Interviews

THE KYLE LOWDER AND JACQUELINE MACINNES WOOD INTERVIEW – THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

By Michael Fairman

Published

17 years ago

March 3, 2009

Michael

By Michael Fairman

-Are Rick and Steffy ‘up in smoke’ or the real deal?-

On “

The Bold and the Beautiful”, Rick and Steffy have turned up the heat…literally! In shocking and BOLD moves, the soap has changed Rick Forrester into a smug and selfish cad seeking revenge on his family. Meanwhile, Steffy has lost her fraternal twin, Phoebe, through all of the dramatic twists and turns and is now head over heels with Rick, her sister and mother’s ex beau!

TV Soap sat down with actors Kyle Lowder and Jacqueline Macinnes Wood to get an insight into what’s going on in their character’s head, and how they are making steamy windows!

Listen to the audio:

[display_podcast]

TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, this pairing between Rick and Steffy came out of the death of Steffy’s twin sister, Phoebe. Were you surprised when you first read the scripts that your character would be linked romantically with Rick?

JACQUELINE:

I was completely shocked how fast we are moving! It was less than a week when I found out that Rick was next. Steffy’s feelings were raw and she had been going through so much. It happened through Phoebe’s death, but I was in shock about it.

TV SOAP:

So now, how does Steffy really feel for Rick?

JACQUELINE:

Steffy is head over heels in love with Rick right now. She wants to give herself to him. When that does happen, nothing is going to stop them or tear them apart.

TV SOAP:

As the story unfolded, it seemed that out of their mutual grief for Phoebe dying in the car crash, they got together. Kyle, what is your take on that?

KYLE:

Yes, they came together at the height of their emotions when Phoebe died. Rick was a shell of a man, and everyone was coming down on him. One day, Steffy came to him and said, “I believe you. I know you are not responsible for this.” With their physical attraction to each other, (this was there from the beginning) I don’t think it was love at first sight. I think they were drawn to each other over a mutual grief and found solace with each other, and outside it was dark and scary. They were each other’s support system.

TV SOAP:

So, as we have seen, Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer “B&B”) has been known to write very intriguing stories, and yet throw some “curve balls” to the actors and the characters that one would not expect.

JACQUELINE:

We do shoot a lot and are thrown “curve balls”. It’s good to finally click with your character and get your character, even though you are being thrown curve balls. I am Steffy now. The things we get to play can be crazy, and we play great off of each other. With the Rick and Steffy relationship it’s complete honesty and no games.

TV SOAP:

Kyle, you have taken Rick through a 180! He is now kind of despicable. How did you feel when they told you of the character change? How did it come about?

KYLE:

They did a little experiment after Rick got paralyzed as to what Rick would be like. I think it was a nice test and they did like that aspect. He was now a catalyst to bring out a side of Ridge that people had not seen on the show, and I think it worked. Phoebe’s death was supposed to bring the redemption of Rick and make him not evil anymore and come out of that. I think it did for a while. However, the show wanted to get back to having him be the antagonist. I feel I am not alone in saying that first of all, “Of course, I am going to go all out when playing a scene. However, you don’t want to be downright unlikable.” You need to maintain, as they say in the scripts “roguish charm”, which they start writing in the scripts now. (He laughs) You want them to love you, or want them to love to hate you. I have said this so many times before, but it’s so true. If people down right hate you, then they don’t want to watch you. Then you become indifferent, and you become dead in the water. My challenge every day is to maintain almost a charming likeability in the midst of being so unbelievably self -centered and down right sleazy at times, for people to be like, “Oh, he is so deliciously gross.” That’s been the challenge!

TV SOAP:

What has been the feedback from Ron Moss (Ridge) or Susan Flannery (Stephanie) to your portrayal of Rick?

KYLE:

They have each said in their own way, “ We never thought Rick could be like this.” That is the highest compliment, because it’s coming from the vets of the show. At first, they were wondering how it was going to work. I have been evil with all of them, and they want me to go further with it. I would be lying if I said it did not worry me at times. And I quote, as some people have said to me, “Brad’s really writing this character into a corner.” I feel as long as I keep doing my work I don’t see it that way. A character does not always have to be likeable, or a hero and charming all the time to stay on the canvas and be liked. If anything, it’s a lot more fun to be the antagonist.

TV SOAP:

What was it like working with Susan Flannery, in all of those recent scenes of conflict between Stephanie and Rick?

KYLE:

I really have nothing but the highest respect for her. She makes me a better actor. Susan has one of the most intimidating stares on camera and when you happen to be at the receiving end of it…watch out! She makes me want to be so angry to Stephanie. She raises my work to a different level. Every time I know I am going to work with Susan, I really look forward to it.

TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, how is working with Susan for you?

JACQUELINE:

I love Susan. You can tell when she knows people work hard and studies their lines, but she likes to challenge them. Susan likes it if you can be on point. She has thrown things at me and played moment to moment, and so has Kyle.

TV SOAP:

Recently, Rick enlisted in the Army and the move was a bit of a controversial choice. Please explain the background as to Rick’s rationale for that out-of-character decision.

KYLE:

I think the only way I can put this, is to be as respectful as I possibly could be, in respect to where we are as a nation. It’s not exactly a taboo subject matter, and it’s not something like, “Lets do something to shape him up. Let’s put him in the army and that will be a fun story.” No, it was this: Rick needed some structure and discipline. He had gone so far in one direction in betraying his family’s trust; selling out his father and the company’s designs, and had gone too far in everyone’s mind. Rick has gone way too far in his crazy “leap before I look” mentality. He had got himself into the biggest hole and he thought, “I cannot get out.” So, the only way to illustrate he was changing was showing people that, “What other way can I show people I am serious about changing my life, than to commit myself to the military and serve my country?”

TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, what did you think of the military component of the storyline?

JACQUELINE:

I have to say, it was a surprise how fast he cleaned up to his act and went into the Army. I thought, “Now, what was Steffy going to do?” For Steffy, it was the love of her life leaving, and everyone was against her.

TV SOAP:

What ended up happening, that stopped Rick from being shipped out?

KYLE:

The Army rejected him because he had been paralyzed.

TV SOAP:

So, do the two of you think with all of the drama thus far, that Rick and Steffy are ultimately star-crossed lovers?

KYLE:

Here’s what I think: I really believe Rick loves Steffy more than life itself. The problem right now is that he has so much baggage with this whole thing. I think his general love for Steffy is clouded by the fact of his revenge against Ridge. I think he has become so obsessesed with making this relationship work. I don’t think it’s about Steffy and being ‘happily ever after’ anymore, as much is it is about winning to prove a point. I think when all was said and done, the family said, “Good, be together.” I think Rick would sit there like, “I do love her, I really do,” but I think he is too obsessed with the family. I believe in this couple. In my opinion, if and when it does not work out I believe there is a nice foundation being laid. Not to compare us to a Brooke and Ridge, but it’s not the amount of times they break-up. It’s that something will always draw them back together again and viewers would want that.

JACQUELINE:

At the beginning, Steffy was just so strong. Not to mention even before that she slapped Rick across the face telling him, “You are not going to touch me.” Her foot was down on it and you don’t know what’s next. I had to play that my fraternal twin is gone, and maybe I am doing this to live her life as well as have fun. She had to fill that void, and she could not talk to anyone. She lost apart of herself. I have to stress that to the viewers. You have to keep remembering that she did lose her fraternal twin, and I think people tend to forget that because we do shoot so fast, and that’s how it’s started. It was about the honesty and it was raw, and we could open up to each other in the heat of the moment! I could tell from the crying and screaming and making out on the floor where this was going to go. It just all happened so fast. I know it’s kind of weird, because of the closeness between Rick and Phoebe. Steffy felt if she was close to Rick, then she can feel she is close to Phoebe.

KYLE:

I really don’t know the fate of this couple, but what I can say to the viewers is it is a couple to really watch. There is a multi-million dollar company affected by their relationship because of the people that work there. There are families affected by this relationship. There are aspects of this relationship where they have no business being together, yet they persist. We are talking about a man and a woman who are so attracted to each other, and really do love each other, but everything is stacked against them, and it’s their effort to win this war, sort to speak. And, who knows what will happen to them when the war is over? Can they survive without the drama? Feedback is divided with people who are for it or against it. Rick was engaged to her mother, Taylor, and her twin-sister!

TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, what is Steffy and Taylor’s relationship at this point?

JACQUELINE:

I think Steffy and Taylor do have closeness there, but I think sometimes they treat it more as friends, with Steffy giving Taylor advice or vice-versa. Steffy is growing and wants to be a woman, yet there is always this competition like, “Oh yeah, you are going to tell me what to do? I don’t think this so. You have not been there for me. I have been in Europe this whole time. Who are you to tell me who to be with? “

TV SOAP:

How is working with Hunter Tylo (Taylor)?

JACQUELINE:

I love working with Hunter.

KYLE:

She is unbelievably meticulous about what she wants to say and her intention behind that. She definitely takes what’s written and owns it. I have worked with her for months, and she works her butt off
and knows her stuff. I respect
that!

TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, what did you think when you first saw Kyle and knew you were going to be working with him?

JACQUELINE:

I thought, “He’s incredibly hot!” Kyle is down to earth and funny. I am in tears sometimes from laughing so hard between scenes. You can chat with him for hours.

TV SOAP:

Kyle, what did you think about Jacqueline?

KYLE:

It’s along the same lines. You look at Jacqueline and she is slamming “hot”, and we have a similar sense of humor. She rides a skateboard and roller blades to work. I think that’s really attractive, especially in Los Angeles where you have good-looking people everywhere. She does not saunter outside into her Bentley and designer clothes and drive home. She gets on her roller blades! So there is a down-to-earth quality to which makes her approachable.

TV SOAP:

And you have some “hot” on-screen sex coming up! How is it to do those love scenes?

KYLE:

When you are having “screen-sex” with someone you are not romantically involved with, it’s not the most comfortable thing, but to lighten the ice and have a comfort level, it’s always going to help the chemistry. When working together and sleeping together on-screen, we have been able to accomplish that.

JACQUELINE:

My parents watch the show and love it. However, I must
admit my dad feel’s very
awkward about the love-making
scenes. I don’t think he likes it at all!

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THE MICHELLE STAFFORD INTERVIEW – THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

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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

4 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

1 week 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

2 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.