News
Fred Willard To Appear On The Bold and the Beautiful As Eric Forrester's Bro!

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
Will this be another comedic guest stint on The Bold and the Beautiful or something more dramatic?
Comedian Fred Willard is set to guest star in a four episode arc on the CBS soap opera as Eric Forrester’s (John McCook) younger brother, John Forrester! And as we know, John is the father of Ivy Forrester played by Ashleigh Brewer!
According to TV Guide: “Willard’s character is a traveling salesman-inventor and quite the party boy. He contacts Ivy while he’s in the states and decides to come visit her in Los Angeles and reconnect with Eric.
There is no word yet if Willard’s character is comic relief or serious trouble for the Forrester fam! Willard begins work at B&B this week on August 27th with his episodes set to air the first week of October.
So do you hope John Forrester is a bad guy, a funny guy, or don’t care? Let us know!
I hope funny—-
I hope funny!
Younger brother? He looks more older Eric! An another arc-story for Steffy 2: “Ivy” and Liammmm! Bradley Bell should focus on Rick, Felicia, Kristen, Bridget and Thorne… The stories are stupid and characters annoying (Hope, Wyatt, Ivy, Liam, Maya, Carter, Oliver,… )
I don’t understand this show has a great success with public: same stories, same characters day by day! Jacob Young deserves a real story without Brooke or Hope! Where are Amber, little Deacon?
I completely agree about Jacob Young, he hasn’t had much in terms of his own story since he returned and it’s kind of disappointing considering how great he is.
And I think it was a huge mistake getting rid of Adrienne Frantz, she was fantastic! Now that Deacon is back in town, I really hope Amber comes back soon too, imagine Amber and Quinn in scenes together! That would be amazing!
They need to ax Carter and Maya and bring back Amber with an aged Rosey and Lil Eric in tow!!! He must be a teenager by now!!! Amber going up against Quinn would be classic soap!!!!!!
Maybe a new love interest for Pam…
Forget to add…so they could do another love triangle…lol
Actually I always thought it must be Brad Bell’s dream to somehow have every couple on the show in a love triangle and the same time— this could be the next step in this master plan. LOL.
I personally think there’s enough comic relief with Pam and that nutty security guard boyfriend of hers…
Add that to the fact that they sit in on board meetings with some of the others is just lazy writing…and completely irrational.
I don’t find any of these characters the least bit funny…I and the scene coming up with Bob Barker in a fist fight with Wyatt is beyond silly.
LMAO..Seriously beyond ridiculous. Of all people and backgrounds for Eric’s brother..A traveling salesman..and Los Angeles being a mecca of industry he just so happened to never use his brothers connections? No..because he’ll be a bumbling salesman with a heart of gold….ZZZZZZZZZZ….oh dear…sorry..I FELL ASLEEP!!
While I hope he remains a character (in terms of humor), I hope to get more of a back story of the two Forrester brothers. But this is why B&B is the lead in its casting; they always do such a superb job picking out actors and actresses to play parts that really connect with the audience. Excellent casting!
Sucks that Brad Bell doesn’t embrace the history of the show by mentioning Maggie or Jessica Forrester. He’s only been writing for the show for almost it’s entire run while a show like GH who has had dozens of head writers brings up characters from the show’s rich history constantly.
The only thing Brad Bell embraces is the money that foreign dignitaries line his pockets with. It’s time for the IRS to take a closer look at B&B!
Jessica? Msggie? Refresh my memory please.
Jessica Forrester was introduced in 1994 as Eric’s niece and John Forrester’s daughter. John’s ex-wife (Maggie’s mother) arrived soon after played by Barbara Crampton. After being interested in the same man as her daughter, she soon fell for Dr. James Warwick and married him. That was short-lived because Sheila constantly interfered. Both Maggie & Jessica left town around 1997-98.
Meant to say John’s ex wife is Maggie. She is Jessica’s mother. Don’t know about Ivy.
Wow! That’s some surprise casting. Willard is a great, underrated actor. I thought he could pull off funny/sleazy/bad all at once.
Ummmm this is horrible casting!!! They finally bring John Forrester on and they cast this guy?? He’s not attractive in the least and he’s suppose to be a comic relief?? Uggh they couldve really done a big story and she’d some light on the Forresters…….he looks old as dirt, they should’ve cast the. J Peterman guy from Seinfeld, or someone a little more attractive at least!!!! What a letdown!!!!
It makes my skin crawl that Brad Bell would hire this actor who was arrested in 2012 for lewd sexual behavior in a adult theater. What’s next Pee Wee Herman?
Pee Wee Herman would more than likely end up on G.H. and at next years nurses ball as Richard Simmons escort…lol
Well, isn’t B&B about lewd sexual behavior?
OMG that’s even worse, but he looks like a pervert, yet he’s suppose to be the dad of glamorous Ivy??? Could anyone see Maggie married to that guy?!?!?!? GROSS!!!!
k/kay…oh, I agree!!!!! What was Bradley Bell EVEN THINKING?!?!? Appalling.
Richard…dude…yep, horrible casting PERIOD!!!!! And HELL YEAH…John O’Hurley (J. Peterman from the Seinfeld days) would have been a B-E-T-T-E-R casting choice!!!!! To me, John O’Hurley is WAY MORE ATTRACTIVE than that Fred Willard!!!!! Back in the day, I remember John O’Hurley from the LOVING days (where he played the dual role of Jonathan/Keith aka Good Twin/Evil Twin). Yep. Bottom Line Here: The casting department of B&B (or whoever) really screwed up this time!!!!! WHAT A LETDOWN ALTOGETHER!!!!!
This is a little disappointing because it’s only for a 4-episode arc. It would have been nice for the show to hire someone on-contract as Eric’s brother, and explore the history of the Forrester brothers. That said, Fred Willard is a good actor – I thought he was hilarious on Everybody Loves Raymond back a decade ago. But, does he really look like he could be Eric’s younger brother? He looks older than John McCook.
In fact, if the show had plans to cast this role, I was hoping they would hire Jerry VerDorn from OLTL as John Forrester, imagine that! I think he and John McCook would be great together as brothers! Plus, Jerry is a great actor and I’m sure he would light up the screen on B&B, maybe take some of the focus away from the Liam/Hope/Wyatt/Ivy mess.
Jerry and John do look like they would be brothers…Fred looks more like he’d be related to Pams boyfriend…lol
OMG, Jerry verDorn would be perfect as John Forrester, either him or Kale Brown(ex-Sam, OLTL)…..what are the execs thinking???? SMH
Or even Perry King(ex-Richard, TITANS, ex-Hayley, MP)….that would’ve been GOLD!!!!!
Ron Raines ex GL is another i wouldv’e considered…
Ron Raines is doing Broadway I think, although speaking of GL, Grant Alexander would’ve been a killer Ridge(JMO), but Could u imagine Perry King paired with Donna, Quinn, or Brooke?? Or even a comeback Taylor?? Uggh so frustrating!!!!!!
One more idiot to add in the boardroom, and this is a successful mult- million dollar corporation…. maybe if we are really lucky, he too, will share that ridiculous “knight in shining armour” storyline! Can hardly wait in anticipation!
Sorry for the negative commentary, but these stories are insulting to us and I simply cannot believe that we are supposed to be entertained by this rubbish!
I actually embrace your commentary and agree with you completely. I am so sick of B&B and it’s stunt casting (and yes Bell….don’t worry, I turned the channel because I hate what you’ve done to your father’s legacy). God Forbid the show focus on original Forresters…no offence to Willard but come on….a travelling salesman????
You have got to be kidding me..Fred Willard as Erics brother?.no class..no manners..thats it..i’m done with the show. i cannot believe it…now I can’t believe I ever watched it…so I won’t.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).
On last week’s GH Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned,
Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC
HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT
Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where they were previously, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. And Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, “Well, so much for that!”
Fast-forward to 2025, and “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said we’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth, My internal monologue is going ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is. or not.”
Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprongna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric and a big fan base with with Jason and you know you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Photo: ABC
DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES
In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is down 100% to play. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.:
Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit and the buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other. and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect Ric, Sonny, Lulu? So, much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”
You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.
Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither of them for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’

While Smitty tries to hold the fort down in his marriage to congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) and their two teenaged children, Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) on Beyond the Gates, Emmy-winner Mike Manning has also landed another feature film role.
According to Deadline, Manning has joined the cast of Deify with 6 other new cast members for the indie psychological horror film starring Neal McDonough and Skeet Ulrich, which was previously announced last week.
Joining Manning as the latest cast addition are: Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene, Casey Harnett, Kirk Avecdo, Anji White, anf Nicholas Chimera who’s directing the pic also has a part in the film.
WHAT’S THE STORY OF DEIFY?
Taking to his Instagram with the news of his casting, Manning shared, “A movie about a cult? What could possibly go wrong? Come for the enlightenment. Stay because they won’t let you leave. DEIFY is coming…”
The movie is currently shooting in Chicago and in story, “a cult leader is put on trial after causing his devoted followers to be burned alive. The film is inspired in part by events surrounding the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff between members of the Branch Davidians church and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, one of the largest civilian firefights ever recorded on American soil.”
MIKE MANNING IS A DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE
In addition, the multi-talented Manning is a producer on the feature. Previously, Mike was nominated last month in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. He previously won an Emmy for his role on The Bay and for being a producer on the digital drama.
Mike’s previous credits include the role of Charlie Dale on Days of Our Lives and the Manny on This Is Us, plus various primetime and screen credits.
So intrigued to find what role Mike will play in the upcoming horror/cult film, Deify? Enjoying him as Smitty on Beyond the Gates? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
General Hospital
GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.
However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.
Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC
FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG
Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!
Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”
MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL
Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).
Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI
PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY
Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”
It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”
A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons
IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS
As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”
He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”
Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.”
So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.
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