Young & Restless Exclusive: As Jack Confronts His Past, Peter Bergman Warns That ‘What Comes Next Is Going to Shock the Audience’
“Giant things are at stake!”
The day that Peter Bergman opened a Young & Restless script and saw the name Keemo mentioned, “I was caught completely off guard,” he tells Soaps.com. “He hasn’t been mentioned in years! Every now and then, someone like yourself would write an article reminding Jack that he has more than one son. But we’d decided to ignore that.
“And as it turns out,” he adds, “Jack was essentially ignoring the problem that had arisen between them. Now, he has to pay the ugliest of prices.”
Above: After Luan died, Jack and Keemo drifted apart and never reconnected.
Credit: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection (2)
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As viewers know, Jack recently learned that Keemo — the son from whom he’d long been estranged — is dead. “Jack stupidly thought that over time, they would work through their issues. More recently, the Jack that understands things better came to realize it was up to him to reach out and fix the problem. But he didn’t do it, and now he’s left with this unimaginable regret.”
As one might expect, this is only the beginning of the story. “Jack’s next step is to begin looking into the life that Keemo had,” says the actor, careful to avoid saying too much. “And what he finds is a surprise. And then, following the surprise, what comes next is going to shock the audience!”
Despite practically bursting with excitement, Bergman smiles and shrugs, “That’s as much as I can say.”
It’s worth noting that as Jack begins this next phase of the story, Phyllis is the one by his side. “No one on earth knows him better,” believes Bergman. “And I would argue the opposite is true as well. With her, he has a partner/companion/confessor/ally by his side as he encounters three of the most life-changing experiences one can have.”
Above: “They’ve been everything — friends, lovers, even rivals — at one point or another,” says Bergman of Jack and Phyllis.
Credit: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
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The day of our interview with Bergman, he was taping a set of thrilling scenes. “Giant things are at stake,” he enthuses. “And I had fun! How many people who’ve been doing this for 42 years get to say that?”
What made these particular scenes so exciting? “Three things,” he explains. “First, I got to really connect with the other actor, and our characters connected. Each of us got a surprising reaction from the other, and it was the coolest feeling.
“The second part is the story,” he continues. “I watch through the eyes of the audience, and every now and then, you get material where you think, ‘Oh my God, America is gonna flip!'”
And the third element? “Sometimes, you have writing that supports everything you want to do in a scene,” Bergman reflects. “It doesn’t happen every day. It can’t happen every day! They’re writing 260 episodes a year, and they can’t all be home runs. But once in a while, you get one that just takes your breath away, and that was what I got today. Honestly, I left high from the whole experience.”
Which is something he never anticipated feeling at this point in his career. “I am just the luckiest actor you’ll ever talk to,” he beams. “I just keep getting these amazing gifts. You know, you think that maybe you should start planning for what the next chapter of your life is going to be. You think, ‘Agewise, maybe it’s appropriate for the show to consider moving on.’ And then a new story comes along that jolts me and is going to jolt the audience.”
Talk about your tantalizing teasers! What do you think is coming down the proverbial pike, readers? And how will these twists impact Jack’s future? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, then join us as we flash back to some of the many storylines that Bergman has gotten to play since stepping into Smilin’ Jack’s shoes.
