Bold & Beautiful Anniversary Exclusive: Original Cast Member John McCook Looks Back at 34 Years, From His Hesitance to Play Eric to His First Day On the Set
Monday, March 22nd, 2021
The veteran actor is one of only two remaining cast members who was there from the beginning. (The other is, of course, Katherine Kelly Lang, who plays Brooke.)
Looking forward to the 34th anniversary of the debut of The Bold and the Beautiful on March 23, Soaps.com has John McCook looking back — so far back, in fact, that he remembers that he wasn’t sure he even wanted to take a meeting about doing the show. “I was on the fence about it,” he admits. “But they kept calling my agent and saying, ‘Bill Bell [the new daytime drama’s co-creator] really wants to see you.’
“And I said, for God’s sake,” he continues, “I can’t say no to him!”
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When he was Young & Restless, McCook was paired with Jaime Lyn Bauer as Lorie Brooks.
Credit: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
A Fateful Meeting
McCook had already worked for Bell, originating the role of playboy Lance Prentiss on The Young and the Restless. When he’d left after five years, “we parted on very good terms, so just to be a gentleman, I agreed to take the meeting,” McCook says. “We hadn’t seen each other in seven years, and the first thing he said was, ‘I thought you’d be older!’”
Knowing that Eric Forrester was to be the silver-haired patriarch of the soap’s central family, McCook suspected that he’d been called in in error. “I suggested perhaps I wasn’t right for the part,” he says. Bell thought otherwise. He already had in mind to play Stephanie Susan Flannery, for whom he’d written kickass material while she was playing Laura Horton on Days of Our Lives. “He said, ‘If I can have you, too, we can build the show from there.’
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“They really wanted a strong pair to be the Forrester matriarch and patriarch,” he continues. “So I took it home and talked to [my wife] Laurette, and we concluded that while the show might run 10 or 15 years, at the very least, it would run five — which was what Capitol, the show that it replaced, had done — and that would be a good job.”
Even in his wildest dreams, McCook didn’t see the show becoming the international sensation that it has. “I knew it would run for a while, but never imagined that 34 years later, we’d still be going strong,” he admits. He did, however, have an inkling of just how special the soap was from the start.
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Bell sure cast his tentpole characters right!
Credit: John Paschal/JPI
A Touch of Class
Since McCook was one of the two first actors hired, he got to bear witness to, in essence, the show’s birth. “I was there for the casting and the set design,” he says, “and it was really quite exciting to be a part of such a massive undertaking from the get-go.”
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The first day that he walked onto the set, he was blown away. “It was the now-iconic Forrester living room, and I thought, ‘My God, they’re spending some money here. This is going to be beautiful!’” he exclaims. “But the first scene I actually taped was in a backstage area where we were putting on a fashion show.
“It was Ridge [then Ronn Moss], Thorne [then Clayton Norcross], Eric and lots of models,” he goes on. “I remember the energy of those scenes. It was so completely different from anything I’d done on a soap before.”
Sweet as she was being, Eric didn’t think Sally Spectra (the late, great Darlene Conley) was “maid” for him in 1997.
Credit: John Paschal/JPI
A Moment of Reflection
On the eve of this remarkable milestone, McCook can scarcely wrap his head around his good fortune. And to think — he almost refused to be considered to play Eric! “Being on this show and, to back up even further, to be able to be an actor all these years and be able to make a living at it… It’s such a cliché to say it’s been a blessing, but it has,” he says. “The very definition of a stunningly good job in show business is a long run on Broadway, a TV series or a soap opera.”
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And in his stunningly good job, McCook has himself done a stunningly good job. On your way to the comments to share your congratulations — after all, the show’s anniversary is also the anniversary of his debut as Eric — check out the below photo gallery, a collection of nostalgia-tinged images from the show’s start to today.
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
1/59
<p>When <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> debuted on March 23, 1987, heading up the cast were daytime MVPs Susan Flannery (ex-Laura, <em>Days of Our Lives</em>) and John McCook (ex-Lance, <em>The Young and the Restless</em>) as Stephanie and Eric Forrester, the heads of a design dynasty and parents of Thorne (Clayton Norcross), Ridge (then Ross Moss) and Kristen (Teri Ann Linn). Or so they <em>thought</em>…</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
2/59
<p>Yes, yes, we’ll get to more recent storylines, like the brilliantly bonkers one that found Thomas Forrester (Matthew Atkinson) going to second base with an inaminate object that resembled the object of his obsession. But first…</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
3/59
<p>Initially, the soap focused on the love triangle of sibling rivals Ridge and Thorne, and the virginal Caroline (Joanna Johnson), the daughter of Spencer Publications honcho Bill Spencer Sr. — and, we’d later learn, the twin sister of Faith Roberts, whom we know better as Karen. But not <em>that</em> Karen, thankfully.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
4/59
<p>Sure, in this photo, it looks like butter wouldn’t melt in the mouth of Forrester matriarch Stephanie. But that’s mainly because butter would be too freakin’ scared to get anywhere near her, much less her mouth. That sharp tongue of hers was painful; her right hook, downright debilitating!</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
5/59
<p>Stephanie’s disapproval of Ridge’s infatuation with cater waiter-turned-chemist Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) is the stuff of legend. And not for nothing, the blonde bombshell worked hard to earn from the older woman the nickname the Slut From the Valley. Not only did she have her way with Ridge — <em>and</em> marry Eric out from under Stephanie — she also… well, keep scrolling. You’ll see.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
6/59
<p>Yeah, Brooke also got seriously involved with Thorne (Winsor Harmon here). <em>And</em> Ridge’s half brother, Nick Marone. But who was keeping score of her scoring, right?</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
7/59
<p>As this photo so clearly illustrates, the furious force of nature was eager for Brooke to get a hold of herself — a <em>choke</em> hold, if necessary.</p>
Image: Jesse Grant/JPI
8/59
<p>Alas, Brooke couldn’t help but push Stephanie’s buttons. In fact, after no-good Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan) deflowered her daughter Bridget (then Jennifer Finnigan) — while on the phone with her <em>entire</em> freaking family! — the strumpet still went ahead and not only hooked up with him herself, she had his daughter… you know, Hope. Speaking of whom…</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
9/59
<p>This was the kind of scene that played out any time Hope (then Kim Matula) was in the same room as her mom and boyfriend Oliver Jones (Zack Conroy) after they had let masks convince them that they were shtupping other people entirely at the senior’s high-school graduation party. You can well and truly picture Stephanie’s reaction, can’t you? Thought so.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
10/59
<p>In hopes of driving a sexy, sexy wedge between Brooke and Ridge, Stephanie had Thomas (Adam Gregory here) lie that he and his stepmother had gotten busy while high on hallucinogenic flora after a plane crash. As you can imagine, given both Brooke’s reputation and Thomas’ abs, everybody believed it.</p>
Image: Cliff Lipson/CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
11/59
<p>In Stephanie’s defense, she had been hardenened by years of abuse at the hand of her father — years of abuse to which mom Ann (guest star Betty White) had turned a blind eye. It took the two of them an eternity to make peace. But as if we needed further proof that miracles can happen, Stephanie and Brooke became…</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
12/59
<p>As a matter of fact, Brooke mourned the loss of her longtime tormentor as much as she had that of her own mother. No one understood Brooke better than her foremost foe. No one challenged her as much as her most vocal detractor. And heaven knows, no one smacked her as much.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
13/59
<p>Proving that she had as much vicious moxie as sister Stephanie ever had, Pam Douglas (Alley Mills) made it her mission in life to undermine would-be mistress of the manor Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis). As you can see, their exchanges were… um, colorful.</p>
Image: Geraldine Overton/CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
14/59
<p>The natural enemy of the Forrester family was knockoff queen Sally Spectra (the late, great Darlene Conley). A real broad’s broad, she wasn’t the type to sit around waiting for the phone to ring. Well, despite the implications of this particular image!</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
15/59
<p>Sally’s softer side was embodied by daughter Macy Alexander (Bobbie Eakes), a promising vocalist who found all too many reasons to sing the blues. Not the least of which was her habit of dying.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
16/59
<p>Never mind Sally’s tough exterior. She went as squishy as a marshmallow when it came to her Bucky, playboy designer Clarke Garrison (Daniel McVicar). Sadly, he could never handle a woman who was as feisty and formidable as Sally. He was more into whoever was…</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
17/59
<p>If that meant making a play for the Forresters’ frosty daughter Kristen, so be it. There is, after all, a “tulle” for every job.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
18/59
<p>Over the years, Macy tried to navigate a complicated relationship with Thorne (Jeff Tracta here) that was downright Shakespearean aside from the infrequency of duels and scarcity of poison. </p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
19/59
<p>During hiatuses from Brooke, Ridge attempted to move on with Taylor Hayes (Hunter Tylo), a shrink who took to couples costumes like a fish to water. Or, if we’re going for a fashion analogy, like a seamstress to a sewing machine?</p>
Image: Monty Brinton/CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
20/59
<p>Ridge even endeavored to start a new family with Taylor, one that included identical twins Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Phoebe (MacKenzie Mauzy). We’ll just leave that there for a hot minute. <em>Identical</em> twins. Mm-hmm.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
21/59
<p>For a moment, Ridge (now Thorsten Kaye) broke his pattern of ping-ponging between Taylor and Brooke for long enough to become enaged to the latter’s kid sister, Katie (Heather Tom). Again, this was only “for a moment.” Knots tied in string rarely <em>stay</em> tied.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
22/59
<p>After an injury stripped Ridge of his designing mojo, he found renewed inspiration in working — <em>closely</em> — with Caroline’s namesake niece (Linsey Godfrey, most recently Sarah on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>). That and macking on her.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
23/59
<p>Distracting Ridge from his womanizing from time to time was his <em>other</em> family, surprise biodad Massimo Marone (the late, great Joseph Mascolo), the aforementioned Nick (Jack Wagner) and Nick’s mother, Jackie (Lesley-Anne Down), whose predilection for boy toys was rivaled only by Sally’s.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
24/59
<p>Stephanie had let her husband and son go their entires lives without mentioning that it was old flame Massimo to whom Ridge should have been sending Father’s Day cards. But then…</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
25/59
<p>… was kinda Stephanie’s approach to the truth, especially when telling it might have consequences. She even kept Eric in the dark about the fact that their “late” daughter Felicia (Lesli Kay) was only late in air quotes. It was a whole thing.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
26/59
<p>We did mention, didn’t we, that Jackie was a bit of a cougar. Mind you, her relationship with Owen Knight (Brandon Beemer, now Shawn on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>) really put the “love” in “love affair.”</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
27/59
<p>When not contemplating going all in and changing her name to Mrs. Robinson — get it? — Jackie ran her own design house. Among its staff: Bridget (Ashley Jones here), who spent years becoming a doctor, only to realize that what she really wanted to do was draw dresses while wearing the “impenetrable” disguise of Madame X.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
28/59
<p>The CBS soap’s early cast included John Wayne’s son Ethan and Robert Mitchum’s granddaughter Carrie as Brooke’s siblings, Storm and Donna.</p>
Image: Tony Esparza/CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
29/59
<p>By 1998, Brooke had hired the world’s worst nanny for Bridget (Agnes Bruckner here) and Rick (Jacob Young): Impetuous Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz) seduced her boss’ teenage son. Needless to say — and as his expression suggests — Sally’s son C.J. Garrison (Mick Cain) was suddenly <em>very</em> eager to be babysat.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
30/59
<p>Rick (Justin Torkildsen here) didn’t take it well when he learned that bride Amber had traded their ill-fated offspring for the healthy child born to her cousin Becky (Marissa Tait).</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
31/59
<p>In 2013, Rick (Young again) lost his heart to Maya Avant (Karla Mosley), who at various points was played as a salt-of-the-earth ex-con, a scheming, updwardly-mobile model and a transgender trailblazer. To this day, we have no idea why the couple divorced.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
32/59
<p>No sooner had Maya and sister Nicole (Reign Edwards) discovered that their family tree needed a branch added for their dad’s illegitimate daughter, Sasha Thompson (Felisha Cooper), than the vixen began putting the moves on future half brother-in-law Zende Forrester Dominguez (Rome Flynn here).</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
33/59
<p>There was no mistaking that gleam in Taylor’s eye. It was a sure sign that she was once again going to try to get over Ridge — in this case, by getting under his stepbrother, Rick (Kyle Lowder here).</p>
Image: Evans Ward/JPI
34/59
<p>Oh dear. The tears sparkling their way down Taylor’s cheek suggest that, even as she was committing herself to Ridge’s half brother, Nick, she knew that she could never really love any man but the one she couldn’t have.</p>
Image: John Pashal/JPI
35/59
<p>Briefly, it looked as if Taylor might become Ridge’s stepmother. Which, if his history has taught us anything, is hardly a hindrance to a hookup. (Right, Brooke?)</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
36/59
<p>Ultimately, Taylor might have been better off staying in Morocco, where she landed after a “fatal” plane crash. There, a smitten Prince Omar (Kabir Bedi) treated his Layla like a queen. Or at least like a princess.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
37/59
<p>Yup, now would be a good time to “reflect” on 1992, the year that <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ epic feud between baby-stealing psychopath Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) and her favorite punching bag, Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman), spilled over to <em>The Bold and the Beautiful. </em></p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
38/59
<p>After being held prisoner by Sheila, shrink James Warwick (Ian Buchanan) should have known better than to have anything to do with her. But he not only had something to do with her, that something left her pregnant with his child.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
39/59
<p>If Sheila had a bonkers equal, it was Ridge’s old flame, Morgan DeWitt (Sarah Buxton), who went so off the rails over what could’ve been but never was, she kidnapped a very young Steffy and let her parents believe that she’d been eaten by a shark. Oh, and judging from Stephanie’s expression here, Morgan was an at best mediocre plumber.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
40/59
<p>From the moment we met Bill Sr.’s namesake son (Don Diamont), his interests were clear: women, women and more women. And if the woman happened to be one of the Logan sisters, so much the better!</p> <p> </p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
41/59
<p>We thought that the 2009 wedding of Bill and Katie settled the matter of which of the Logans was his true love. We thought wrong. The groom’s lips and sister-in-law Brooke’s have over and over again seemed to be as drawn to one another as our lips are to a glass of Malbec.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
42/59
<p>“Like father, like son” took on a whole new meaning when Bill’s chip off the ol’ block, Liam (Scott Clifton), began ping-ponging between Hope (Matula here) and her sometime stepsister, Steffy.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
43/59
