaks to the people and to politics.”
Photo: ABC
ROSIE ON HER PREVIOUS GO-ROUNDS ON THE VIEW
As fans of The View know, O’Donnell famously had two different one-year stints on the talk show in 2007 and again in 2014- 2015. She often feuded with then co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck.
However, during her discussion with host, Kyle Ridley on The Tangle Podcast, O’Donnell also noted she often had tense moments with longtime moderator and anchor, Whoopi Goldberg.
O’Donnell also expressed, “Many, many people got the short end of the stick there. It was, you know, it was a factory where people were being churned in and out and their tenuous security, nobody got to be calm. It also was a show at the time that was run by a man. A show created by a woman, for women, about women, and the man was deciding what we should talk about. And that didn’t sit right with me, you know.”
Back in 2023, Brooke Shields had asked Rosie on her podcast, Now What? with Brooke Shields, about how she felt on her two stints at The View and all the controversy that surrounded it. Rosie at that time, stated, “I know this, it’s not the best use of my talent to get in a show where I have to argue and defend basic principles of humanity and kindness. It was not something I’d ever do again.”
You can check out the clip with Rosie and Kyle Ridley discussing her return to The View in some form for its upcoming 30th season below.
Then weigh-in: Would you be excited to see Rosie, even for a one-day or a week guest stint on the upcoming celebratory season of The View, or not so much? Let us know via the comment section.
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General Hospital Fan Club Weekend brought out many of your favorites to the four day event; with the main cast gathering on Saturday, August 1. Fans near and far attended the weekend held this year at the Burbank Marriott Hotel. Whether it be the main cast event or the smaller more intimate events featuring two or three cast members a great time was had by all.
Some of the cast participating in the main cast event included: Cyrus Hobbi (Yuri), Gary James Fuller (James), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Viron Weaver (Wiley), Paige Herschell (Jacinda), Chris McKenna (Brennan), Josh Kelly (Cody), Kayden Brenna Tokarsi (Scout), Cassandra James (Terry), Laura Wright (Carly), Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), Rick Hearst (Ric), Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco), and Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle).
In addition to, Van Hansis (Lucas), Cameron Mathison (Drew), Ryan Paevey (ex-Cassius), Easton Rocket Sweda (Leo), Maurice Benard (Sonny), Kristen Vaganos (Molly), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Kate Mansi (ex-Kristina), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Cynthia Watros (Nina), Kristina Wagner (Felicia) and more.
Take a look at some of the snaps from the main event arrivals below:
Photo: HutchinsPhoroi
GH’s Rick Hearst with on-screen daughter, Kristen Vaganos, plus Nancy Lee Grahn, and Kate Mansi.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Maurice Benard on-hand to meet the fans.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto.com
Jack Brennan in the house … Chris McKenna.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Adrian Anchondo, Van Hansis and Anchondo’s boyfriend, Days of Our Lives, Colton Little.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Josh Kelly and his gal, the former Nelle Benson of Port Charles, Chloe Lanier.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Who is James’ father? Not Cassius or Spinelli, actually. Actors Gary James Fuller, Ryan Paevey and Bradford Anderson!
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
One of General Hospital’s newest cast members, Kayden Brenna Tokarski attends her first GHFCW event.
Check out some more arrival images featuring: Laura Wright (Carly), Cassandra James (Terry), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) and more in the gallery below.
Michael Fairman TV will be adding more images to this post in the day ahead.
So, were you glad to see so many of your GH favorites attending this year’s General Hospital Fan Club Weekend? Let us know via the comment section.
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