Photo Credit: Gilles Toucas/NBC

On The Bold and the Beautiful, the Spencer family continues to expand with the emergence of never-before-seen, or heard of, Wyatt Fuller (Darin Brooks)!  As it turns out, Wyatt just happens to be the biological son of Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) and Quinn Fuller (Rena Sofer) whom apparently Bill thought was never born, after giving Quinn money to have an abortion many years ago.  When handsome and seemingly good guy, Wyatt finds out all this new Intel, his whole world is turned upside down … his father is the rich and ruthless Bill Spencer, and his mother was never supposed to give birth to him!

Elsewhere, Bill’s other son Liam (Scott Clifton) who many times has made his father cringe with his less-than-Spencer-like indecision and “antics” is trying to woo back Hope Logan (Kim Matula) after dumping her for Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) quite a few times! But there is only one problem this time … it ain’t going to be so easy!  Wyatt has his eyes set on Hope, too!  And he has made it quite clear to his newly found brother that he will win the affections of Hope, leaving Liam the odd man out!  And through all of this, Bill is seeing that Wyatt, while seemingly inheriting some of the more macho, determined, aggressive, and even cutthroat side of himself, still wonders: can he even trust the guy?

On-Air On-Soaps sat down in this exclusive interview, where for the first time actors Don Diamont, and Daytime Emmy winners Scott Clifton, and Darin Brooks, chatted together about the complex relationships between these three Spencer men, and where it’s all headed!  Plus, Darin and Scott weigh-in on the fan response to who should ultimately be the guy to sweep Hope off her feet?  Clearly, Wyatt has a head start, because he is the new guy in town, but can Hope ignore her deep history with Liam?  Don Diamont cautions: don’t count Liam out just yet!  We found Don, Scott, and Darin to be witty, charming, at times incorrigible, and extremely intelligent when talking about their roles. We would expect nothing less from the men who play the Spencer clan!

MICHAEL:

What did you think Don, when you found out Bill had another son that would show up on B&B?

DON:

Courtesy/CBS

Till I found out who it was going to be I thought it was great!  (Laughs)  When I first heard about it, I said, “Really? A grown son is just going to pop up?”  And actually, it is really true to Bill’s history.  I don’t think he was discriminate.   There are probably more Spencer men and women running around!  (Laughs)  So, I can complete buy into that a son could show up in this guy’s life.  I don’t even think that it is particularly “soapy”.   That is the reality of youth misspent, or something like that! (Laughs)  In terms of the story, it works great.

MICHAEL:

So it wasn’t in your contract Don, that you couldn’t have a son over 20? (Laughs)

DON:

No, no!  The more Spencers the better, and I thought it was great.  I also thought it was wonderful for Scott to have a new conflict on the series.

MICHAEL:

And when you found out it was Darin Brooks who got the role … what did you think?  Did you know who Darin was?

DON:

Courtesy/CBS

Honestly, I did not know who Darin was, but Scott had read with Darin, and told me that of all the actors he was the one that made the most interesting choices with the material.

MICHAEL:

Scott, why were Darin’s choices so good during the audition process?

SCOTT:

There were four guys that came in to do a chemistry read with me.  The scene is after Liam is basically in his underwear and has a confrontation with his dad.  It was the one I submitted for the Daytime Emmys this year.  They took that scene and re-wrote a lot of stuff in it, and instead of it being a scene between father and son; they made it between brother and brother.  But it was with similar lines like, “You’re a Spencer.  Be a man, Liam!”  That kind of a thing.  The other three guys who tested were being macho and being very charismatic.  But, Darin was the only one, who even though he was telling me off in this scene; it looked like it killed him to do it.  It looks like it hurt him to do it.  In all of Darin’s choices, there was love, and that to me meant so much more.  If we are going to do this thing and have some longevity, there needs to be at the core of this love, and Darin was the one who brought that.  So after all four actors auditioned, our executive producer Brad Bell asked me which one I thought was the best. And I said, “Darin”.  Obviously, Wyatt and Liam are in this conflicted storyline right now, but what is important about that, I believe, is this exact storyline won’t be going on a year from now.   Maybe Wyatt and Liam will still hate each other, but you still have that basis, and that connection, that makes it interesting.  As long as you have those layers, the relationship can sustain whatever mountains, or valleys it goes through.  It just makes it more interesting to watch.  Darin was the only one who played it with the potential for that kind of longevity.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

Wyatt seemed like a nice guy when he initially aired, and then he finds out Bill is his bio-father and at first he is shocked, and then he is really pissed!  Was that the turning point for the character?

DARIN:

When Wyatt found out about that he has a father, everything sort of came crashing down on him at that moment.  He has been told all these lies, and it can really put your mind in a tailspin, and then you find out you have a brother, and all these families’ members, and this hidden life that has been kept from you.   So he is angry, and he wants to know why? Then he finds out that Bill had given Quinn money for the abortion, and that hurts, too.  Wyatt is the type of guy who goes after what he feels, and he doesn’t care!  I think that is the similarity we wanted to bring with Wyatt and Bill.  There is that “bad boy-ness” but there is something about it that people are left wondering and guessing, and being a loose cannon, and all those sorts of things.  It keeps people guessing what is he going to do next?  During that storyline, all these emotions were running through Wyatt.  He did not know what do to, so he is lashing out.  I loved that scene where Bill and Liam come in and go, “We are going to go with you and go camping!”  And Wyatt is like, “What? Why are you?  This is ridiculous.”

MICHAEL:

Is Wyatt methodically working against his father, Bill?

DARIN:

I think ultimately, these shows are about love in some way and different relationships we have with a father, brother, mother, stepmother, stepbrother, nephew … everyone is sorted of related in a way.  But it’s always going to be about love and power, and the family being hurt by one another.  That is what the basis of soap opera is in general.  Wyatt has always wanted love from his father, and he feels after all this lost time, he wants to prove himself and be loved.  He has always wanted a love from a brother, but he finds it fun competition for him right now in trying to get the girl!  So it’s kind of power and love at the same time.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

SCOTT:

I don’t mean to imply that right now in the storyline Liam and Wyatt love each other, they don’t. But, they will.  You have to assume that at some point they will.

DON:

You have to separate the biological relationship from the emotional relationship.  This guy shows up and you go, “Hey, I’m your brother.”  That does not create any feeling of love at all.  It’s just a person who happens to be biologically “my brother”.   They are just two people getting to know each other, but there is no connection there, certainly at this point.

MICHAEL:

Bill has had a real problem, and been very disappointed in Liam that he was not more in his own image.  He is always reprimanding him about the way he handles things so un-Spencer like!

SCOTT:

And he still is!

DON:

I will argue that that while it was frustrating for Bill, a major part of that was Bill’s issue, not Liam’s.   At the time when Liam stood up for what Liam believed in, Bill was really proud of him.  When Bill can step back and realize that those are the moments that are important in our relationship, and he realizes that is not the way I would have handled that situation, but proud of Liam still the same, that works well.  In fact, Bill has even said that on the air shows.

MICHAEL:

Photo Credit: Gilles Toucas

But in regards to Wyatt, does Bill see him more like himself?

DON:

Bill absolutely does see where he shares more of his personality in Wyatt than Liam, at least on the surface.  They are more obvious with Bill and Wyatt.  But I think, Liam shares some traits too, but they are just different.  Liam’s moral compass is different, but he will still stand up for what he believes in, as well.  Wyatt is more like Bill in that his scruples will come into question.  He might not necessarily be thinking he is doing something that’s wrong, but by how society sees things it may be deemed as wrong.  But while initially Bill thought, “Hey, look at this kid, he’s great!  Built in my own image!” Bill also realizes that may not be such a good thing.  We might not be too much alike.  There’s only room for one Spencer, and that’s me! (Laughs)  Liam is Bill’s conscience, and Katie’s been Bill conscience. Those people that feed into the other side of Bill tend to get into trouble.  Bill has those moments where he is lucid and has that awareness.  But it’s a constant battle that goes on: “This is who I have been for 45 or more years, and this has worked for me. And that is why I am who I am.”  Yet at times, being that way does not work for Bill, and often times Liam makes him see that.  Katie will make Bill see that, too.  But he’s always easily drawn back into what makes Bill … Bill!

SCOTT:

To that point, in the grand scheme of things, Wyatt is still brand new.  We have so much to still learn about him.  Wyatt and Bill have not even had a good chance to flesh out their relationship. There are plenty of times to discover what are the littler things that they do disagree on, and where do they butt heads, and where their differences really lie as it pertains to the real world around them.  When Liam started on the show, he was not a completely fleshed out character, so we have a lot more to learn about Wyatt and what kind of Spencer he really is.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

What did you think of the recent scenes where Wyatt has a major declaration to Liam that he is going after Hope!  As he says, “Game on, brother!” (Laughs)

DARIN:

I think he is really going for Hope.  I think for him it’s the fun challenge, and for Wyatt he is going to test the boundaries, and see if Liam is a worthy adversary.  It’s competition between brothers, and it’s fun.

MICHAEL:

Is Wyatt going to be under-handed to get Hope permanently away from Liam?

DARIN:

Maybe, who knows?  (Laughs)

SCOTT:

Everyone has their own sense of morality.  Bill is consistent with his principles.  People may see Liam as weak and pathetic, but he has principles.  Wyatt also has principles, and he will not violate them … for example, when Wyatt said to Liam, “I do”, and, “When I hear Hope say those words that is a line I won’t cross.”

DON:

I thought that was great in that scene between the two of them, that Wyatt made that statement.  It’s fair game till then.

MICHAEL:

Photo Credit: Gilles Toucas

When Wyatt said that, it made him a bit more redeemable, and if Wyatt hadn’t said that, he would just be an all out jerk!!  And out of that, Liam will become quite defensive from all accounts?

SCOTT:

Right, and out of that you will see Liam being backed into a corner, and seeing him behave in ways you may not have seen him behave before, necessarily.  I think you are going to see Liam start to spiral a little bit.  Personally, I would like to see Liam genuinely lose for the first time, and see what that does to him.

MICHAEL:

Do you think they are crafting a story so the audience does not know which brother to root for in the race for Hope’s heart?

DARIN:

I think that is sort of the goal.  That is what makes it even more exciting for the audience to watch, that they agree with some of Wyatt’s principles and some of Liam’s principles, where it’s not just black or white, but everybody’s gray.  When everybody is gray, it can be very relatable to audience members, as opposed to the character always being one thing.  It’s good to have that balance of who to root for … and, who not to root for!  That is what is fun about a triangle. To make a good soap opera triangle you have to have that.   I think it is written great for that.

MICHAEL:

What are B&B fans saying about your characters on Twitter?

DARIN:

People are saying nice things about me, and the people that are saying bad things about me don’t put my name on it.  I see things when people don’t like Wyatt.

SCOTT:

Photo Credit: Art Streiber

People have no problem telling me they hate Liam.  In fact, just the other night someone mentioned me on Twitter and said, “Liam is such a pathetic character, and the actor who plays him should be ashamed.”

DON:

You got my tweet? (Laughs)

SCOTT:

I am so stupid!  I get caught up in this stuff and I tweeted back, “It takes a strong actor to play a weak character.”

DON:

I want to kill you right now! (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

Don, you are not on Twitter!  Why not?

DON:

Photo Credit: Gilles Toucas

I don’t tweet, or go on facebook.  I have zero interest in doing that.  Heather Tom (Katie) would go on Twitter and see what is being said, and sometimes it would really bother her.  Why do that to yourself?  Just do your job and follow your instincts.

SCOTT:

For those of us who do keep a finger on the pulse of the Twitterverse, (laughs) what I am noticing, and this is important, fans are overwhelming favoring the Wyatt character.  I think that tells us where to go with the storyline.  Me, as a viewer, I want to see Wyatt and Hope’s relationship go somewhere.  I want to see, for the first time, Liam looses everything.  Liam has always been about, “Oh, which girl?”  I hope that this triangle resolves with Wyatt triumphant, and Liam hitting rock bottom.

DON:

It’s not surprising that the audience is overwhelming in favor of Wyatt at the moment, because Liam was in the catbird seat for three years waffling between two women.  So of course, this guy comes along and he wants to make Hope the sole focus of his world, and calling Liam out on his behavior.  Of course, the audience is going to side for now with Wyatt.

SCOTT:

Yes, and the gift there, and the opportunity that is there storyline-wise, is (and this is me selfishly thinking of my character) what does Liam take away from this?  How does it change Liam, and how does he grow from this?

DON:

Well, he will screw it up! (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

What does Kim Matula (Hope) think of all this?  Having two guys vying for her affections?  Do you think she likes the way the story is being told?

DARIN:

I can’t speak for her, but I think she is having fun.

DON:

She is in the eye of these gentlemen’s affection.  She is the one being pursued.

SCOTT:

I don’t presume to speak for Kim, but I can tell you from my conversations with Kim, just as it’s hard for me to play Liam fighting so hard for something he has clearly blown a long time ago, it’s challenging for Kim to play as if these two guys are equally desirable. Here you have Wyatt, who has a clean record and adores her.  The one issue Hope has ever had with Liam is that she had to share him.  Wyatt completely compensates for that. So I think it’s hard for Kim to play really torn between these two.

DON:

In what way?  You think she would go right to Wyatt because he presents the best scenario for her?

SCOTT:

I think so!

DON:

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

I would argue that he is the flavor of the moment, and he is giving her all his attention, you betcha.  But, can she trust that?  And given her history with Liam, it’s, “Can I trust this?”  Liam was like that too, and then he wasn’t like that.  Hope has emotional history with Liam.  This with Wyatt is all skyrockets, and it’s new, and it’s making her have that little tingle inside, but she has got real history with Liam.  I don’t think it’s just, “OK I am going to dump Liam and go with this guy whose clean cut, because he is telling me everything I want to hear.”  Now, this is just my opinion. (Laughs)

SCOTT:

Well, that would be cool, but they are not writing that.  It’s true what Don says, when you have been in a relationship for so long, and as poisoned and tainted that relationship may be, that history can pull you back, because of the comfort of it.  If anything, that is what Liam has over Wyatt … that familiarity.  But, what the Hope character is playing right now is, “Huh … do I have to choose between somebody who reliably hurts me?  Or, take a gamble with this new guy, who seems to adore me and nobody else?”

MICHAEL:

Does Wyatt really adore Hope … or is there a bit of revenge to it in gaining her undying love?

DARIN:

I would say it’s legitimate.  The one thing I try to do with Wyatt is that when he is with Hope you see Wyatt for who he is, but then when you see him with other people who pissed him off, or crossed him a little bit, then you see he might be playing them.  So far it’s been good with Hope and his mom.  Those are the two people where you have seen him be genuine.

MICHAEL:

What if Wyatt slept with Katie?  That would be a great twist in the story!

DON:

It could happen!  You never know?

MICHAEL:

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

I think it would be hot, sexy, and create plenty of drama for the Spencer men.  I’m not a betting man, but I am feeling strongly that could happen somewhere down the line.

DARIN:

That would make for an interesting family dynamic.

DON:

There is some history for something like that on this show, isn’t there?  (Laughs)