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The Bold and the Beautiful star John McCook has played Eric Forrester since the show began, 29 years ago today, March 23, 1987. He’s seen a lot, but there are still plenty of new beginnings for the show that has been around for parts of five decades! In this exclusive interview, McCook talks about how everything “bold” is new again!
The Bold and the Beautiful, Happy 39th anniversary
Last summer, B&B moved from Television City, where it had taped since its inception, to the Sunset Las Palmas Studios in Hollywood. “That big old building was such a part of my life for decades,” McCook tells Soap Central, referring to TV City, “even before Bold and the Beautiful, and even before The Young and the Restless [on which McCook played Lance Prentiss from 1976-80].
“It was very bittersweet for me to pack up my stuff and leave that dressing room,” says McCook, hastening to add, “but the move has been very successful. We’re all very, very happy to be where we are now. But, it was something to leave there, I have to say.”
McCook says that getting the lay of the land of the new studios took some doing. Like Television City in Hollywood, the Sunset Las Palmas Studios is steeped in Hollywood history. “There are some old black and white photos around here [of old Hollywood], and I Love Lucy was done here at one point [for its first two seasons] before they moved to Desilu Studios,” McCook says. “There is a little ‘museum’ here that has all that I Love Lucy stuff.”
One of the big pluses in moving to Sunset Las Palmas Studios is that there’s more space. Viewers may have noticed that the sets now on B&B have a bit more room to breathe. “There’s more floor space for the sets and for the cameras,” McCook says. “It’s not so crowded, not that it was crowded before.”
The Bold and the Beautiful, the best of times
McCook has always enjoyed terrific storylines as Eric. A few years into the show, B&B paired the actor with Katherine Kelly Lang’s Brooke, and the ensuing divorce with Stephanie (Susan Flannery) was epic. After Brooke and Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) rediscovered their “destiny,” Eric moved on to marriages and/or relationships with Sheila (Kimberlin Brown), Sally (the late, great Darlene Conley), Lauren (Tracey Bregman), and Taylor (then, Hunter Tylo; now, Rebecca Budig). His dance card gave Ridge a run for his money.
In recent years, B&B has thrown McCook, now paired again with Jennifer Gareis (Donna), some challenging material, including threats to his marriage to Quinn (Rena Sofer), a near-death illness, and, more recently, a forced retirement.
The first story won McCook the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and the second earned him a nomination in the same category.
A lesser actor might have balked at playing certain vulnerabilities that came along with playing those sensitive topics, but McCook embraced the stories with strength, dignity, and grace.
“I’m very flattered and happy to hear [compliments on those stories] because as I saw those scripts come to me, [I saw] the idea of a ‘weakened’ character or a character who could perceive himself as less powerful than he wants to be,” McCook muses.
Finding dignity and strength from within
Rather than lean into being whiny or weak, McCook says, “I have gone absolutely against [type in] all three of those stories [by playing instead] Eric’s anger, his power, and his frustration with the way those things have been imposed on his life. That keeps him a strong character, and that’s been really important to me.
“I play the anger, but not sad,” McCook adds. “As Brad [Bell, B&B’s executive producer/head writer] brings these stories, I’m very glad that I get to play them because they are challenging, and they’re good stuff for an actor to play.”
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McCook is celebrating the show’s 39th today, but he theorizes that next year’s 40th will be even bigger, partially because the show is in a bigger space! “It’s refreshing and energizing,” McCook says. “It’s been a page turn for all of us. We’re very grateful to be here, and we are all having so much fun. This is a very energizing time in our lives.”
Catch all-new episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.
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