Photo: KatherineKellyLangKaftans.com

Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) returned to The Bold and the Beautiful after a self-imposed exile to Europe to get away from matters of the heart.

However, when she returned to Los Angeles she walked in on a much different set of couplings and entanglements that was too much for her to bear!  Her sister Katie (Heather Tom) had finally reunited with Bill (Don Diamont) after Brooke stepped aside allowing for her sister’s happiness at the cost of her own.  Her long time love, Ridge (Thorsten Kaye), had become smitten with the much younger Caroline Spencer (Linsey Godfrey), and her son Rick (Jacob Young) had turned to his former bad boy ways big time, by doing anything and everything to become the CEO of the Forrester family business.  So, what’s a girl to do?  What friend could she turn to?  For Brooke, that friend was booze!

After getting tipsy to numb the pain of the loneliness and isolation she feels, and unable to come to terms with losing all of the men she loves, Brooke found solace in drinking. However, the one man who seems to be offering an understanding shoulder for her to cry on is none other than Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan).  And Deacon’s current flame, the loose cannon Quinn Fuller (Rena Sofer), is not all too happy with the amount of time these two have been spending together.

For long-standing series star Katherine Kelly Lang, “Drunk Brooke” has been a bonafide hit with fans around the globe, and on social media!  In fact, the #DrunkBrooke hash tag is one of the most popular ever to come down the pike out of The Bold and the Beautiful.   Recently, On-Air On-Soaps caught up with Katherine to get her thoughts on: Brooke’s latest plight, where she sees the story going from here, what of the men in Brooke’s life:  Deacon, Ridge, and Bill … and, the challenges of playing really schnockered!  Here’s what she shared with us.

Were you surprised by the frenzy that has gone on with “Drunk Brooke”?  And, how much fun everyone on social media is having with the hash tag #DrunkBrooke?

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KATHERINE:  Oh, my God!  I was just hysterical.  Recently, Sean Kanan (Deacon) and I did a live Twitter chat, and it happened on the day of the air show where Deacon takes Brook home after these scenes in a restaurant.  I was trying to watch the show and chat at the same time, but I couldn’t stop laughing, and it cracked me up.  I loved the restaurant scene where Brooke comes home and is kind of giddy and silly.  That was being the “fun drunk” Brooke.  She has some serious drunk moments, and not so fun drunk moments, as well, and especially the hangovers, but it has been fun to play.  As an actress, it’s something different and exciting, and something different to try and figure out.

Is it hard, as an actress, to not be over-the-top when playing drunk?

KATHERINE:  Yes, but I am sure I have been over-the-top playing “Drunk Brooke”, but I thought, “Oh, well.  I might as well just go for it!”  When you are drunk you can do and say anything, all at the same time.  (Laughs)

When did you know that Brooke was going to have a battle with the bottle?  Was it when she got drunk and had a little chat with Stephanie’s painting, and called herself, as Stephanie had coined the phrase: “The Slut from the Valley”?

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KATHERINE:  I kind of had a feeling about this when Brooke was drinking in front of Stephanie’s picture, that this wasn’t going to be the last time I would be drinking on-air.

The producers probably said, “She is doing this so well … let’s have her drink again!” (Laughs)

KATHERINE:  I still don’t know how far it’s going to go, and all of that, but I am enjoying this story while it lasts.

Brooke is so distraught over all the men in her life having chosen other women, that she is drinking.

KATHERINE:  Brooke just doesn’t know what to do with herself, basically, and people do that in real life.  But it’s a shame.  I get a lot of messages saying, “I don’t understand why Brooke can’t just rise above this, and be the strong Brooke that she should be.  It’s about time for her, because she has gone through so much stuff that this would be the last thing she would do to herself.”  But, you never know what is going on with people, and what is going on in their heads.  Brooke probably is thinking: “Screw it.  I am going to have a drink.  Who cares at this point in my life?”  So she does, and then she just goes overboard.  I do think people get to the point in their lives where they are just tired of it all.

Does Brooke need a man … all the time for her happiness?  That is what has always been, at times, the crux of much fan fervor with your character!

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KATHERINE:  For so many years fans have said, why does Brooke always need a man?  But, everyone does have their weaknesses, and men have been that for Brooke.  She has always just wanted to be loved.  She is kind of a sensitive character.  It’s hard now that her kids are gone and have their own lives, but she is still waiting for RJ to come back!

Where is RJ, by the way?

KATHERINE:  He is off at boarding school.

So, RJ will come back as a hot 32-year-old!

KATHERINE:  Yes, exactly. (Laughs)

Your performance during Katie (Heather Tom) and Bill’s (Don Diamont) recent nuptials was outstanding.  Brooke just continued to cover up her pain by downing any liquor she could find, and all of that champagne!  How could Katie not know that attending the wedding of her sister, and the man she loved, was not upsetting for Brooke?

KATHERINE:  And of course, that made it worse, and Brooke just wanted to burst out and cry.  I will say those scenes between myself and Heather Tom (Katie), where we had that moment together as sisters, I just loved.  It was very hard for Brooke to cover up her emotions and not let her sister see that.

But, you would think some of the characters at the wedding would have gotten a clue that being there watching Bill marry another woman … her sister, no less … was really hard for Brooke!

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KATHERINE:  Yeah, I know!  She even asked Brooke to be the Matron of Honor (Laughs).  That was like stuffing it right in Brooke’s face!

Did you, by chance, get the opportunity to watch the wedding episodes back?

KATHERINE:  I did, and I actually loved the episodes.  It was funny when Brooke was behind Katie while they start their wows, and Brooke is making these snide comments that she is saying, and thinking, out loud.

Where do you think Deacon (Sean Kanan) and Brooke’s relationship is heading?  He has had his own issues with alcohol, so it would seem this is the perfect time for them to reconnect.

KATHERINE:  I have no idea where it is ultimately going.  It is nice, because they do have history, and they do have a daughter together in Hope.  Deacon understands Brooke, especially what she is going through right now.  I think Deacon is a nice guy in a bad guy’s body. (Laughs)

It would be so interesting if B&B were to do a “Days of Wines and Roses” with Brooke and Deacon, where the two of them just go on an endless bender! 

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KATHERINE:  I think we should have a scene like that, but I don’t think there could be that many of those.  It would be fun to see what happens, and you know what would probably happen, right?  Right now, Brooke is pretty scared of Quinn (Rena Sofer).  So, I don’t know if she really wants to try to go there with Deacon.  Quinn is scary, don’t you think?  Don’t mess with Quinn!

You received a Daytime Emmy pre-nomination this year.  Did you submit the scene where Brooke drinks in front of Stephanie’s painting?

KATHERINE:  Yes.  I submitted that for both rounds.  I did not know what else to do.  I hate doing this every year.  I don’t really look at things that way.  Every year, you just try to do the best work you can every day.  You don’t think, “Oh, I am going to do this for the Emmy!”  That’s a weird energy to put on it, I think.  It’s hard this time of year to pick scenes for your reel to be judged for the Emmys.  For me, it’s not a fun process.

What do you think of the pairing of Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) and Caroline (Linsey Godfrey)?

KATHERINE:  I think they are hot together.  I feel bad whenever Brooke has a line to Ridge, “You are just going through a mid-life crisis.”  That is kind of an old-fashioned mindset.  Older people are younger these days.  Age is just a number.

Eventually, Brooke needs to sober up and get into a rehab program, or something … don’t you think?

KATHERINE:  I still would like to see Brooke become strong and take charge, and do that for a while. She used to do a lot of things, like when she created “BeLieF”, and she was a chemist.  Brooke has actually done a lot of things.  There is no reason she can’t do something, and I don’t mean with the Forresters.  Maybe, she even starts her own company.  She needs to do something different in her life.  I love all the stories Brooke has had.  To me, they have been fabulous.  I have had so much fun playing them, but I do think “Strong Brooke” would be a fun side to play, and for people to see, too!

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Linsey Godfrey recently came to the set for a day following the horrific accident back in February when she was struck by a car.   How was it seeing her again?  How is she doing?  Linsey has been such an inspiration for how one handles this type of setback and adversity.

KATHERINE:  Linsey is doing good, and she is so cute.  Kim Matula (Hope) came back the same day for an episode, and it was good to see her, too.  We are going to go to dinner sometime soon and catch up more.   It’s definitely nice having them back.  Linsey is amazing, and she is a very strong fighter.  She was sitting in her wheelchair getting her hair done saying, “I feel great!  I didn’t even take a pain pill this morning!”  Her attitude is always very happy, and very positive, and she was very excited to work again.

Can you forsee that Caroline and Brooke will continue to have a contentious relationship, because of Ridge?

KATHERINE:  Probably!  I am assuming Brooke will never really accept that relationship.

So, will there eventually be a new man in Brooke’s life?

KATHERINE:  I don’t know.  Why does she need a man all of the time?  It’s true!  I can’t hear people say anymore, “Gosh!  You have been with so many men on this show!”  Over the 28 years, I have not been with that many … not really.  It’s a soap opera though.

How do you think Thorsten Kaye is faring in the role of Ridge Forrester, now that he has been on B&B for a while?

Photo Credit: Danya Morrison

KATHERINE:  I love Thorsten.  We get along very well, and he is a great guy, and he is very funny.  But on the set we are Brooke and Ridge, and Ridge is not getting past that wall we put up, ever since the other Ridge (Ronn Moss) left! (Laughs)  Thorsten and I are both looking forward to the day when we will have some really nice scenes together as Brooke and Ridge, where they sit down as two human beings, and hear each other.  We have not been able to do that as of yet.

What would Stephanie think if she found out, or saw, Brooke drinking like this?

KATHERINE:  Oh, my God!  She would slap her upside of the head, and so hard.

Outside of B&B you have so much going on!  Are you running and competiting again in triathlons?

KATHERINE:  I was worried after injuring my leg dancing on Dancing with the Stars Italy that I wouldn’t be able to run in races.  I have this coach that is a six-time Ironman champ winner, and so he has put me on this whole program for strengthening my leg, and getting back in shape.  I feel good.  I am trying to do another half Ironman competition, probably in June.  Actually, the people in Pescara, Italy are asking me to please come back!  I had so much fun doing the race there, as it was a way from Rome, and away from all of that “Hollywood” style drama that was going on with DWTS.  I am going to try to do the World Half Ironman competition in Austria in the summer, and then there is the World Championship Ironman in Kona in October.  Now this is a lot!  So, I am going to have to choose from these.  I am on the advisory board for women, and encouraging them to get involved in this wonderful sport.

Brooke should become a triahlete!  Here’s the story:  She sobers up and puts that alcohol addiction into another addiction, and goes on an intense health kick!

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KATHERINE:  I think so!  Why not?  She can become obsessed about it, and that’s what happens to people, too!  I said something to Heather Tom, because Katie had a line to Brooke that went, “Why don’t you go and volunteer?”  And I said, “Don’t say that. It’s so typical.” Why don’t you say, “Why don’t you train for an Ironman race?” (Laughs)

What can you tease us with that is coming up for Brooke?

KATHERINE:  I read the scripts the day before I tape them, and honestly, that is as much as I know.  Now some people get their scripts and go, “My God!  I have got to read ahead.”  I am like, “No.  I am just waiting till the night before.”  That is because I am just so busy in my life.  I wait till the last minute for everything, because I run clothing businesses, and I have all the advisory board stuff going, and the ambassadorship, and I am trying to manage it all so I don’t fall off the deep end.  I have been here 28 years, and this way, I like to be surprised reading the scripts, and then I don’t have time to think about it all too much.

On Y&R, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) recently ran down Christine (Lauralee Bell), because a sauced Neil (Kristoff St. John) grabbed the steering wheel of the car she was driving, and it was big drunken mess!  Do you think something dramatic like that will happen with Brooke to get her to turn her life around, or to make her realize how she is endangering herself, and potentially the lives of others?

KATHERINE:  That’s very dramatic.  I don’t want my character to hurt anybody, but you are right. Something major has to happen to wake her up, or shake her out of this.  Maybe, it’s something that puts Brooke’s life in jeopardy, or somebody else’s.

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During the taping of Katie and Bill’s wedding, were you and the cast laughing when you were being a very drunk Brooke?

KATHERINE:  It was kind of serious on set.  I remember doing a bit where the feathers that I was wearing were tickling my nose, and so I started wiggling my nose, which you see on the episode, but you didn’t see the rest, where I was sort of blowing the feathers out of the side of my mouth.  I was doing all of these different kinds of reactions, and a lot of them did not end up in the scene.  I was cracking myself up between every single scene (laughs), and the cameramen were laughing.  I don’t know why everyone else remained so serious.  I was having a great time! (Laughs)

Finally, the big question … do you think Bill and Brooke’s romance will come back around? 

KATHERINE:  I don’t see how that couldn’t!  I think they had such chemistry, and such an honest relationship.   It seems so strange now that Bill has married Katie again.  I guess I will have to peer at him from afar! (Laughs)

Have you enjoyed watching Katherine Kelly Lang tackle Brooke’s battle with the bottle on B&B? Do you want to see “Drunk Brooke” continue?  Do you think Brooke and Deacon will become an item?  Are you rooting for Brooke to get back together with Bill?  Should Brooke just get a grip, and pour herself into a new line of work, instead of pouring herself a glass of vodka? Share your thoughts below?