The motto, “I believe in Joe Hendry” is catching on even outside the WWE Universe! The Scottish-born pro wrestler is having a banner October (well not so much on this week’s Monday Night Raw), but with the release of his new album Beyond Belief and appearing in WWE’s first-ever microdrama Agent of Shadows in its partnership with vertical leader ReelShort.

On Friday, October 23, ReelShort launched Agent of Shadows on its mobile-first storytelling platform that is available in more than 100 countries, reaching more than 70 million monthly active users.

Hendry joins fellow WWE stars Drew McIntrye, Jacob Fatu, plus Booker T, Michael Hayes and Nikkita Lyon and more in the cast as they mix it up with microdrama leading men, Chase Mattson and Marc Herrman, in the action-packed series.

Photo: ReelShort

A NEW FRONTIER FOR WWE SUPERSTARS

As the story begins, the world’s greatest secret agent must protect and care for his 6-year-old daughter while posing as her nanny. Now, without revealing his true identity, he must win his daughter’s (and her mother’s) trust, while secretly thwarting corrupt suitors, mafioso strongmen and even a megalomaniacal billionaire who’s using his family to get to him. What could go wrong?

Michael Fairman TV chatted with Hendry on his ascension and rise in the ranks of the WWE, bringing his brand of satire, music and singing to sports entertainment, plus his thoughts on branching out into the acting world of motion pictures, microdramas and more. The full conversation can be seen with Joe on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Photo: ReelShort

JOE HENDRY ON PLAYING … JOE HENDRY

Unlike the other WWE superstars in Agent of Shadows, Hendry is taking on the role of … himself! Seems like it may not be then been too much of a stretch to play or is it? Joe explained, “I don’t know how much of this I’m allowed to reveal, so I’m sure there’ll be a lot of fun in discovering what that is. But what I will reveal is what I think is the best thing about my involvement … everyone else plays a character and I play Joe Hendry. So, I’m very pleased about that.”

Speaking on his background, Joe explained, “For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been a wrestler for 14 years, but I kind of had a mainstream crossover in 2024 when my music video became a meme. It did really well in the charts.  I’ve now been able to carry that forward and I’m in one of those positions where I can just appear as myself.”

“This is the first film-type project I’ve been a part of,” elaborated Hendry. “I think that’s why WWE stars crossover so well into movies, because we’re so used to having to do everything in one take, whereas in Hollywood you may get as many takes as you need. In microdramas, you can look at these chapters as well. So, let’s say you manage to get through the first give chapters on your way to work or whatever, you can always come back to that. I think’s its a smart combination for storytelling.”

Photo: WWE

NEW LP TRACK LIST INCLUDES ‘FIRE LOGAN PAUL’

Back on October 5, Hendry released his LP Beyond Belief filled with hilarious and clever send-ups. The track list includes: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Fire Logan Paul (the social media phenom and pro wrestler), Give Joe Hendry Every Single Belt and more. Hendry added one more favorite, that is his latest single and music video!

“The other main one is If You Don’t Love Joe Hendry, and the lyrics are, ‘If you don’t love Joe Hendry, then, you’re a useless piece of … ‘ So, I think we should fire Logan Paul, and I think we should give Joe Hendry every single belt. I just think these are sensible messages we have to get out to the world.”

The album was completed in what some would consider lighting speed! “We had a lot of fun recording these, but it was done so fast. It was actually a lot of pressure to get it done. I wrote the album except Fire Logan Paul in a span of four days.  It was pretty intense. We recorded all the vocals in five hours, which is insane,” recalled Joe. “But it’s kind of what I was talking about before. In WWE, everything is done live. We do not have retakes. So, I think being a WWE superstar has prepared me well for producing other forms of media quickly.”

Photo: WWE

TEENAGE DREAMS BECOME A REALITY WRESTLING RANDY ORTON

Back in the squared circle, Hendry has been in a feud with the Judgment Day, and in particular of late with JD McDonaugh on Raw. But taking a look at his rise from NXT to TNA to WWE, Joe reflected on his heart-stopping moment at WrestleMania 41 against one of his legends, Randy Orton.

“I remember being 15 and kind of imagining being a pro wrestler. I also remember specifically thinking, ‘What if I had a feud with Randy Orton?’ And then, I became a wrestler when I was just about to turn 25 and all these years later, it happened!

“It such an unlikely story,” said Joe of getting the call he would be facing the 14-time WWE champion. He added, “I’m so grateful that I’ve had that moment early on in my WWE career and it kind of takes the pressure off, because it doesn’t get any bigger than that. So now, I can focus on my goal which is just to get better all the time; improve as a wrestler all the time. I can see the progression in myself. I’m gaining skills and confidence all the time.”

Photo: WWE

SHOULD JOE STAY GOOD OR TURN BAD?

The proverbial question had to be asked, “Does Joe prefer being a babyface or would he like to see a heel turn? Hendry replied, “Interesting question. Never say never. You just never know. Anything can happen in the WWE. It’s funny, originally, my character was designed by me to be hated, and people just happened to like it! You can’t force it. The audience is going to tell you. They are a huge part in dictating our paths as wrestlers.”

Check out Joe in Agent of Shadows by visiting ReelShort.com to download the ReelShort app on Apple and Android devices. You can also check out @ReelShort on YouTube.

You can also watch our full conversation with Joe Hendry now on the Michael Fairman Channel below.

Now let us know, will you check out WWE’s first microdrama, Agent of Shadows? Do you get a kick out of Joe Hendry’s songs and how it relates to his feuds in the WWE and his rise in the ranks of pro wrestling? Hoping Joe stays a babyface or would you like to see him turn heel? Weigh-in via the comment section.

This week on all-new episodes of Beyond the Gates, as Smitty (Mike Manning) continues to be framed and in hot water for the murder of Dr. Lia Whitmore, he gets some familial back-up when his never-before-seen mother, Jenny Smith arrives in Fairmont Crest to see her son.

Jenny is played by Jennifer Van Horn who made her Beyond the Gates debut on the Wednesday, October 21, which was the same day that Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series Emmy nominee, Mike Manning participated in a livestream chat on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

In story, as Smitty was at home, he received a surprise visit from his mother, who resides in Ohio. Jenny came to support her son through this difficult time. Smitty made note of his disappointment that his father didn’t come with her on the trip, sharing that he knows his dad has never been comfortable around wealth or the Duprees.  Smitty also acknowledged how his father didn’t approve of becoming a journalist or moving to the DMV.  Later, when Smitty’s husband, Martin returned (Brandon Claybon) he walked in on Smitty getting a pep talk from Jenny.

Courtesy/CBS

SMITTY’S MOM ARRIVES

Manning addressed how he had to keep the appearance of Smitty’s mom on the down low. “I do have a mom now. Yes.! I couldn’t talk about it to anybody.  Jennifer Van Horn who plays my mom was so lovely and so nice, and she was great. I love Smitty having some backstory and having a parent.”

And there could be even more Smitty drama to come! Mike shared, “They mentioned Smitty’s father too, so they kind of plant the seeds for maybe more to come, which is nice. I think it really shows that there’s just one more level to the community that is surrounding Smitty. One of my favorite scenes from this entire storyline is when Smitty gets hauled into jail and the entire Dupree family shows up and they all start taking shots at Jacob (Jibre Hordges) and everyone at the police station.”

BEING EMBRACED BY THE DUPREES

Manning,  in particular, recalled a moment from fellow Daytime Emmy nominee, Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree). “I loved when Anita goes, and this is not verbatim, but it was something along the lines of, ‘If Smitty’s not home for dinner, you’re gonna be hearing from Anita Dupree.’ Then, Vernon (Clifton Davis) says something, and Kat (Colby Nixon) comes in and she’s giving him so much sass. I remember watching the episode just being so touched that the entire Dupree family is wrapping around Smitty like this shield, this cocoon.  So, it makes this storyline of him being framed a little bit easier to swallow.”

Courtesy/CBS

MORE OF SMITTY’S BACKSTORY TO BE REVEALED?

Speaking of the scenes between Smitty and his mom, Manning felt, “It was very touching. He spoke about how he loved his mom for what she sacrificed, It was one of those mother-son things, but it was poignantly done. I would like them to explore that more, and Smitty’s family, because, I think that it’ll also help inform some of the dynamic between Martin and Smitty. We know that Martin comes from a long line of successful people, whether it’s in entertainment or politicians. His grandfather’s a senator. So, we understand that he grew up in the country club, basically. We don’t really understand where Smitty grew up yet.”

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner also explained that he has his own origin story for Bradley “Smitty” Smith: “Obviously, I have an idea in my head with the backstory that I’ve sort of decided for Smitty, whether or not that’s exactly what the writers are going to throw at me,  eventually, who knows? But, I certainly have an idea of why Smitty is the way he is, why he’s so driven, why he takes risks, why he’s so hungry to prove himself and be successful in journalism and everything else.”

You can check out a scene between Smitty and his never-before-seen-mom, Jenny below. Followed by our live chat with Mike Manning after the episode aired.

Now let us know, do you hope Beyond the Gates explores more of Smitty’s backstory? Did you enjoy the debut of Jennifer Van Horn as Smitty’s mom? Share your thoughts via the conversation below. And make sure to catch Mike on the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards streaming next Friday, October 30 to see if he takes home his third gold statuette!

On Thursday’s October 22 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, it was now “confirmed” by Finn and Li (Naomi Matsuda), two medical professionals, that Steffy has become pregnant as the surrogate for Carter and Daphne! BUT, what everyone doesn’t know (except co-conspirators Steffy and Carter), is that Steffy was already pregnant with Carter’s child after their drunken night together.

In an elaborate cover-up, Carter has pushed the agenda that they will lie through their teeth to their respective spouses so that their one-night tryst never comes to light which produced a baby. How far can Carter and Steffy carry on this surrogacy implantation charade in an effort to give Daphne the child she can’t have? And what twists and turns are in store now?

This week, B&B series stars: Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), Tanner Novlan (Finn), Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter) and Murielle Hilaire (Daphen) sat down for a conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where they took turns giving their reaction to the storyline, discussing their characters motivations behind the baby drama, and what might lie ahead, and bantering about fan’s theories that have been online and more.

Photo: JPI

REACTIONS TO LEARNING OF THE SURROGACY COVER-UP

Tanner Novlan shared he was happy that the writers did not make Finn a doofus with his shocking reaction of “WHAT!?” when Steffy told her husband that she went ahead and had the procedure to become a surrogate while he was out of town.

“It was great that the writers gave him that opportunity (to have that reaction),” shared Novlan. “We’re still having to work through a lot of that, but there’s a lot of little breadcrumbs that it’s nice that Finn picks one up every once in a while and inspects it and doesn’t just keep carrying on.”

Three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood explained, “I did not expect the storyline, but we are so thrilled.  It’s a wild ride. We’re all shocked. I couldn’t believe that we were diving into this kind of storyline and we’re still in the middle of it … in the thick of it.”

DOUBLE DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE CLEARS THE AIR

For B&B fans thinking that since Lawrence Saint-Victor is an actor and a writer on the soap, and pulls double duty, that he was responsible for creating his frontburner story, he revealed that he has nothing to do with the writers decision on this one. “Not even a little bit, ” shared Saint-Victor. “At first, when Carter was really pushing Steffy, I had a reaction to it. I was like, ‘Oh no, this isn’t good.’ And then, I kind of had to put myself aside and lean into it. My knee-jerk reaction is what the fans are experiencing. I had to get into it and figure out why he’s doing it. But no, I hasn’t nothing to do with it, for those out there that’s thinking I’m manipulating the writer’s room.”

Photo: JPI

COULD FINN AND DAPHNE ALREADY KNOW THEIR SPOUSES CHEATED ON THEM?

Moving forward, might we all be fooled and Daphne and Finn actually know what happened between their spouses? Tanner Novlan weighed-in, “There is a world here where Daphne and Finn, might actually think something else might have happened and think, maybe that’s best (to leave it alone).”

Some viewers believe down the line, the baby will be revealed as Finn’s biological child, since so far, Steffy never took a paternity test. The actors in the story say they have not been told anything different than what they are playing.

“I think that this story’s so wonderfully uncomfortable, everyone’s looking for the way out,” explains Saint-Victor, “If it’s Finn’s baby, then it kind of wraps up. But right now, we’re ‘all gas, no breaks,’ as Jacqui would say. We’re not letting you guys off the easy way here. So, whether it’s Finn’s child or not, that’s not an out.”

Photo: JPI

STEFFY PUT THROUGH THE WRINGER

For Wood, she has been playing the emotional weight of the story. She opened up about how Steffy has processed all that has come at her. “I believe that Steffy would like to think at the very beginning, if she led with honesty and just told Finn, ‘Hey, I was drunk, I was out of my mind and I was angry and hurt and I slept with Carter,’ we wouldn’t be in this situation. Yes, it would’ve been extremely tough, but again, leading with honesty off the heels of Sheila, it would’ve forced Finn to look inward and go, ‘Hey, well, we wouldn’t have been in this situation if you wouldn’t have kept letting your mom, back into your life.”‘

Jacqui elaborated further, “Ultimately, Steffy wanted to feel safe, protected, and her partner, or a man in her life, to come in and say, ‘I’ve got this. You don’t have to worry about this. I’ll protect you.’ And then, obviously having that release with Carter, fast-forward, hearing that moment when she realized what she did, yes, she wanted to tell the truth, but there was something about Carter saying, ‘We can’t do that. We can’t be thinking about ourselves,’ that also resonated with her.”

“Now Steffy’s thinking, she’s selfish, realizing all these people that will be hurt if the truth came out, and how they’ll be crushed. Is it the smartest decision? In the moment, you’re not thinking did you cross all your I’s and T’s. Then in Hindsight, you’re like, ‘Whoa, actually, that was really silly. That was really dumb of us to do.’ But now you’re in it, so you’re going to have to  lean even harder.”‘

Photo: JPI

IS CARTER THE VILLAIN OF THIS STORYLINE?

Some viewers also consider Carter as the villain in this piece, something that Lawerence Saint-Victor has leaned into: “I love it wholeheartedly, because Carter doesn’t see himself as a villain. To Carter, it’s like, if you want to keep your family intact, if you want to make sure that we’re not in tabloids, the COO and the CEO of Forrester Creations had an affair, there’s only one way out.”

He added, “And if that means we have to suffer with the lie to make everyone else have a peaceful life, then that’s our punishment. He doesn’t understand why there’s an option here. He gets that Finn would probably forgive Steffy. I think in the back of his mind he said that’s an option. He knows. whether it’s true or not, for him, he knows it’s not an option with Daphne. She will leave. She left when he was on his best behavior. She will leave now.  For Carter, there is no option.”

WALKING OUT ON HER MARRIAGE

Speaking of walking out, how does Daphne see her role in all that went down? Murielle Hilaire added, “So when Daphne decided to leave it was not because she wasn’t in love with Carter, it’s when she found out she could not give her husband a child, she was heartbroken. She actually only walked out for three hours. She didn’t want to be selfish, and she wanted him to go and maybe find someone who was fertile. I think. if maybe Carter would have followed her to the airport and begged her not to go, maybe she would have left the airport with him (and maybe what happened between he and Steffy wouldn’t have).

THE FUTURE OF SINN

Sinn fans be on the alert! Novlan punctuated that this may be the toughest challenge in Finn and Steffy’s marriage yet. “All I know is that his family means everything to Finn. The kids, his wife, so for him to walk away from that, it would have to be a pretty big lie and this would be one of those lies. They’re love is definitely going to be tested here.”

You can check out the full conversation on the Michael Fairman Channel below.

Now let us know, do you think Finn could walk out on a pregnant Steffy if he learned of her duplicity? Do you think Finn and Daphne might know their spouses slept together, but are keeping the peace, after all, Daphne wants a baby? How do you see this playing out in the months ahead? Weigh-in via the comment section.