Katherine Kelly Lang and John McCook on 38 Years of ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Soap opera stars reflect on their internationally beloved drama. Plus, a ‘B&B’ preemption update
With The Bold and the Beautiful celebrating 38 years of drama on Sunday, original cast members John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang sit down with Woman’s World to dish on the internationally adored soap opera. Here, the Daytime vets reflect on their runs as Eric Forrester and Brooke Logan and get candid about how they’ve kept the drama fresh since 1987.
Plus, as Forrester Creations survives its latest coup, Ridge makes house with Taylor again, and young Luna seems poised to carry on Grandma Shiela’s legacy, we have details on when The Bold and the Beautiful will return to screens after March Madness preemptions and what to expect.
‘B&B’ stars John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang admit they hesitated 38 years ago
After making a name for himself by playing Lance Prentiss on The Young and the Restless, John McCook spent seven years landing roles on Remington Steele, LA Law, Threes Company, and more—so when his old boss William J. Bell invited him to join the brand-new soap opera he was launching with Lee Phillip Bell and their son Bradley, he said no. More than once!
“I was a working actor, and I was surviving,” he explains, but after hedging, McCook agreed to start dying his hair to play silver fox Eric Forrester—and at 80, the Daytime Emmy-winner is still clocking in. “I’m very comfortable with the fact that I’m the old guy on our show, and very confident that even as the old guy, I’m still going to have a major storyline any minute now. I’m so happy to be on The Bold and the Beautiful and very proud of it.”
With a budding career that included roles on Magnum P.I. and Happy Days, not to mention four music videos, Katherine Kelly Lang was also hesitant to join.
“I was only 25, so signing on for four years, that was the scary part,” Brooke’s portrayer admits. “But it was a no-brainer to say, ‘Yes,’ to the opportunity to do a half-hour soap opera in Los Angeles with the Bells and all these wonderful people. And it was also such a great part.”
‘B&B’ original players John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang talk first impressions
With Brooke a pivotal role from the start, McCook reveals Lang blew him away during her audition.
“I thought she was the cutest thing I ever saw,” he recalls. “And then we did a test scene, and she was so natural, so good, and so easy. She was giggly, energetic, and not freaked out—and the other girls I’d read with had been freaked out. When she walked out, everyone in the room said, ‘That’s her.’”
Upon hearing this story, Lang can’t help but get emotional.
“I just got crazy butterflies in my heart and my stomach,” she cries. “Definitely I was nervous, because that’s coming back to me now. However, John made me feel so comfortable. We rehearsed before we put it on tape and I remember him looking at me and saying, ‘You got this.’ He was such a cheerleader. He allowed me the space to do this great scene with him, so I always give him credit for me getting the part.
“And of course, four years came and went so fast and I re-signed, because I was starting a family,” she adds. “It was perfect, because I was able to have my kids, be pregnant, and bring them to work—and still do the job that I loved doing. But nobody knew it was going to be going on this long!”
John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang talk ‘B&B’ remotes and international love
By the second year, McCook did have a feeling the show would outlast that first contract.
“It was so popular everywhere in the world,” he explains. “Members of our cast were going on trips to Italy and the Netherlands to promote it, and finding that we were a sensation.”
The Bold and the Beautiful showrunner Bradley Bell—who wrote the very first episode with his father and ultimately took over—has embraced their international audience by taking the drama from California to shoot in places like Sydney, Australia, Puglia, Italy, and Monte Carlo, Monaco.
“We love getting out of the studio and going around to different countries, because people feel like they’re going along with us,” says Lang—who often graces the covers of international magazines and carpets, had fun on Australia’s Neighbours and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and launched a kaftan line. “People speak different languages, but no matter what their culture, lifestyle, or religion, the show resonates. It’s become this amazing opportunity for us.”
John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang offer an update on ‘B&B’ alums Susan Flannery and Ronn Moss
Another opportunity the actors didn’t see coming was Brooke ending up in Eric’s arms—which first happened after Ridge married Caroline Spencer.
“I was excited about that,” Lang recalls. “Brooke was heartbroken by Ridge, and what better person to turn to than his father—especially since Eric is so kind. He just takes you in his arms and you feel safe, loved, and taken care of. That’s what Brooke needed, and she really loved Eric. She still does. They have that soft spot for each other.”
That soft spot has survived the exits of the show’s two other original players, Susan Flannery and Ronn Moss, who played the late Stephanie and the now-recast Ridge.
“Ronn’s all over the world being Ronn Moss, playing guitar, and still wearing a scarf in every scene,” McCook says. “I love seeing him online and I just have great enthusiasm for Susan.”
Lang chimes in to report, “They’re both doing well. Last year, I had dinner with Ronn and some friend in Italy and I also drove up to Santa Barbara to see Susan. I see them every once in a while, and it’s just a nice connection.”
‘B&B’ Katherine Kelly Lang talks the Brooke/Ridge/Taylor triangle surviving time and recasts
Over the decades, Eric and Brooke have been entangled in triangles with Ridge, Stephanie, and even Shiela—not to mention a few paternity tales. The triangle that’s survived time and recasts since 1995, however, involves Ridge and Taylor—and Eric is definitely Team Brooke.
“He’s constantly grabbing Ridge by the shoulder and saying, ‘Pay attention. Brooke is the love of your life!’” McCook says. “And he’s always reassuring Brooke. I love that Eric is such a champion for that relationship, and that it’s gone on for years and years and years.”
With Thorsten Kaye assuming the role of Ridge in 2013 and Rebecca Budig the latest actress to take on Taylor, Brooke is currently the woman on the outs.
“Sometimes we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, again!’” Lang admits. “And maybe even fans say that, but they still love it. I think the magic is in the history of how it was set up and how long it’s gone on. Also, sometimes in life, you’re constantly dealing with the same issues and problems in relationships or marriages, and it never goes away. So it’s interesting.”
‘B&B’ stars John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang reveal the secret to keeping it fresh
At 25, Lang had worried about being locked into the same character for four long years. As she celebrates 38, she’s managed to keep the love triangles, catfights, and Forrester showdowns fresh.
“You just have to be true in the moment and keep it real,” she explains. “You have to feel where the other actor is coming from, the transitions of the characters through the years, and where they are now with their lives. I also like to rehearse the lines with the other actors, so we’ve figured out exactly what we’re saying.
“Well… sometimes that’s not true, because sometimes I say things differently, every take!” she admits with a laugh. “But we figure out where we are in the scene, emotionally.”
With the infamously fast pace of soap production, teamwork among the cast has become critical.
“Half the time, Kelly will be coming on the set carrying her shoes and her skirt, which she hasn’t even put on yet, and it’s the same with me,” McCook cracks. “We’re just barely getting it together to begin the scene and it might seem we’re very cavalier about it, but in fact, we do huge amounts of preparation. Kelly, Thorsten, Jacqui (MacInnes Wood), and all the rest of us have to flesh out this stuff in our dressing rooms and be ready to deliver, so we are actually incredibly dependent on each other.”
What to expect when ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ returns after March Madness
The Bold and the Beautiful was preempted by March Madness today and yesterday, but the soap opera will celebrate its 38th year with fresh episodes on Monday.
Woman’s World hears that while Eric, Ridge, and Steffy settle back into control of Forrester Creations after a short Logan/Carter reign, the Brooke/Ridge/Taylor triangle is set to rear again soon—and we can hardly imagine what kind of mayhem the union of Luna and Grandma Sheila Carter will bring!
“Whoo, that’s scary as hell!” McCook cries with a grin. “It’s so good, right? But that family fashion business is the backbone of our show, and it goes back to the very first episode. Besides the romances, erectile dysfunction and all that stuff, that has been the strongest storyline I’ve played all these years. Now we’re back in tune with it, and we’ll see what happens.”
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