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The World Magic Award Soap Interviews – St. John, Goddard, Case, Hennesey & Frantz

By Michael Fairman

Published

17 years ago

on

Daniel Goddard and St. John Magic AwardsCirque du Soaps!

Where else could I find magicians and soap stars gathered in one place? I mean, the drama, the cliffhangers, sawing a woman in half! Saturday night at the Barkar Hanger in Santa Monica, ATI (the producers who brought you this year’s Daytime Emmys) brought in some of the best known from daytime drama to act as presenters to some of the best known magic acts in the world, who were recipients on prestidigitation’s biggest night.

I had the opportunity to chat with The Young and the Restless Kristoff St John (Neil) and Daniel Goddard (Cane) on the red carpet, and then sat down with Y&R’s Sharon Case and GH and Cougar Town’s, Carolyn Hennesy for a joint interview. Later, I met up at the after party dinner with Adrienne Frantz (Amber) and her boyfriend Scott Bailey (Ex-GL), who were sitting with the wonderful Shanelle Workman-Gray (Ex-Flash, OLTL and Gaby, B&B) and her husband, actor, David Barry Gray.

Y&R’s Eric Braeden (Victor), who presented the final award of the evening to the top magician of the year, Greg Frewin, was a no-show on the red carpet, snuck in during the taping of the show for his part in the show, and was in and out of the proceedings. He did not speak to press, hence his absence from this feature. Matt Borlenghi, who was reportedly on, then off, then expected back on General Hospital as a reported “Cassadine”, in late December, and his very pregnant and beautiful wife, Heather, also attended the event.

The World Magic Awards are set to air in November on MyNetworkTV affiliates around the country. Be on the lookout. And now, with the wave of my magic wand…here are the World Magic Award Interviews! Poof!

KRISTOFF ST. JOHN

MICHAEL:

So you are here presenting which Magic Award?

KRISTOFF:

Best Comedy Illusion Award with Goddard.

MICHAEL:

Are you going to ignite the Buzzworthy Radio drama again?

KRISTOFF:

Yes, that is correct. Laugh like me. (Laughs) I am a fan of this show and I have come back as a repeat presenter.

MICHAEL:

So Eric Braeden (Victor) who is a presenter here tonight is in a much publicized contract dispute with your show Y&R. What are your feelings on the situation that have Eric written off the show so far? His spokesperson has informed the media, “He may or he may not be back.”

KRISTOFF:

I think that no comment is the best policy to take when other actors are going through contract talks. I don’t believe Eric Braeden will leave the canvas as the character of Victor Newman, but if he does, it would be sad to see him go at such a critical time in the show’s history. We have a guaranteed two years left on network television. I think in order to survive and to get another contract and licensing agreement out of CBS, the wise decision would be to get him back. Is it the wisest decision for Eric to accept the terms of the contract? I don’t know, and I cannot comment on that. It would be a huge loss to the show and the audience worldwide.

MICHAEL:

Were you at the set a few weeks back, when Eric said his “goodbyes” to the cast and crew?

KRISTOFF:

I was not there, but I heard about it. You know my gut tells me that he will come back, but it is a standoff right now. I have been there in the same situation only it wasn’t much of a stand off. (Laughs) I came to the gunfight without a gun.

MICHAEL:

Now, what about the ongoing situation with a return to “Y&R” by Victoria Rowell (Drucilla)? Recently, comments were made that alluded to some people in the cast who were impeding her return, and seemed like it was aimed at Christel Khalil (Lily)?

KRISTOFF:

I don’t think Christel said anything bad about Victoria. There is this assumption that certain people don’t want to work with Victoria based on past history. I believe those were Victoria Rowell’s comments; that there were individuals in the cast that may not be pleased if she were to return, Christel being one of them. And that is why I believe Christel answered back, “Hey, look, I have not said anything.” So, it’s stirring the pot. And it would be wise to bring her back, too. And, if the powers-that-be could somehow figure things out, it would be great!

DANIEL GODDARD

Daniel GoddardMICHAEL:

Cane and Lily have been battling Lily’s cancer together. Coming up, are we going to see a change in Cane since he has been duplicitous in the past? Perhaps… something shifty?

DANIEL:

I have a scene with Billy Miller (Billy) that we shot yesterday that was a good scene and it puts the dynamic of Billy and Cane back in a point where it does well. People like the push and pull of these two, and Maria Bell (Head writer, and co-executive producer, Y&R) is doing a good job at that.

MICHAEL:

What are your feelings on the Eric Braeden situation? Things are in such a state of upheaval in the industry; with the way contract talks and the state that the industry is in regards to actors and their agreements with the series and networks.

DANIEL:

I don’t have an opinion on what is going on with it, but I am certain whoever is reading the contracts knows what they are doing, and so I don’t think they would do something that would be morally or ethically wrong.

MICHAEL:

How do you feel Lily’s cancer storyline is playing out? Do you feel the show is missing some beats or do you like the approach?

DANIEL:

I think it has played out well, and I like the fact that Lily will turn to Cane and be all ‘angst-y’ and Cane lets it roll off of him, because I think there is humanity in the way she does it. They have pulled us off being on everyday just sitting around the house going, “Oh, we are sick. We’re sick. We’re sick.” That can get a little boring.

MICHAEL:

As the person going through the cancer as the caretaker, do you think it’s being told well from the husband’s perspective?

DANIEL:

That is the thing that makes the most sense. It’s not about what Cane is going through, it’s about what Lily is going through. Then you see his perspective as well and you think, “How could he not be tolerant of what she is going through?” She lost her uterus, her chance at having a child, is faced with death, and her best friend, Colleen just died. I mean, most people in that situation in real life would be “kooky” about now…..

MICHAEL:

Unless, they had Cane with them…..

DANIEL:

….Something like that. (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

Now Cane’s Australia connection got dropped after Phillip III returned. Are we finally going to delve into this mystery man’s true past and what he is hiding? What’s up with that?

DANIEL:

I would say it was placed in a warm environment waiting to blossom. The soil was warm and moist but the seed needed time to nurture and when it comes, it will be worth it.

MICHAEL:

How is your new little one, Sebastian?

DANIEL:

Sebastian is 10 months old and is a pistol and an animal. He is so physically strong at 10 months old. He’ll drag the chair and he will throw a ball, and he will go down the stairs with my guidance on his hands first. He is so strong; he can take the weight on his upper body. He is just an amazing little guy.

SHARON CASE AND CAROLYN HENNESY

Carolyn Hennesy Magic AwardsMICHAEL:

I am sitting with Sharon Case and Carolyn Hennesy, and the two of you are presenting together tonight!

CAROLYN:

A magical pair at the Magic Awards!

SHARON:

We are not presenting the award to The Twins, we are introducing their act. They are these young European boys and they do this amazing magic act.

CAROLYN:

Young European boys? (She laughs)

MICHAEL:

From the Czech Republic?

CAROLYN:

Who Cares? I am going to try and stay on the stage so I can disappear with one of them as part of the act. (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

Sharon, its very upsetting and a bit twisted watching yet another soap baby switch whose next victim is poor Sharon. What did you think when you read or heard you were going to be the next actress in soap opera’s notorious baby-switch plot device?

Sharon Case Magic AwardsSHARON:

I have never had a baby switch story. I thought, “Wow, I have never had to play a baby switch story,” and if you are on the show long enough, everything happens to you. That is what I thought. I like that there is always a twist so things keep going. There is always some reason Nick and Sharon can’t be together, and yet they yearn for each other, and I like that we keep that going.

MICHAEL:

Is Sharon going to be crying many more tears before this one is over? One can only expect.

SHARON:

She is trying to come out of this strong and move on with her life, and take this as a sign. Sharon did spend a month in the psychiatric institution so she feels stronger now. She still has sad moments for sure.

MICHAEL:

Is Adam going to go after Sharon to make this really twisted?

SHARON:

I can’t say, because you are going to have to watch. You know Adam, he is trouble!

MICHAEL:

Are you familiar with Cougar Town? Would you like to play a cougar a la Ms. Hennesy?

SHARON:

I love Cougar Town and I would love to play a cougar!

CAROLYN:

Carolyn HennesyThere is nothing more liberating than playing a cougar, especially the kind of Cougar I play on Cougar Town. My cougar had no filter and no morals. Nothing!

MICHAEL:

Good news… the series got picked up by ABC!

CAROLYN:

It got picked up for the entire season.

MICHAEL:

And Sharon, you just wrapped a feature film.

SHARON:

Yes. I just wrapped it a few days ago. It’s a film whose working title was, Love Will Keep Us Together, but for some reason that did not work out, so they are now calling it Man of the House but now there is a conflict with that title. I don’t think it comes out till June 2010, so they have some time to figure that part out. It’s a romantic comedy and I play the lead with David James Elliot. It was fun, and working with David was great.

MICHAEL:

Sharon, Eric Braeden has left the building, so to speak, and for the moment is off Y&R due to contract negotiations. What are your thoughts on the Braeden situation and soap contracts for actors, as we move in 2010 in a tight economic climate and as the genre fights for survival?

SHARON:

It is tough for the actors and the shows, too. Because of the economy and how all the shows are doing on television, the shows are having to make a lot of budgets cuts, and they need to figure out where to make those cuts, and where not to. That is what is important. I think cuts need to be made, but I think where and how the cuts should be made is important to the show, but also keeps the people on the show that the fans want to see.

MICHAEL:

Carolyn, James Franco is coming to GH!

CAROLYN:

Who? Who? Who’s James Franco? Oh, my God! I am so excited! And you know, Max and Diane have broken up for now…

MICHAEL:

…Do I smell a cougar move?

CAROLYN:

So, one can only hope James Franco will find Ms. Miller in his path. I don’t know who he is going to be. I heard he is coming to Port Charles as a mystery person, and I am so excited. I mean, how yummy is James Franco?

MICHAEL:

Pretty yummy! Another yummy favorite for soap fans is Joshua Morrow (Nick), who you have worked with for so many years, Sharon. How do the two of you feel at this point in the story juncture? Do you two still go over material together and discuss what the writers are asking you to play?

Sharon CaseSHARON:

We have worked together a long time, so we know what we want to do in our scenes together and what each of us wants for our characters relationship, so we get it. Every once in awhile we will tell each other, “I want to go in this direction with it and I am just letting you know.” The writing is great and it plays out so naturally. We have done it so long. It used to be our characters were together so long. I mean, there was drama and things would happen, but we were always together. Then when things started to happen: Cassie’s death, Phyllis’s affair, and all these changes that were happening, such as I was working with Peter Bergman (Jack) and Don Diamont (Brad). And Josh and I would talk about it back then and say, “Oh, my God. How do you feel about all this?” Now we are used to it. Storylines change. We are used to working with other people, before we were not, because we would only work with each other.

MICHAEL:

Carolyn, perhaps Diane could have a baby-switch in her future on GH. Every good actress needs one!

CAROLYN:

As long as that baby is Spinelli, I am just fine

MICHAEL:

Sharon, any tips you can give Carolyn on baby swaps on soaps?

SHARON:

Oh, don’t give up, and you will recognize your baby when you see it and probably, the neighbor had it! (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

And of course you will be drugged! Wasn’t Sharon?

CAROLYN:

First of all, Diane is not going to have a baby, because it would have to be by Immaculate Conception. However, I think this is one of the reason’s Spinelli drives her up a tree. I think, we as the cast are all trying to play it and focus the writers in on it; that if Spinelli were Diane’s son, it would explain so much.

ADRIENNE FRANTZ (After show interview)

Adrienne FrantzMICHAEL:

Adrienne, what did you think of all the magic acts?

ADRIENNE:

Some of them were really good. I liked the tiger act at the end, and I like the guy and the woman who kept changing her dresses, and the funny guys from Ireland. I felt they were good and fun, though. If you are going to see magic acts, you might as well go to the World Magic Awards.

MICHAEL:

Let’s talk about Y&R. It has been great watching you with Sean Kanan again and seeing Deacon and Amber fighting their attraction and Deacon’s skullduggery. The way your performance is coming across to the viewers is, you don’t know if she likes the guy or hates his guts. Was that intentional?

ADRIENNE:
Of course! It’s a fine line I am playing. We do have history and Deacon does know what Amber likes, and she does like sparkly diamonds. The other day she was wearing a diamond necklace. Amber does want to get money out of Deacon because he has put her though all this stuff. That is part of who she is, though.

MICHAEL:

Did you find those despicable hotel sex scenes that were degrading to Amber and to women, tough to play? It was tough for viewers to watch and quite sad.

ADRIENNE:

It was hard to play because you know she is doing it to save someone she loves, and at the same time it’s a horrible thing. That was the question going around the set. Would you do that? Would you sleep with someone just to save someone you love? That was the million-dollar question that was going around the set and most people said, “Yes, they would.”

MICHAEL:

Did you see those scenes back?

ADRIENNE:

We shot it twice and the first one was worse. We had to go back and reshoot it, and the second one was the one that aired.  The first one was way more degrading.

MICHAEL:

Michael Graziadei (Daniel) and you are good buddies, plus play love interests on the show. But it looks like…things might change between Daniel and Amber. Do you know where their the story is heading? I know you are not at liberty to divulge much.

ADRIENNE:

Yes, I do know where it’s heading.

Adrienne FrantzMICHAEL:

And when you found out where it was heading, how did it sit with you?

ADRIENNE:

Well, I do know one way it’s heading. I know super surprise twists that are going to happen. I am really excited to start playing this.

MICHAEL:

Will the audience still care for Amber when all is said and done?

ADRIENNE:

You will still feel for her, but you will also see why she struggles with the way she feels and understand what she is going through.

MICHAEL:

What did you think of the Terroni painting being part of the plot device to bring Deacon and Amber, Daniel, Kevin, Jana and Gloria into the fold?

ADRIENNE:

I think it’s interesting and creates an interesting arc. Deacon started making forgeries and so it all started from that. I think it’s an interesting loop that its taken and it’s not over yet.

MICHAEL:

Sean had nothing but complimentary things to say about you, when I interviewed him awhile back. Did you know before, that Sean was headed to Genoa City?

ADRIENNE:

I knew he was going to get it way before, and I was not allowed to say anything.

MICHAEL:

Did you put in a good word?

ADRIENNE:

Yeah, I talked to people. (Laughs) I did put the bug in some ears. When I found out it was for sure, I called him up. It’s cool and we have been friends for years and he is a great actor!

MICHAEL:

Eric Braeden has, for the moment, left Y&R during a contract dispute with SONY and the show. What are your thoughts on the hold-out and the stalemate between actor and the powers-that-be?

ADRIENNE:

They are cutting contracts all around. I mean everybody has to bite the bullet. It’s not like anyone gets special treatment. If you don’t want to play fair with everyone, then don’t play. If you want to step out…. everybody is dealing with the same stuff. So if anybody thinks they are better than anyone else, then they should leave if they want to. It’s a cast. We are all working together. We are all working our hardest to make it go, and if you don’t want to work with everyone than you are not helping.

Adrienne Frantz and Scott BailyMICHAEL:

Your former soap B&B won Best Drama Series at the Emmys!

ADRIENNE:

I was so thrilled for them! I went to their after-party and I said, “I should have gotten on stage with you,” to Brad Bell. And Brad said, “I know you should have!” I was there for so many years. They deserve it. I was thrilled for them!

MICHAEL:

In closing, give me a good teaser for Amber fans?

ADRIENNE:

I think you should watch. She is about to have a conflict that would break anybody’s heart in a billion pieces!

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Interviews

Joe Hendry Talks WWE Microdrama Collab ‘Agent of Shadows,’ New Music, and What’s Next! (Exclusive)

Published

6 hours ago

on

October 23, 2026

By

Joe Hendry

The motto, “I believe in Joe Hendry” is catching on even outside the WWE Universe! The Scottish-born pro wrestler is having a banner October (well not so much on this week’s Monday Night Raw), but with the release of his new album Beyond Belief and appearing in WWE’s first-ever microdrama Agent of Shadows in its partnership with vertical leader ReelShort.

On Friday, October 23, ReelShort launched Agent of Shadows on its mobile-first storytelling platform that is available in more than 100 countries, reaching more than 70 million monthly active users.

Hendry joins fellow WWE stars Drew McIntrye, Jacob Fatu, plus Booker T, Michael Hayes and Nikkita Lyon and more in the cast as they mix it up with microdrama leading men, Chase Mattson and Marc Herrman, in the action-packed series.

Photo: ReelShort

A NEW FRONTIER FOR WWE SUPERSTARS

As the story begins, the world’s greatest secret agent must protect and care for his 6-year-old daughter while posing as her nanny. Now, without revealing his true identity, he must win his daughter’s (and her mother’s) trust, while secretly thwarting corrupt suitors, mafioso strongmen and even a megalomaniacal billionaire who’s using his family to get to him. What could go wrong?

Michael Fairman TV chatted with Hendry on his ascension and rise in the ranks of the WWE, bringing his brand of satire, music and singing to sports entertainment, plus his thoughts on branching out into the acting world of motion pictures, microdramas and more. The full conversation can be seen with Joe on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Photo: ReelShort

JOE HENDRY ON PLAYING … JOE HENDRY

Unlike the other WWE superstars in Agent of Shadows, Hendry is taking on the role of … himself! Seems like it may not be then been too much of a stretch to play or is it? Joe explained, “I don’t know how much of this I’m allowed to reveal, so I’m sure there’ll be a lot of fun in discovering what that is. But what I will reveal is what I think is the best thing about my involvement … everyone else plays a character and I play Joe Hendry. So, I’m very pleased about that.”

Speaking on his background, Joe explained, “For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been a wrestler for 14 years, but I kind of had a mainstream crossover in 2024 when my music video became a meme. It did really well in the charts.  I’ve now been able to carry that forward and I’m in one of those positions where I can just appear as myself.”

“This is the first film-type project I’ve been a part of,” elaborated Hendry. “I think that’s why WWE stars crossover so well into movies, because we’re so used to having to do everything in one take, whereas in Hollywood you may get as many takes as you need. In microdramas, you can look at these chapters as well. So, let’s say you manage to get through the first give chapters on your way to work or whatever, you can always come back to that. I think’s its a smart combination for storytelling.”

Photo: WWE

NEW LP TRACK LIST INCLUDES ‘FIRE LOGAN PAUL’

Back on October 5, Hendry released his LP Beyond Belief filled with hilarious and clever send-ups. The track list includes: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Fire Logan Paul (the social media phenom and pro wrestler), Give Joe Hendry Every Single Belt and more. Hendry added one more favorite, that is his latest single and music video!

“The other main one is If You Don’t Love Joe Hendry, and the lyrics are, ‘If you don’t love Joe Hendry, then, you’re a useless piece of … ‘ So, I think we should fire Logan Paul, and I think we should give Joe Hendry every single belt. I just think these are sensible messages we have to get out to the world.”

The album was completed in what some would consider lighting speed! “We had a lot of fun recording these, but it was done so fast. It was actually a lot of pressure to get it done. I wrote the album except Fire Logan Paul in a span of four days.  It was pretty intense. We recorded all the vocals in five hours, which is insane,” recalled Joe. “But it’s kind of what I was talking about before. In WWE, everything is done live. We do not have retakes. So, I think being a WWE superstar has prepared me well for producing other forms of media quickly.”

Photo: WWE

TEENAGE DREAMS BECOME A REALITY WRESTLING RANDY ORTON

Back in the squared circle, Hendry has been in a feud with the Judgment Day, and in particular of late with JD McDonaugh on Raw. But taking a look at his rise from NXT to TNA to WWE, Joe reflected on his heart-stopping moment at WrestleMania 41 against one of his legends, Randy Orton.

“I remember being 15 and kind of imagining being a pro wrestler. I also remember specifically thinking, ‘What if I had a feud with Randy Orton?’ And then, I became a wrestler when I was just about to turn 25 and all these years later, it happened!

“It such an unlikely story,” said Joe of getting the call he would be facing the 14-time WWE champion. He added, “I’m so grateful that I’ve had that moment early on in my WWE career and it kind of takes the pressure off, because it doesn’t get any bigger than that. So now, I can focus on my goal which is just to get better all the time; improve as a wrestler all the time. I can see the progression in myself. I’m gaining skills and confidence all the time.”

Photo: WWE

SHOULD JOE STAY GOOD OR TURN BAD?

The proverbial question had to be asked, “Does Joe prefer being a babyface or would he like to see a heel turn? Hendry replied, “Interesting question. Never say never. You just never know. Anything can happen in the WWE. It’s funny, originally, my character was designed by me to be hated, and people just happened to like it! You can’t force it. The audience is going to tell you. They are a huge part in dictating our paths as wrestlers.”

Check out Joe in Agent of Shadows by visiting ReelShort.com to download the ReelShort app on Apple and Android devices. You can also check out @ReelShort on YouTube.

You can also watch our full conversation with Joe Hendry now on the Michael Fairman Channel below.

Now let us know, will you check out WWE’s first microdrama, Agent of Shadows? Do you get a kick out of Joe Hendry’s songs and how it relates to his feuds in the WWE and his rise in the ranks of pro wrestling? Hoping Joe stays a babyface or would you like to see him turn heel? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Mike Manning Talks Smitty’s Emotional Visit with His Mother (Exclusive)

Published

11 hours ago

on

October 23, 2026

By

Mike Manning, Smitty

This week on all-new episodes of Beyond the Gates, as Smitty (Mike Manning) continues to be framed and in hot water for the murder of Dr. Lia Whitmore, he gets some familial back-up when his never-before-seen mother, Jenny Smith arrives in Fairmont Crest to see her son.

Jenny is played by Jennifer Van Horn who made her Beyond the Gates debut on the Wednesday, October 21, which was the same day that Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series Emmy nominee, Mike Manning participated in a livestream chat on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

In story, as Smitty was at home, he received a surprise visit from his mother, who resides in Ohio. Jenny came to support her son through this difficult time. Smitty made note of his disappointment that his father didn’t come with her on the trip, sharing that he knows his dad has never been comfortable around wealth or the Duprees.  Smitty also acknowledged how his father didn’t approve of becoming a journalist or moving to the DMV.  Later, when Smitty’s husband, Martin returned (Brandon Claybon) he walked in on Smitty getting a pep talk from Jenny.

Mike Manning

Courtesy/CBS

SMITTY’S MOM ARRIVES

Manning addressed how he had to keep the appearance of Smitty’s mom on the down low. “I do have a mom now. Yes.! I couldn’t talk about it to anybody.  Jennifer Van Horn who plays my mom was so lovely and so nice, and she was great. I love Smitty having some backstory and having a parent.”

And there could be even more Smitty drama to come! Mike shared, “They mentioned Smitty’s father too, so they kind of plant the seeds for maybe more to come, which is nice. I think it really shows that there’s just one more level to the community that is surrounding Smitty. One of my favorite scenes from this entire storyline is when Smitty gets hauled into jail and the entire Dupree family shows up and they all start taking shots at Jacob (Jibre Hordges) and everyone at the police station.”

BEING EMBRACED BY THE DUPREES

Manning,  in particular, recalled a moment from fellow Daytime Emmy nominee, Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree). “I loved when Anita goes, and this is not verbatim, but it was something along the lines of, ‘If Smitty’s not home for dinner, you’re gonna be hearing from Anita Dupree.’ Then, Vernon (Clifton Davis) says something, and Kat (Colby Nixon) comes in and she’s giving him so much sass. I remember watching the episode just being so touched that the entire Dupree family is wrapping around Smitty like this shield, this cocoon.  So, it makes this storyline of him being framed a little bit easier to swallow.”

Jennifer Van Horn

Courtesy/CBS

MORE OF SMITTY’S BACKSTORY TO BE REVEALED?

Speaking of the scenes between Smitty and his mom, Manning felt, “It was very touching. He spoke about how he loved his mom for what she sacrificed, It was one of those mother-son things, but it was poignantly done. I would like them to explore that more, and Smitty’s family, because, I think that it’ll also help inform some of the dynamic between Martin and Smitty. We know that Martin comes from a long line of successful people, whether it’s in entertainment or politicians. His grandfather’s a senator. So, we understand that he grew up in the country club, basically. We don’t really understand where Smitty grew up yet.”

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner also explained that he has his own origin story for Bradley “Smitty” Smith: “Obviously, I have an idea in my head with the backstory that I’ve sort of decided for Smitty, whether or not that’s exactly what the writers are going to throw at me,  eventually, who knows? But, I certainly have an idea of why Smitty is the way he is, why he’s so driven, why he takes risks, why he’s so hungry to prove himself and be successful in journalism and everything else.”

You can check out a scene between Smitty and his never-before-seen-mom, Jenny below. Followed by our live chat with Mike Manning after the episode aired.

Now let us know, do you hope Beyond the Gates explores more of Smitty’s backstory? Did you enjoy the debut of Jennifer Van Horn as Smitty’s mom? Share your thoughts via the conversation below. And make sure to catch Mike on the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards streaming next Friday, October 30 to see if he takes home his third gold statuette!

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Interviews

‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Cast Dish on Steffy, Finn & Carter, Daphne Baby Drama! (Exclusive)

Published

14 hours ago

on

October 23, 2026

By

B&B Cast

On Thursday’s October 22 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, it was now “confirmed” by Finn and Li (Naomi Matsuda), two medical professionals, that Steffy has become pregnant as the surrogate for Carter and Daphne! BUT, what everyone doesn’t know (except co-conspirators Steffy and Carter), is that Steffy was already pregnant with Carter’s child after their drunken night together.

In an elaborate cover-up, Carter has pushed the agenda that they will lie through their teeth to their respective spouses so that their one-night tryst never comes to light which produced a baby. How far can Carter and Steffy carry on this surrogacy implantation charade in an effort to give Daphne the child she can’t have? And what twists and turns are in store now?

This week, B&B series stars: Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), Tanner Novlan (Finn), Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter) and Murielle Hilaire (Daphen) sat down for a conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where they took turns giving their reaction to the storyline, discussing their characters motivations behind the baby drama, and what might lie ahead, and bantering about fan’s theories that have been online and more.

Photo: JPI

REACTIONS TO LEARNING OF THE SURROGACY COVER-UP

Tanner Novlan shared he was happy that the writers did not make Finn a doofus with his shocking reaction of “WHAT!?” when Steffy told her husband that she went ahead and had the procedure to become a surrogate while he was out of town.

“It was great that the writers gave him that opportunity (to have that reaction),” shared Novlan. “We’re still having to work through a lot of that, but there’s a lot of little breadcrumbs that it’s nice that Finn picks one up every once in a while and inspects it and doesn’t just keep carrying on.”

Three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood explained, “I did not expect the storyline, but we are so thrilled.  It’s a wild ride. We’re all shocked. I couldn’t believe that we were diving into this kind of storyline and we’re still in the middle of it … in the thick of it.”

DOUBLE DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE CLEARS THE AIR

For B&B fans thinking that since Lawrence Saint-Victor is an actor and a writer on the soap, and pulls double duty, that he was responsible for creating his frontburner story, he revealed that he has nothing to do with the writers decision on this one. “Not even a little bit, ” shared Saint-Victor. “At first, when Carter was really pushing Steffy, I had a reaction to it. I was like, ‘Oh no, this isn’t good.’ And then, I kind of had to put myself aside and lean into it. My knee-jerk reaction is what the fans are experiencing. I had to get into it and figure out why he’s doing it. But no, I hasn’t nothing to do with it, for those out there that’s thinking I’m manipulating the writer’s room.”

Photo: JPI

COULD FINN AND DAPHNE ALREADY KNOW THEIR SPOUSES CHEATED ON THEM?

Moving forward, might we all be fooled and Daphne and Finn actually know what happened between their spouses? Tanner Novlan weighed-in, “There is a world here where Daphne and Finn, might actually think something else might have happened and think, maybe that’s best (to leave it alone).”

Some viewers believe down the line, the baby will be revealed as Finn’s biological child, since so far, Steffy never took a paternity test. The actors in the story say they have not been told anything different than what they are playing.

“I think that this story’s so wonderfully uncomfortable, everyone’s looking for the way out,” explains Saint-Victor, “If it’s Finn’s baby, then it kind of wraps up. But right now, we’re ‘all gas, no breaks,’ as Jacqui would say. We’re not letting you guys off the easy way here. So, whether it’s Finn’s child or not, that’s not an out.”

Steffy and Carter

Photo: JPI

STEFFY PUT THROUGH THE WRINGER

For Wood, she has been playing the emotional weight of the story. She opened up about how Steffy has processed all that has come at her. “I believe that Steffy would like to think at the very beginning, if she led with honesty and just told Finn, ‘Hey, I was drunk, I was out of my mind and I was angry and hurt and I slept with Carter,’ we wouldn’t be in this situation. Yes, it would’ve been extremely tough, but again, leading with honesty off the heels of Sheila, it would’ve forced Finn to look inward and go, ‘Hey, well, we wouldn’t have been in this situation if you wouldn’t have kept letting your mom, back into your life.”‘

Jacqui elaborated further, “Ultimately, Steffy wanted to feel safe, protected, and her partner, or a man in her life, to come in and say, ‘I’ve got this. You don’t have to worry about this. I’ll protect you.’ And then, obviously having that release with Carter, fast-forward, hearing that moment when she realized what she did, yes, she wanted to tell the truth, but there was something about Carter saying, ‘We can’t do that. We can’t be thinking about ourselves,’ that also resonated with her.”

“Now Steffy’s thinking, she’s selfish, realizing all these people that will be hurt if the truth came out, and how they’ll be crushed. Is it the smartest decision? In the moment, you’re not thinking did you cross all your I’s and T’s. Then in Hindsight, you’re like, ‘Whoa, actually, that was really silly. That was really dumb of us to do.’ But now you’re in it, so you’re going to have to  lean even harder.”‘

Photo: JPI

IS CARTER THE VILLAIN OF THIS STORYLINE?

Some viewers also consider Carter as the villain in this piece, something that Lawerence Saint-Victor has leaned into: “I love it wholeheartedly, because Carter doesn’t see himself as a villain. To Carter, it’s like, if you want to keep your family intact, if you want to make sure that we’re not in tabloids, the COO and the CEO of Forrester Creations had an affair, there’s only one way out.”

He added, “And if that means we have to suffer with the lie to make everyone else have a peaceful life, then that’s our punishment. He doesn’t understand why there’s an option here. He gets that Finn would probably forgive Steffy. I think in the back of his mind he said that’s an option. He knows. whether it’s true or not, for him, he knows it’s not an option with Daphne. She will leave. She left when he was on his best behavior. She will leave now.  For Carter, there is no option.”

WALKING OUT ON HER MARRIAGE

Speaking of walking out, how does Daphne see her role in all that went down? Murielle Hilaire added, “So when Daphne decided to leave it was not because she wasn’t in love with Carter, it’s when she found out she could not give her husband a child, she was heartbroken. She actually only walked out for three hours. She didn’t want to be selfish, and she wanted him to go and maybe find someone who was fertile. I think. if maybe Carter would have followed her to the airport and begged her not to go, maybe she would have left the airport with him (and maybe what happened between he and Steffy wouldn’t have).

THE FUTURE OF SINN

Sinn fans be on the alert! Novlan punctuated that this may be the toughest challenge in Finn and Steffy’s marriage yet. “All I know is that his family means everything to Finn. The kids, his wife, so for him to walk away from that, it would have to be a pretty big lie and this would be one of those lies. They’re love is definitely going to be tested here.”

You can check out the full conversation on the Michael Fairman Channel below.

Now let us know, do you think Finn could walk out on a pregnant Steffy if he learned of her duplicity? Do you think Finn and Daphne might know their spouses slept together, but are keeping the peace, after all, Daphne wants a baby? How do you see this playing out in the months ahead? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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