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Susan Flannery Makes Statement She Is Not Retiring! Last B&B Airdate Revealed As November 26th!
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
Since Susan Flannery announced her decision to leave The Bold and the Beautiful after more than 25 years of playing Stephanie Forrester, many had thought it was because she had decided to retire from show business entirely. But that is not so!
In a statement published in the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest on newsstand now, the Daytime Emmy winning icon wrote that she is not retiring altogether. Flannery began by referencing that the time had come for her to move on from B&B stating, “Twenty-five years was a great run. I was very lucky, but it was time to exit. It would be fun if some new and exciting role came along, but I’m also continuing to direct. I’m directing the web series, Venice starring Crystal Chappell, which is extremely popular on the net, and is beginning its 4th season. It will be my 3rd season of directing the show. There are just so many new and exciting venues. The web is busting wide open, and I’m happy to be getting in the elevator on the ground floor.”
In addition, as viewers gear themselves up for Stephanie’s goodbye party, which will be a three-day episode event starting this Friday and going into next week on B&B, CBS also revealed that Flannery’s final airdate with will be November26th! That means in less than a month, viewers will see the conclusion of Susan’s legendary run with the series.
So, what do you think of Susan’s statement? Are you sad to see her leave B&B? What role would you like to see her tackle next in her career? Let us know your thoughts!
46 Leave a Reply
She should go back to Days of Our Lives as Laura Horton
I don’t think she would. It’s a well known fact that Susan Flannery hates the hour-format.
She needs to go back to ‘Dallas’.
Really sad to see Stephanie go (what will B&B be without her?) but glad to know that she will still be doing her thing behind the camera. I watched a few episodes of Venice, I must start viewing it religiously now
She could come back every now and then in the form of a ghost. Like John Abbott. That would be great!
and that she just did!!!!!!! 2/12/18 wahoooooooo at Logan and Ridge’s wedding, as she has been put back over the mantle!
I don’t necessarily watch soaps but I have seen her work on B&B the few times I have watched it and she is a very talented actress…I’m sure she will be missed by many on B&B but at the same time so glad she is joining our daytime fave Crystal Chappell in her web series. She is definitely a great director and Crystal and she are both lucky to have each other.
I had this thought before I read she was directing Venice, perhaps she could return for a little while to play “Laura Horton” again on Days of Our Lives. Would love to see her on the soap opera again even if it’s just for a few episodes.
I want to see her on the big screen as George Clooney’s mother in some really fantastic role!!
I totally agree — she’s a hell of an actress!! And she can certainly handle a real meaty role…
I agree with Kathy and Madison
I would love to see her in a movie!!! She is great!!!
i knew she wasn’t completely retiring from show business……………
I’ll miss her! And Stephanie!
Well she is one smart cookie to understand that television as we know it is a dying media and that she is open minded enough to embrace the web for new opportunities, opportunities I doubt any main stream network would give her. As a Days fan it would be cool to see her as Laura Horton again, but I think she might be looking for something new rather than go back to her past for a new project. She is very fortunate that 25 years of a steady paying gig has given the means to pursue her passions instead of being forced to take what you can get. I hope many aspiring actors will heed her wisdom and search new media for their shot at the can.
Maybe she will be back as a spirit on occasion (Like John Abbott on YR)
I HOPE SHE DOES RETURN AS A GHOST, I WILL SURE MISS HER, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING HER SINCE SHE STARTED ON DAYS OF OUR LIVES. I WISH SUSAN THE BEST IN WHATEVER HER NEXT STAGE OF LIFE BRINGS HER WAY!!!!
Susan, you have been totally Awesome as Stephanie on B&B, I have truly enjoyed this Soap Opera more than Ive enjoyed any other except maybe The Guiding Light, lol. You’re wonderful and I know whatever you go into next, you’ll do wonderful. I suffered a brain tumor and was fired from my job, now home all day, And you have brightened my days. I pray God truly blesses you and keeps you safe because as I said before, You are totally Awesome and a great actress. One of your HUGEST fans. Jana
I’m sure she’ll make occasional appearances during the holiday seasons, or special events for the Forresters and to haunt her Slut of the Valley! I’m happy that she isn’t retiring, though. I wish her the best and will forever miss Ms. Stephanie Forrester! There is no one alike!
I’m gonna catch hell for this but here goes…………..
Flannery is a fine actress but, since she is not retiring, directing seems to be the right move for her. She simply has lost her looks as she has aged and the range of roles for her would be limited. For roughly the past decade, Flannery’s acting ability has carried her through the part of Stephanie. Flannery’s looks have been a significant burden on the range of plots that the show could give to Stephanie.
Yes, we all age and our looks tend to fade as we grow older. Yes, Flannery has talent and should be not be disregarded because she is not attractive as she once was. However, the entire premise of The Bold and the BEAUTIFUL is the world of attractive, fashionable people and Stephanie has not lived up to that part for years.
Beyond Flannery’s weight gain, Stephanie has been burdened with those awful, mono-tone, highly UNFASHIONABLE “Chairman Mao” pant suits and that unflattering shock of shaved gray hair. For whatever reason, Flannery seems to have given up on trying to look attractive about 10 years ago and just went with a “comfortable look.”
All of this would may have been fine on another show but seemed really out of place on a show whose premise was beauty. What actually could have made it more believable would have been the writers addressing Stephanie’s fading looks: Maybe some plot/scenes where Stephanie, pining away for Eric, admitted to Ridge/Brooke/Thorne that she knew that she wasn’t as attractive as she used to be and that should could never compete with the likes of Donna Logan with the family pointing out the history Stephanie had with Eric as a way to win him back. We got NONE of that. Instead, we got plots where we were suppose to believe that Eric, recently in a very sexual marriage with the younger Logan, inanely fell madly in love with pant suit wearing Stephanie.
I like Flannery very much and she is a fine actress. I’m also glad to hear that she is not retiring and hope that she will continue to work as a DIRECTOR. This fan, however, is not too unhappy to see Stephanie exit B&B. It really has been difficult to watch Stephanie amble about the scenes while no one ever even acknowledged the obvious thing in the room —- she looks terrible!!!!
I hope you don’t catch hell because some of your points are valid. I am not an expert on the behind scenes aspects of soaps but I have done theater work and I know in the theater actors don’t get a say on what their costume will be. They can have input, but at the end of the day the final say is the director and the producer’s choice. But it was an odd choice for a character whose husband and son are high fashion designers that Stephanie didn’t have more variety in her clothing styles.
As for the character Eric I think the issue of sex behind him and Stephanie was addressed a number of times. It was part of the plot for years that Stephanie wasn’t all that interested in sex as Eric was and he sought out a number of affairs to deal with it. But in the end he always loved his wife and as he aged too, maybe not needing to be hot and heavy all the time became appealing to him. The characters seemed to have reached this nice comfortable stage in their relationship that does reflect their ages. But now that the character Eric is soon to be widowed, that character might rediscover his need to get in shape himself and look for a woman who is comfortable with her sexuality, because Stephanie never was, even when she was younger and thinner.
As for her directing, if you read my earlier post I agree as an older woman in Hollywood Susan would not get many opportunities in main stream media, even directing so she is wise enough to embrace new media to follow her passion. Good for her, I can only hope if I reach her age I have that energy to do likewise.
The woman has survived a real life battle with cancer, so I think she looks GREAT as a survivor. It’s your OP, but our society is way too obsessed with “looks” and the superficial. Without her acting ability, looks would have ONLY carried her so far anyway!
Matt, the WHOLE premise of B&B is about “looks” and “beauty.” I agree with you that these traits are not everything but it is the central theme of the show in which Stephanie is suppose to be the matriarch.
I don’t think that Stephanie should have been tossed aside because she has looked bad for a decade. It just is bad that the show has never bothered to write anything dealing with the situation. The viewers simply are suppose to ignore how glaring bad she looks compared to everyone else and realistically believe that Eric would rush to her side while younger, sexier female characters are chasing him.
I could understand Eric wanting to be with her given her history but NO ONE has even hinted that, in the looks department, Stephanie fails miserably next to the younger women. We’re simply suppose to ignore this fact while the characters repeatedly talk about fashion, sex, and beauty.
People age, Barbara. Plain and simple. Even Eric isn’t the sexy hunk he once was! I like to believe there’s room for all kinds of people who look all kinds of ways – diversity – NOT just beautiful people (even if B&B is set in the fashion industry, NOT everyone in the fashion industry is drop dead gorgeous.) I see your point on a superficial level (I hope that doesn’t sound condescending), but I cannot agree with you. Sorry. Yes, Eric would be with Stephanie because of their history. That’s as it should be. Things that really matter in life usually don’t stop at the surface. That said, you are entitled to your OP as I am. We just have differing opinions. Like Judge Judy said: “Looks fade…”
Barbara, I agree with your comments regarding why Eric would be there for Stephanie. I’ll say that for years Stephanie has been battling cancer on B&B. The writers may have assumed that this “would” explain Stephanie’s appearance. Regardless, people do get older, good looks can fade, looks change.Aging does that to most of us. We can’t all be Susan Lucci! 🙁 Darn it! I’ll leave it at that. Thanks for your response.
Concerning Susan Flannery it is not just cancer she has had she was also diagnosed with fibromialgia that is why she limps when she walks she had several years ago left the show abruptly because of the severe pain she was in. The two best female leads on that show were her and Darlene Conley and Ms. Conley was far from a size two. I will watch until Dec 3rd then it is over she is a great actress. She has always directed and personally I think Brad Bell focused too much on the younger crew who can not act sorry.She had been wearing wigs for years and she just got tired of it. Good luck Ms. Flannery you were B&B>
I really hate to see Stephanie leave B & B…and I would love to see her return even if just for a few weeks on DAYS…if nothing else but to give Stephanio a good run for his money! I would love to see someone on B & B prove that true love REALLY last if you both work at it…yes I know it is boring, but what kind of role model is the younger generation getting from all these lies and break-ups…can’t we find something postivie to show them! Stephanie stuck to her beliefs and her principals…right or wrong, I’ll give her that!
Glad to hear she is not retiring in front or behind the camera! She is a very talented lady and I wish her all the best! B&B will not be the same without her! I am going to back away from it a bit after she is gone. I am just getting tired of the stories. Not liking the focus being on the younger ones all the time. Not enjoying the Katie storyline at all. For a show that has the least amount of time they waste so much more than others… so sad. Good luck Susan Flannery! Thanks for 25 great years entertaining us!
I know for a 30 minute show it feels like an hour, sometimes more. I really don’t get why that is. The show has a good premise, on paper all the characters should be interesting and the behind the scene and in front of the camera people are some of the best in the business. The show has international appeal, so why is so difficult to watch. I stopped a while ago, still a fan, but just couldn’t get through a show without having the same feeling you get when nails are dragging across a chalkboard. Tuning in off and on for Stephanie’s goodbye, but afterwards I don’t know if I will watch or just read recaps to find out what happened. It is faster and less painful.
I very sad to see Susan leaving. It would be interesting to see Brooke and Taylor turn into mini-Stephanies with their children.
I ‘m verry glad for susan because she will not nor ever retire because she had a long and graceful career she will do a wonderful job directing and she will do alot more to come and she won’t stop and will continue to go on to do alot of more things to come and will not give up the cast on bb will never forget her i wish her the best of luck and to continue forword to the future ahead , and god bless you for playing stephanie forrester with courage and conviction.
MY HEART IS SO BROKEN I HAVE CRIED ALL DAY THE SHOW WILL NOT EVER BE THE SAME, I STARTED OUT WATCHING SUSAN FLANNING WHEN SHE PLAY A DOCTOR ON THE DOCTORS. I LOVE YOU AND WILL MISS YOU AND MAY GOD GO WITH YOU WHERE EVER YOU GO.
I will miss seeing her on the show Bold and the Beautiful. I love her role she is just a beautiful and talented lady. Best of all in your future to come.
YES INDEED I’M SAD STEPHANIE YOUR LIKE A FAMILY MEMBER I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE SHOW FOR YEARS NOW IT LITERALLY BROKE MY HEART TO HEAR THE NEWS I ACTUALLY HAD TO FOLLOW UP ON THE WEB TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE REALLY OK I REALLY HAVE TO SAY THAT YOU ALL ARE SOME GREAT ACTRESS AND ACTORS I DO LOVE ALL OF YOU AND THE SHOW
I am 74 and my husband Bob (totally bedridden) has watched this program for 25 years. We loved “Stefanie) and we also didn’t like her. Today we cried as her last proformance (11/12) and we cried so much. The way she looked we thought was her swan song. It was so beautiful how she and Brooke bonded. Keep up the good work. and many more years to come.
it will never be the same without Stephanie and Ridge i don’t even want to watch it anymore.
it wont be the same without Stephanie and Ridge i don’t even want to watch it anymore.
I agree. I loved Stephanie Forrester. Sorry they had to kill her off – I guess no one could ever really replace her. I loved Ridge too. They should replace Ridge. There’s not much storyline right now but I do like Bill & Brooke together for some strange reason. They need to bring back Nick Marone and his Mom and get rid of Hope because she’s sooooooo boring – so is Daisy and her husband. I suppose they’ll put Eric with Donna again or maybe …Pam?! Yuck!
I am really going to miss her, I watched her on Capitol, and then B&B, and I truly thought she loved this role of Stephanie, but my guess was wrong..and now she wants to move on,, I also think her leaving the show had something to do with Ridge leaving the show. Now that we have lost 2 of some of the best actors, the show will not keep me interested. As many others feel this way too..I think this show will role down the tubes real fast after Stephanie is gone, I think she was the best person on the show, so if you want keep watching because my projections tell me that this show will go down in ratings, and eventuallly fall off the soap opera pole. When a show looses it;s main character the show doesn’t hold the lite no more, and I fear this will show is headed for the pits.
I also will miss her terribly, and my heart is broken that she is leaving us. I wish we could beg her to stay on B&B but it would do no good.What a wonderful lady and actress, but with her leaving I can’t bare to watch the story anymore, so I guess my last day to watch it is December 5, cause that is her last day..and I am SO dissappointed that Ridge could NOT come back and see his mother (of 25 years)where she is going to die. Some son he was…He could of made a 10 minute appearence for her sake. But, then again, we did not have a farwell party for Ridge leaving the show either, which I thought was wrong. What does anyone else about this show now that Stephanie and Ridge is gone? Will this show hold up without them?
I think that they should bring back some of the old characters. Jackie Maroney’s character would be good for Eric. She definitely could play a villian. They also need a rival business like they did when Darlene Conley was on the show to compete with Forrester. I just hope that they don’t focus on one character like they did with Hope Steffy and Liam. I also feel that there was a reason for the Ridge not coming back that will shown at an later date. And they did give a behind the scenes farewell party for Susan Flannery. I think the show will survive especially if they spruce up Eric’s character and not put him back with Donna. Put him with someone that is age appropriate. LIKE JACKIE MARONEY!!!! Also bring back Whip’s character, Clark Garrison and Macy and give the show a light tone of Dynasty!
Susan Flannery was and still is a class-act. I have been watching her on screen since Dallas. I seriously hate to see her leave, however I do understand when something feels like it has run its course. I still hope to see her in other projects. I was hoping that she would do an occasional appearance on B&B. I guess if she wanted to, she could appear as a ghost on B&B. I wish her all the blessings in the world. Her leaving the show will have an serious impact on the show without her character Stephanie.
How great it would be if Susan returned to DOOL as Dr. Laura Horton. The time is right (Jennifer-DR Jonas). She is a great actress and REALLY made a name for herself on daytime TV as Stephanie (B&B). The characters relationship with Dr. Marlena, Kate and the Horton clan just makes for great daytime serial TV
I hope she will come back because it will not be the same without her and Ridge. Maybe they could do like they did with Dallas, it all will just be a dream, maybe that Brooke had. The most important charaters in this soap opera is accdordning to me, Brooke, Ridge, Stephanie and Eric. I think it is boring when the episodes are about the younger 🙁 Now when Stephanie and Brooke finally become friends and Brooke and Ridge are married, she will die and he will disapear! Hope she will come back and Ridge too! Otherwise I see no point watching anymore..half of the cast who matters are gone..Manny Swedish people like me think the same…
Stephanie Forrester was the backbone of this show not sure how it will pan out now
Susan Flannery-has always been a wonderful kind person-i have not seen her or talked to her since that late 60’s-I was the parking manager many moons ago when she lived at century park east apartments in century city- she was kind to all-i bought my first motorcycle from Susan-I think of her often-she had a cool fast convertible cadillac-i enjoyed taking it to be serviced-Susan is always a star in my eyes on or off screen-
Sincerely-Dwight Osborne-2/2014
Susan, i respect your decision to leave b&b, but honestly i have watched every episode and i am sick of the Brooke and Hope show. you are greatly missed as well as “ridge and stephy, taylor”, and the creative writers that obiviously left too. i do like the new ridge he is good, but thorne needs more of a role as does thomas and stephy, i realize they are characters, but their roles need better writers. maybe you should try your hand at writing, you know the characters as well as anyone and better than most. LOL
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