Interviews

THE DON DIAMONT INTERVIEW – THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Published

17 years ago

May 4, 2009

Michael

The old adage: “When one door closes another one opens” could not be more apropos’ for Don Diamont. The actor who spent nearly 23 years playing Brad Carlton on The Young and the Restless and was let-go by the show, reportedly due to budget constraints, is back on daytime next week on The Bold and the Beautiful. Mark your calendars for May 12th when Bill Spencer Jr. in the form of Diamont, makes his explosive debut on the “B&B” canvas.

In this very warm and engaging interview between Don and On-Air On-Soaps, he opens up about getting the call from Brad Bell that would bring his talents to “Y&R’s” sister soap. In fact, in an ironic twist of fate, it is known that Don’s character, Brad Carlton, was named after Bill Bell Sr.’s son, Brad. So, how amazing that some two decades later it would be Brad who would come calling for Diamont.

Don chats about the aspects of his new role; working with the leading ladies at “B&B”, getting to see his old pals at “Y&R” again, and the emotional and difficult time he faced being “killed-off” from that series and people that he loved. And yes, we even address the much-maligned “Reliquary” storyline for good measure.

“B&B” fans look out! This guy is getting ready to shake things up for the lives of the Forrester’s, Logan’s, and anyone else who comes into his radar.

Here’s Don!

Listen to the audio:

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MICHAEL:

Daytime fans are so excited that you’re back on soaps! Tell us how you came to your new role of Bill Spencer Jr. on “B&B”?

DON:

First, I am very blessed and happy to be back. I received a call from Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer, “B&B), and he told me he had a role for me, and asked me if I would be interested. He described the character to me. I said, “When do I start?”

MICHAEL:

Is Bill Jr.…..?

DON:

…Well, he is not going to be going by the name Bill Jr.; he sets that straight right off the bat!

MICHAEL:

So he is just “Bill”?

DON:

That is what he says when Stephanie refers to him as “Bill Jr.” and I say, “Bill”. I make that clear right away.

MICHAEL:

Can fans expect Bill to be
a ‘smarmy’ sort of a guy?

DON:

I would describe him as rogue-ish, as opposed to smarmy. He is politically incorrect, sexually inappropriate, and has no censor on himself, whatsoever. He says whatever is on his mind to anyone at anytime…no-holds barred. He takes no-prisoners and nothing or no one intimates him. He is a highly competitive guy, an adrenaline junkie, and a mixed-martial arts guy, and an Ultimate Fighting fan. Bill is quite a force to be reckoned with.

MICHAEL:

So, he comes on to the canvas because his father, Bill Sr., died?

DON:

Correct. He has been estranged from his father. I believe he was born out of wedlock from an affair, and Karen is his half-sister. Roughly ten years ago they developed a business relationship, and it was a contentious one. They really had no personal relationship to speak of. Bill is a pretty gifted and ruthless businessman. He kind of took the Center Publications to new heights, and here he is in LA.

MICHAEL:

Will Bill become involved with all the fashion titans on the show, such as the Forresters?

DON:

He will, in one way or another, be involved with the fashion industry, and he will mix things up a bit… sort of the straw that stirs the drink to some extent.

MICHAEL:

All the females on “B&B” who I have interviewed are ecstatic to have you on the show!

DON:

Well, that is good to hear. I would hate to hear, “Off the record, we can’t stand him!”

MICHAEL:

Have you gotten to work with thee ladies of “B&B” yet?

DON:

I have worked with Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke), Jennifer Gareis (Donna), Susan Flannery (Stephanie), and I have worked with Heather Tom (Katie).

MICHAEL:

How long have you been taping now?

DON:

I have been taping only a couple of weeks. I shot my first week, and then we had an anniversary party, and then we went on hiatus for three weeks. So, that is a nice introduction to a job! Then we came back, and I am working this week, and then we are dark next week! It’s a great job! But I tell you we do get quite a bit of time off, but when we are working, we are working! It is intense! There is an incredible amount of dialog, and they tape two shows a day, and its sort of when you are the featured person in one of the shows, you are the show. You talk and a have a lot of dialog. It requires a lot of discipline.

MICHAEL:

What is it like for you, being able to work with Susan Flannery?

DON:

I know this sounds corny, but it’s an honor and a privilege. She is such a dynamic actress, and she is so professional. Susan is so present, and you need to be on your toes. I relish it and I enjoy that. I truly love when the characters go to toe to toe. And, its well-written material. I cannot say enough about her and how much I look forward to working with her. It certainly lived up to my expectations. She cares so much about the work. When I told my friends at “Y&R” that I was going to be working with Susan quite a bit, everyone was envious.

MICHAEL:

How was it going back to CBS and getting to see your pals at “Y&R”, who work right across the hall from “B&B”?

DON:

It was really heartwarming. I really felt like a long lost son who had come back. I wasn’t gone that long a time. But, I had this feeling of joy that they were so genuinely happy and thrilled that I was on “B&B”. I walked on to the set and it was a warm reception. I also have to say, I was so touched by my send-off by all the actors, crew, and production people, and the welcome when they found out I was back and working down the hall. It was so touching.

MICHAEL:

Many of your former cast mates from “Y&R” were so upset when you were let-go from the show, including Eric Braeden (Victor), who was very vocal with me about letting someone go who has been a veteran for over 20 years on their show.

DON:

That means a lot to me. They are all my friends and we had been through a lot. I was very touched by the send off, the outpouring, and the phone calls when people heard. It was a tough time and a difficult period for me.

MICHAEL:

What did you think about how Brad died on “Y&R”? As a “Mr. Freeze”, no less?

DON:

Odd that a Navy Seal froze under the ice in the water? Yes, I thought that was odd, but it aint’ up to me. So that’s the way they chose to do it, and they did that to propel story forward and to make it very clear that I was not coming back. (He laughs) Unless, I have been cryogenically frozen! Honestly, the hardest part was just leaving, because my entire adult life had been spent there and through everything good and bad that happened to me, “Y&R” was the constant.

MICHAEL:

At least you won’t have to ever revisit the “Reliquary” storyline anymore!

DON:

I do not have to do the “Reliquary” anymore, correct, but it was fun story. The reliquary got a little out of hand, but having said that, it was a pretty compelling story and I was very happy to play it.

MICHAEL:

You have a large family. What was their reaction to you coming over to “B&B”?

DON:

They are really excited. I have many children, and this is just a very different guy I am playing. His look is different, his clothes are different, and his hair and the facial hair are different.

MICHAEL:

Will we be throwing things at the TV when Bill is on?

DON:

You mean love to love to hate him? I think you could say that. He has the JR Ewing kind of thing going. He is the guy that you tune in to see, “What is he going to do today?” Look, I am actor and I want to act. So, to have an opportunity to go back to work is terrific. For Brad to entrust me to play this important dynamic character, I am very honored that he would give me the opportunity, and that he had enough respect for my ability that
he offered it to me.

MICHAEL:

Who would you like to see him romantically involved with on the show?

DON:

Do you think I would answer that question? Are you out of your mind? I would never walk down that road! They are all beautiful, talented, charming and intelligent women, and I would be happy to work with each and every one of them. How do you like that answer? Candidate Obama! Next, I will be running for President.

MICHAEL:

What about the guys?

DON:

Hate em all! Every single one of them! Ronn Moss (Ridge), Winsor Harmon (Thorne) and Brandon Beemer (Owen) were my buddies before. We had done some appearances together and I have known Winsor for 20 years. Ronn and I had never spent much time together, but we did a celebrity fan cruise together and that was my first opportunity to get to know Ronn. He is such a wonderful guy. Brandon is, too. John McCook (Eric) I have known for many years. All good people!

MICHAEL:

If we were to describe Bill, and what to look forward from him, what would you say?

DON:

He will be a cross between Jack Sparrow, ( Johnny Depp’s character from Pirates of the Caribbean), Richard Branson media mogul, and maybe a little pinch of Hannibal Lechter.

MICHAEL:

You were a victim of budget cuts at “Y&R” and tough economic times in the soap genre. What is your perspective on what soaps need to do now to survive?

DON:

I think some of those changes have obviously been happening in terms of salary cuts, budget and production cuts, streamlining the shows to make them more efficient to keep their costs down. Do I know what the answer is? No. The world is a more competitive place and you have to be on your game and invested in what you are doing to try to keep pace. I think the actors, crew, and production are all very aware of it. Everybody gets the picture.

MICHAEL:

I know it was a very difficult time being let go from “Y&R” after so many years. For people that find strength from others, can you tell me how you dealt with the loss and how did you get to the other side of it?

DON:

First, I think it’s important that you do sit with it for a minute. It’s all right to be upset, to have some hurt and anger… whatever those emotions are. You are allowed to feel that way and there is some benefit to that. It’s a loss. Like anyone, when you lose a loved one you have a period of mourning, and it’s the same thing for me. It was a loss for me, and then it becomes, “Ok, let’s get proactive.” I did not know I would get the call from Brad. I assumed I might hear from some other daytime show, given that I had been doing what I have been doing for as long as I had been doing it. I thought I may hear from somebody, but I could not bank on that. So, I was proactive. I got a new agent. I shot new pictures, started training harder, doing as much as I could to move forward and move through it. You can’t wallow in your self-pity, and you can’t say, “Why me?” Again, you can do that for a brief period and go through your mourning. Life is about moving forward. It’s not about looking back. That is how I talk to my kids, that’s what I would tell myself, and that is what I would say to anyone. Do what you can do to better yourself, to affect your circumstances, and do the things that are in your control. You can’t control when you are going to get the phone call, but you can be prepared when it comes. Do the things that are in your control to do. Be positive. Walk through the fire. There is something on the other side of it.

Related Topics:Don Diamont Interview Podcast The Bold and the Beautiful

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3 Comments

oldest

newest

Rose George

15 years ago

what a great interviewer. really enjoyed it… thanks for bringing out some great stories. Rose

Joshua Zuckerman

14 years ago

Don Diamont has a lot of boys!! He’s definitely keeping the mohels in business!

Carol Hartstein

10 years ago

I can’t stand Don Diamont. He sounds as arrogant as I assumed he was. Smarmy was a perfect description.

Interviews

‘The Young and the Restless’ Eric Braeden Talks Daytime Emmy Nomination, State of Nikki and Victor’s Marriage, and His Co-Stars (Exclusive)

Published

7 days ago

July 30, 2026

Michael

Eric Braeden has been playing Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless for 46 years. The iconic star of the #1 rated daytime drama series has thus far won once for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series back in 1998 in a ceremony he did not attend. Fast-forward to 2026 and the 85-year-old Braeden is once again nominated in the category for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

Earlier this month, Eric, along with 4 other actors learned they were going for gold at the ceremonies on October 30. In a twist of fate, fellow co-star and also Lead Actor nominee, Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R) and Braeden submitted the same scenes which centered around Victor firing his longtime attorney and friend, Michael Baldwin.

In a new interview, now on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Braeden shares: his thoughts on the nomination, if he will attend daytime’s biggest night of the year, what he thinks will happen with the current cracks within the relationship of Y&R’s Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victor, his reaction to the heartbreaking scene where Nick (Joshua Morrow) admits to Victor that he has a drug addiction, and much more.

Photo: JPI

VICTOR NEWMAN AND MICHAEL BALDWIN EMMY SCENES

On his Lead Actor Emmy-nominated reel, Eric recalled, “The show submitted it for me and I said, ‘Yeah, go ahead.’ Had I known Christian was part of it, I would’ve said, ‘No!’ I’m kidding. It’s difficult to do a scene with Christian without beginning to laugh in the middle of it. Anyway, he’s wonderful to work with and he did a wonderful job, and I’m grateful for the nomination.”

Braeden also shared plans for attending this year’s Daytime Emmys with his granddaughter making it all the more special, “I will go this year. You know why? It’s an honor first of all, and secondly, my granddaughter, when she heard about it, she says, ‘Opa, can I go? I already know what dress I would buy.’ I mean, it was so sweet. But you bet. Now, I’ll really go to the Emmys!”

Photo: JPI

CAN NIKKI AND VICTOR’S MARRIAGE SURVIVE?

Over the past year, Nikki and Victor’s marriage has been on shaky ground, especially after Victor caught his nemesis, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) alone in a hotel room with his wife. Nikki went on a bender and Jack was her AA sponsor, but in order to help her, he almost OD’d himself. Victor believes the two hit the sheets.

Now in 2026, Victor was there after Nikki woke up after surgery to save her eyesight, and she has yet to see post-procedure. However, Braeden notes ‘not so fast’ on a reconciliation.

“I would say it will be a rocky road, because you don’t get over these things so quickly. You don’t,” teased Eric. “It’s jealousy and it’s a very, very deep emotion, and every time there’s something that reminds Victor of that incident, he will feel that emotion. It’s an emotion that is not taken seriously enough by people. Relationships are very difficult because of that sometimes.”

Photo: CBS

JOSHUA MORROW DOING THE FINEST WORK OF HIS CAREER

Back in March of this year, in one of the most unforgettable in this, or any soap season, Nick Newman accompanied by his brother Adam (Mark Grossman), came to see Victor where Nick admitted he now has a drug addiction to fentanyl and how he is so ashamed of himself. In the scene, Victor goes to comfort his son, calling him, “My boy” while broken-hearted.

Eric recalled the taping of the scene: “It touched me deeply and it was one of those moments that a father and son don’t want. They’re horrified by that. I think Joshua made an enormous leap in acting in that scene. He showed what he is capable of. It was a very, very touching scene. We had some scenes after that, again, about the same thing. Now, there’s a whole deeper connection between father and son. Any father would almost have a breakdown knowing that his son is on drugs or his daughter. It was a very well-written scene.”

Photo: JPI

ERIC BRAEDEN AND MICHELLE STAFFORD MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY

The Young and the Restless led the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Nominations with 18, more than any other series or programs. One of the nominations belongs to Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) who nabbed another Lead Actress nod.

Recently, Eric and Michelle have shared much screen-time since Phyllis took Victor’s company from him. During the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live!, Stafford she loved working opposite Eric in the storyline, to which Eric has now responded.

“It’s mutual because I love watching her work,” exclaimed the TV icon. “I just don’t know what she’s going to do in a scene and I love spontaneous moments. I don’t like it to be set and adhered to. I like it to be improvised as much as possible. Michelle is just so facile, so quick, so smart as an actress. She’s wonderful.”

Check out the full conversation with Eric below.

Now weigh-in: are you happy to see Eric receive a Lead Actor nomination? Do you think Nikki and Victor will continue to have issues in their marriage? Did you like the scenes with Michelle Stafford and Eric, and of course the hankie-inducing moment between Joshua Morrow and his TV dad? Weigh-in via the comment section.

Interviews

‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Scott Clifton Talks His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, and the Omission of His Scene Partner, Annika Noelle (Exclusive)

Published

2 weeks ago

July 25, 2026

Michael

Less than two weeks ago, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer) received the news he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actor category at the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

Clifton delivered what may have been the best work of his career in 2025; in a heartbreaking story arc where a believed-to-be-dying Liam tries to come to terms with his fate, and what his exit from the land of the living means, and what it would do to the daughters he leaves behind, the women he’s loved, and his father.

Going into this year’s Emmy race, Scott is already a three-time Daytime Emmy winner and a record holder for being the only actor to have won in the three acting categories throughout his career: the now defunct Younger Actor, Supporting Actor and Lead Actor.

Shortly after receiving the news of his latest nomination, Scott shared his reaction and what scenes he decided to include on his now Emmy-nominated reel when he participated in the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live!

During the conversation with Scott, it was very apparent that he feels his on-screen partnership with Annika Noelle (Hope) was a key to his success in 2025, and one of the reason for a key scene he chose. However, Annika’s name was left off the nomination list which disappointed Clifton as he shared below.

Photo: JPI

HOW SCOTT CLIFTON WENT ABOUT CRAFTING HIS LEAD ACTOR REEL

“They got a lot of reels to watch. So, I just picked three scenes. It’s important to create a context so that people aren’t completely lost,” explains Clifton on his best practices strategy. “I picked the scene where Liam found out the diagnosis (about his inoperable brain mass), where Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) tell him which sets the stage. And then, there is a scene where Liam is saying “don’t tell anyone.”

Next, there’s the scene at Il Giardino between myself and Don Diamont (Bill) where Liam is telling his father without telling him, by saying, ‘I just want you to know how much I love you, and how grateful I am to you.'”

Then, the final scene, and I owe it all to Annika, was between Liam and Hope. This is where Hope kind of says, ‘I know,’ and then they just have a conversation about their lives and their daughter. Liam also talks about his mom. It just seemed real to me and the best way to close it out. That was it. That was the whole reel about 11 minutes long.”

Photo: JPI

ANNIKA AND SCOTT’S BITTERSWEET EMMY MOMENT

When Scott connected with his on-screen wife, Annika Noelle, following the news of his nomination, which actually came on the Monday before the full nominations were revealed on Tuesday via Extra, there were a rollercoaster of emotions.

Scott detailed, “Annika sent the most beautiful congratulations, and I was trying to figure out if they had announced her category. However, it was in the middle of that conversation that she said. ‘no.’ And then, the conversation turned into my rage for her not being recognized because that whole story was just as much hers as it was mine.”

“My, God,” Clifton continued. “The way that she had to downplay so many things and keep the secret that she knew, that I knew, that she knew. The end of that scene, I couldn’t not include it. It’s more a scene about her and how hard this is for her than it was about Liam. It blew me away that she wasn’t recognized for it this year, but she will next year.”

You can check out Scott’s segment on the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live! below at roughly the 25:46 mark into the show.

So, were you happy to hear what scenes Scott submitted that earned him a Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination? Do you think he’s one of the frontrunners to take home the gold when the Daytime Emmys are handed out on October 30? Do you feel as Scott does that Annika Noelle should have been a nominee for her work in 2025? Let us know via the comment section.

Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of Our Lives’ Christopher Sean Opens Up About His Daytime Emmy Nomination to Honor His Late TV Father, Drake Hogestyn (Exclusive)

Published

3 weeks ago

July 18, 2026

Michael

There was not a dry eye in the house when in June of 2025, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean) gets up to eulogize his father, John Black (Drake Hogestyn), after the iconic character passed away and his funeral brought Salem together for one last goodbye.

In real life, Drake Hogestyn had passed away of pancreatic cancer at the age of 70 back on September 28, 2024. When DAYS taped the funeral episode, Drake was still alive and had given his blessing to the series longtime executive producer, Ken Corday, that it was OK with him to kill off his character and to have a memorial. Sadly, shortly after the cast filmed the scenes, Drake died leaving a lasting legacy on DAYS that will never be matched.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, Christopher Sean received the bittersweet news that he had received a Daytime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Guest Performer category for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards for his performances. Christopher appeared shortly after the news of his nomination on the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 were he shared his emotional reaction. Here’s part of what he expressed below.

Photo: JPI

WHAT DID CHRISTOPHER SEAN SUBMIT?

“I submitted Paul’s lowest moments in his life, and Paul’s highest moments, meaning the eulogy with John Black, his father, and for my hero, Drake Hogestyn, and Paul getting married to Andrew (Colton Little). So it was two very opposite ends of his life. But what a great culmination of 12 years of being on Days of Our Lives it was.”

ALWAYS BEING GRATEFUL TO DRAKE HOGESTYN

“Even talking about it now, I have so much love for Drake. I’ve got him here on my wall and I wake up every day and I try to make him proud. It’s hard to talk about it, but I feel that my life is on the path that I am because of him, because of him being my role model, because of him loving and guiding me, because of everything that he has taught me on and off the set.”

Photo: JPI

THE EARLY STRUGGLES WITH PAUL’S EULOGY AND HEARTFELT ADDITIONS TO THE DIALOG

“I had been texting back and forth with Drake and I was actually pretty angry, because I felt that we shouldn’t exploit this, but Drake was so attached to the fan base that when Ken Corday spoke with him and gave him the permission to allow the fans to grieve with us, that’s when I said, ‘OK, if that’s what he wants, then I’m going to go full throttle with it.’ In Paul’s eulogy and monologue I’d read it and without asking the writers, I added a few lines and they allowed me to keep them.”

Christopher continued, “One of the lines was, ‘anytime I see a rainbow in the sky’ and I said, ‘and a baseball up high, or a rainbow in the sky,’ because I wanted to attribute it to baseball and to Drake. It was already perfect the way it was written, but that was my nod to Drake. We all loved him and there’s not a person I know who didn’t love him. Drake lit up any room he was a part of. I would not be here, again, without Drake.”

You can catch Christopher’s conversation on the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special at the 2:14:25 mark below.

The 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed in a ceremony on October 30 from the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood California. Current plans are for the event to stream live on the National Academy Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), watch.theemmys.tv and associated apps.

So, will you be rooting for Christopher to take home the gold for his heartbreaking performance of Paul’s grief over losing John and then marrying Andrew? Were you touched by how much Drake Hogestyn had meant to his life and career? Let us know via the comment section below.