Bold & Beautiful’s Jacqueline MacInnes Wood Kicks Off Emmy Season In Style — and Wait Until You See Who Crashed the Party!
Tuesday, June 14th, 2022
Who’ll wind up hosting next year’s luncheon?
When it comes to the annual Daytime Emmys, there are a whole lot of things we look forward to. Will soaps get the respect they deserve? Who’ll be wearing what on the red carpet? And of course, which show will wind up walking away with the top prize?
And then there’s what’s become our favorite pre-Emmys tradition, the Leading Ladies Luncheon. Each year, whoever walked away with the Outstanding Leading Actress trophy during the previous season invites the current nominees to lunch. Given that the honor was bestowed upon Bold & Beautiful‘s Jacqueline MacInnes Wood during the 2021 telecast, she gathered this year’s nominees to break bread at LOAM, located in downtown Los Angeles’ Ace Hotel. (Want to know what was on the menu? Check it out here!)
This year’s attendees were Laura Wright (Carly, General Hospital), Cythia Watros (Nina, General Hospital), Arianne Zucker (Nicole, Days of Our Lives) and Marci Miller (whose Days of Our Lives alter ego, Abby, had met a tragic fate only the day before). Unable to attend was this year’s fifth nominee, The Young and the Restless‘ Mishael Morgan (Amanda).
Having attended several of the luncheons over the years, Laura Wright (Carly, General Hospital) was happy to be included again. “Another amazing Leading Ladies luncheon,” she posted to Instagram. “Thank you [Jacqueline] for hosting this special tradition, and a huge shout-out to [Loam] for making it so memorable!. Cheers to us, ladies! See you on the 24th!”
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Of course, if you look at the pic above, you’ll notice there was a very special guest in attendance: Miller’s daughter, Willet. Hey, you know a good time is being had by all when someone’s missing a shoe… right, Willet?
Who made the best-ever Daytime Emmy speech? Check out the gallery below in which we rank our all-time favorites!
Image: John Paschal/JPI (2)
1/20
<p>Upon being named the Oustanding Supporting Actor of 1997 for his work as <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> shrink James, soap-hopper Ian Buchanan took to the stage and began a love scene with his award. “Oh, baby,” he exclaimed, <a href="https://youtu.be/r881Eyi3C_A?t=775" target="_blank">planting a kiss on his golden girl</a>. “This is totally unexpected.” So was <em>that</em>! From there, he thanked the show’s creators for also making his boss, Bradley Bell.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
2/20
<p>“Oh, I have 25 seconds,” Chad Duell realized upon accepting the 2015 prize for Outstanding Supporting Actor. “Jeez.” Knowing that time was of the essence, the <em>General Hospital</em> star fast-forwarded through his thank-yous with the skill of an auctioneer, tipping his hat to God, then-girlfriend Kristen Alderson (ex-Kiki) and the soap’s executive producer and headwriter before wrapping up his speech like Michael might a board meeting. “Alright, bye.”</p>
Image: George DeSota/JPI
3/20
<p>When <em>One Life to Live </em>vet Erika Slezak won <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uMMMDemwMI" target="_blank">her sixth and final statuette</a> for playing Viki in 2005, she first cheered her fellow nominees, with whom she’d had lunch the previous day. Calling them “the greatest dames on Earth,” the venerable veteran laughed that “I thought they were going to throw us out of the restaurant, we had such a good time.” She even gave a special shout-out to on-screen sparring partner Robin Strasser (Dorian).</p>
Image: Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images (3)
4/20
<p>Regaining her composure after being announced as 1989’s Outstanding Lead Actress, <em>Santa Barbara</em> MVP Marcy Walker (Eden) rewound to her days on <em>All My Children</em>, where she’d played Liza, to thank her former co-stars. “They taught me about respect for your fellow actor and integrity in the work,” she said, adding, “I never would have understood to admire the people I work with every day on <em>Santa Barbara</em>” without them. From there, she gave shout-outs to her on-screen parents and husband A Martinez (Cruz). “You are brilliant!” she exclaimed. Agreed!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
5/20
<p>Sigh. We’ll never stop missing the late <em>Young & Restless</em> star, who was named 1992’s Outstanding Younger Actor for his performance as Neil. Even relatively early on his career, he was the portrait of the poised professional, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LbK7roKMZM" target="_blank">calling the cast and crew “a family”</a> and sharing his love of “God, for without whom nothing is important and with whom everything is possible.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
6/20
<p>Winning his first Daytime Emmy in 1998 — for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Jason on<em> General Hospital</em> — Steve Burton was so pumped, he didn’t so much give an acceptance speech as yell it. The magic of the moment in his voice, he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN6cgbciCYU" target="_blank">thanked God, Mom, Dad</a> and the fiancée who became his wife in 1999.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
7/20
<p>Upon scoring an Outstanding Supporting Actress Daytime Emmy in 1995 for her star turn as Lois on <em>General Hospital</em>, Rena Sofer (now a <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> scene stealer as Quinn) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uEkWeZl1Sk" target="_blank">delivered her acceptance speech</a> with the efficiency of an auctioneer. “You should be up here,” she told Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie) before thanking on- and then-off-screen leading man Wally Kurth (Ned). “You’re an actor who just lets me go. You have brought love into my life, your child’s love into my life… ” With that, she deadpanned, “I’m not pregnant.” (The former marrieds did have a daughter together a couple of years later, but she was referring to Kurth’s firstborn.)</p>
Image: Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
8/20
<p>“I really didn’t think I was gonna win,” admitted then-rookie Cynthia Watros when she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1adM8OfjVug" target="_blank">took home the Lead Actress Emmy</a> in 1998 after being nominated for the first time for the role she’d just left, that of <em>Guiding Light</em>’s Annie. In fact, the up-and-comer — now Nina on <em>General Hospital</em> — was so overcome with emotion that presenter Joseph Mascolo (Stefano, <em>Days of Our Lives</em>) passed her a handkerchief. “Thank you,” she gasped, “for putting up with me!”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
9/20
<p>“I <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCvZ1W1Vc1s" target="_blank">did not prepare a speech at all</a>,” admitted Amelia Heinle in 2014, when she was named Outstanding Supporting Actress for the first time for her portrayal of Victoria on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>. Winging it, she thanked “my bosses first,” then the duo that had kept her at her audition to replace Heather Tom. “I wanted to run out,” she confessed. “I was terrified of taking on this role [that she originated]. But it’s been the most fulfilling thing in my life.”</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
10/20
<p>When Maurice Benard’s work as Sonny on <em>General Hospital</em> earned him his first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in 2003, he put down his statuette on the stage, then thanked <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Tes-CnP2M" target="_blank">the trailblazer who’d played Luke</a>. “Tony Geary, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you,” he said. #truth And when Benard’s speech went on for so long that the band was cued up to usher him off, he just went right on talking until he was good and done. Nobody puts Sonny in a corner!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
11/20
<p>“I gotta tell you that walk from my seat to this stage took a few seconds, but it was actually 37 years,” said <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ James Reynolds when at last he won the Outstanding Lead Actor Daytime Emmy in 2018. In accepting the prize for his portrayal of Abe, the class act acknowledged his predecessors, Al Freeman Jr. (Ed, <em>One Life to Live</em>), Darnell Williams (Jesse, <em>All My Children</em>) and A Martinez (Cruz, <em>Santa Barbara</em>), “the other actors of color in the last 45 years” that had scored in the same category.</p>
Image: Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
12/20
<p>Rocking some fantastically New Wave hair — eat your heart out, Flock of Seagulls! — Kim Zimmer exuberantly took off her shoes en route to the stage to tearfully accept her 1985 Outstanding Lead Actress Daytime Emmy. And after thanking all of the fellow nominees from whom she’d learned the tricks of the trade, she expressed her gratitude to <em>Guiding Light</em> headwriter Pam Long “for creating Reva Shayne Lewis, and long may she live!”</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
13/20
<p>Back in 2000 — years before <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Mariah was even a gleam in a headwriter’s eye — 10-year-old Camryn Grimes became <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Nc2i88AXg" target="_blank">the youngest-ever winner</a> of a Daytime Emmy. And technically, what Cassie’s portrayer said wasn’t so memorable as the way that she said it, emotionally and so close to hyperventilating that presenter Martha Byrne (Lily, <em>As the World Turns</em>) leaned down to remind her to take a breath.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
14/20
<p>When <em>Guiding Light</em> MVP Michael Zaslow earned his Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy in 1992 for his pot-stirring as Roger, he not only <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIRu1fV7Yj8" target="_blank">thanked his peers for sparing his daughters</a> from having to write him another consolation note, he shared how wonderful his wife was. “I tell you that not only because it’s true,” he added, “but because she told me to tell you, because she said that’s what David Canary (Adam/Stuart, <em>All My Children</em>) and Peter Bergman (Jack, <em>Young & Restless</em>) always say.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
15/20
<p>“My day started with my baby spitting up on me right before I left to come here,” admitted <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> leading lady Jacqueline MacInnes Wood in accepting her first Outstanding Lead Actress Daytime Emmy in 2019, “then my heel broke right when I got on the red carpet.” But once she had that golden girl in her hand, fughadaboudit! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY8vsYlzTeU" target="_blank">“It was worth it!”</a> she exclaimed.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
16/20
<p>Upon claiming her first Outstanding Lead Actress Daytime Emmy in 2014, Eileen Davidson (then <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Kristen) gave a shout-out to her onetime <em>Young & Restless</em> stepdaughter, Heather Tom (who’d played Victoria to her Ashley). “First of all, I have to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCeXKE4VYF0" target="_blank">thank Heather for sharing</a>,” joked Davidson, “<em>this</em> year.” Tom had taken home the prize in 2012 and 2013 for her work as Katie on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>.</p>
Image: Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
17/20
<p>When soap vet David Canary won the first of his five Daytime Emmys for playing good-’n’-evil twins Adam and Stuart on <em>All My Children</em> in 1986, he confessed on stage that he’d recently had an unsettling dream. “I found myself in the wings of a theatre trying to go on for my final test at a conservatory of music. I had one little piece of sheet music. It was a pop song. I couldn’t find the sheet music, I couldn’t remember the name of the song, and I was in my underwear. I wondered why I had this nightmare of unpreparedness, and now I know.”</p>
Image: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
18/20
<p>When <em>Young & Restless</em>’ Mishael Morgan became the first Black Outstanding Lead Actress winner in 2022, she marveled that “I am being honored regardless of the color of my skin, regardless of my passport, for being the best at what I do.” Amanda’s portrayer wasn’t just excited for herself, either. “Now there are little girls all around the world… [who know that] no matter what, they can strive to be the best at what they do. Not only can they achieve it, but they will be celebrated.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
19/20
<p>After taking home a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, <em>Young & Restless</em> legend Jeanne Cooper won <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j06DKfBJveQ" target="_blank">her first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress</a> four years later. “I bet you thought I had died,” she cracked. From there, Katherine’s late, great portrayer kept us in stitches. “Oh dear, high-definition or no high-definition… What can I tell ya? It’s a bitch, isn’t it?” Reason No. 21,459 why we never need a reminder that Cooper was one of a kind.</p>
Image: Globe Photos/Media Punch/IPX/Associated Press
20/20
