What The Bold And The Beautiful Original Cast Looks Like Today

After the breakout success of "The Young and the Restless," CBS was itching for husband and wife show creators William J. Bell and Lee Philip Bell to develop another soap in the same vein, per SoapHub. Thus "The Bold and the Beautiful" was born. Set in the glamorous world of the Los Angeles fashion industry and centering around the Forrester and Logan families, the nonstop drama of the soap continues to hook fans, securing "B&B" as a daytime staple for over three decades. What started as the quintessential '80s daytime serial has evolved into a modern story-telling machine.

In March 2022, the series celebrated 35 years on the air. The show remains in the hands of the Bell family, with the son of the original creators, Bradley P. Bell, the head writer today. "Thirty-five years ago, I would have never imagined what was in store ... Since our premiere in 1987, it's been a fantastic journey and incredible experience for all of us. We would not be here if not for the invaluable support of CBS and our millions of fans around the globe for their loyalty and support," Bradley told TV Line.

As of this writing, two original cast members remain since the show premiered in 1987. John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang have been portraying the characters, Eric Forrester and Brooke Logan, since 1987. Let's take a closer look at how they and the other original cast members have transformed over the years and what they're up to today.

Susan Flannery played the matriarch of the Forrester family, Stephanie Forrester, for 25 years. She appeared in over 3,600 episodes, winning 3 daytime Emmys for the role, per IMDb. Flannery, who also acted on "Days of Our Lives" for nearly a decade, was named No. 1 of the "50 Greatest Soap Opera Actresses" by We Love Soaps. Not only was she one of the longest-reigning actors on "The Bold and The Beautiful," but she also served as director for 31 episodes of the soap.

In an interview with Channel 10 in Australia, the soap star dished on why she was considering retiring. "You're in the grave a long time. It's nice to be able to do other things," she said, noting that after a long and fulfilling career, she desired to travel the world. In 2012, her character was killed off the series. Now in her 80s, Flannery has been living the retired life ever since leaving the show. "I had a great career and you can't ask for more," she told TV Guide.

John McCook began playing Eric Forrester, the patriarch of the Forrester family and head of his own fashion dynasty, in 1987, per Soap Central. One of only two original cast members who are still acting on the soap, McCook has been playing his character for 35 years, appearing in nearly 4,000 episodes. His character has experienced roller coasters of love affairs, health scares, and a heck of a lot of drama. Though it's hard to fathom a show running for over 8,000 episodes, McCook thinks it's the consistent characters and storylines that keep fans tuned in. "The stories move quickly. And even when they don't, it's always fun to watch the characters you know so well," the Daytime Emmy-winning actor told News 24.

And McCook doesn't plan to slow down any time soon, still acting on the show consistently every season with no plans for retirement. "My selfish wish is that I can do this job until they don't want me anymore or until I don't want to. I don't want to get to a point where I can't remember lines anymore or I can't do the job," he told ET in 2022. "I want to stay healthy enough and well enough even 10 more years or 20 more years to stay there."

Before Ronn Moss was famous for portraying playboy Ridge Forrester on "The Bold and the Beautiful," he was known for being a member of the 70s rock band Player, popular for the hit "Baby Come Back." After playing a central character on the soap for 25 years, Moss decided it was time to say goodbye to daytime television in 2012. "How many shows — how many jobs — last that long? I felt that I needed to go in this new direction to give myself the chance to do all the creative things that I haven't had a chance to do in 25 years, because I've dedicated so much of my life to this," he told Entertainment Weekly.

Since leaving the show, he's shifted his focus back on his music career and began producing and directing his own feature films, according to his website's biography. He's made several solo albums over the years, even while he was still acting. But in 2013, a year after he left the show, he rejoined his former bandmate Peter Beckett to release another Player album called, "Too Many Reasons." He now spends most of his time in Italy where he has a home and has worked on several projects, including the comedy, "Surprise Trip." The film was released in 2022 and featured Moss as an executive producer and as lead actor. 

Joanna Johnson played Ridge Forrester's initial love interest, Caroline Spencer, from 1987 until her character died from leukemia in 1990, per Soap Central. Still, the actor returned to the series a year later to play Caroline's twin sister, Karen. She actually depicted the character consecutively until 1994 before returning again fifteen years later. In a 2012 plotline, Karen came out and revealed she was married to a woman. The storyline mirrored her own life. "I lived this story!," she told TV Guide (via Yahoo! Entertainment). The plot point inspired her to come out as well. "Times have certainly changed. I guess that's why I'm ready to open up. It feels weird and wrong to play this revelation about Karen's life and not talk about my own," she explained. Johnson has been absent from the cast since 2014, though her character has been mentioned, according to Soap Central.

Not only is Johnson a veteran actor, but she's also a writer, a producer, and a director as well. She created the 2003 TV series "Hope & Faith," starring Kelly Ripa and Faith Ford. Since her apparent departure from the soap world, she's been busy behind the camera, working as an executive producer and showrunner for several series including "The Fosters" from 2013 to 2018 and most recently "Love in the Time of Corona."

Katherine Kelly Lang has been a staple of "The Bold and the Beautiful" since the very first episode, playing heroine Brooke Logan for over 35 years and appearing in over 6,000 episodes, according to her IMDb.That is certainly no small feat. Her character is known for a variety of shocking plotlines, many of which revolve around her numerous love affairs — particularly involving the men in the Forrester family. Indeed, her character has been married 21 times to a variety of suitors. Naturally, when the soap celebrated its 35-year anniversary, it do so with a Lang-centric episode in which several of her past lovers came back, according to Soap Hub.

Lang has adored her three and a half decades as Brooke. "It's hard to imagine and really to put into words because I'm so grateful to be here for years, to have a job for years. And I don't even like calling it a job because it's more ... like play time ... I love getting the scripts every day and seeing what my character's going to be up to," she told ET. She has no plans to give up the role any time soon. "I've spent more than half my life there, so it would be weird without the show. I don't know how I'd survive without it!" she revealed to New Idea.

A soap opera veteran, known for her roles on "The Young and the Restless," "The Bold and the Beautiful," and "Days of Our Lives," Lauren Koslow was a part of the original cast of the 1987 soap. She continued to play her character Margo Lynley until 1992 and then returned for a couple of episodes in 2002, per IMDb. As of writing, she's appeared in 512 episodes of "B&B." Her character, who was once the assistant of Eric Forrester, and the lover of Ridge Forrester and Bill Spencer Sr., was last seen moving to Wisconsin with her brother, according to Soap Central.

These days, Koslow is recognizable for her "Days of Our Lives" role, which she has been part of since 1996, appearing in nearly 3,000 episodes. 2021 marked her 25th anniversary with the classic soap. "For me, to have a role like this and a character like this has just been a godsend. I have really loved every minute of it. You always hear it, but 25 years just flew by," she told Soap Opera Digest. She may be more famous for her "Days" character, Kate Roberts, but to "B&B" fans, she will always be remembered as Margo.

When "The Bold and the Beautiful" premiered in 1987, Clayton Norcross was one of the show's original cast members. However, his run on the soap as Thorne Forrester was short-lived, with the actor leaving the series in 1989 after a respectable 337 episodes, per IMDb. "I liked [Thorne] but I only wanted to play him for a short period of time because I didn't want to get stereotyped as that kind of actor," Norcross said in an interview with Hot Corn. There have been several actors who have portrayed the character since, according to Soap Central.

Speaking to Hot Corn, Norcross recalled how "The Bold and the Beautiful" was insanely popular in Italy in the late '80s and early '90s. The show's success helped him to forge an acting career in Italy. According to his Instagram bio, he splits his time between Rome and Los Angeles, is an avid vegan, and still acts frequently. One of his most recent credits is Italian film "La Grazia" due for release in 2023. 

Carrie Mitchum played Donna Logan, the middle Logan child, from the first episode of "The Bold and the Beautiful" until 1991. She made a few, final sporadic appearances until 2001. According to Soap Central, the character has been depicted by Jennifer Gareis, since 2006. Carrie actually comes from an esteemed acting family. Her grandfather was classic Hollywood star, Robert Mitchum, her father is actor Christopher Mitchum, and you might even recognize her daughter, Grace Van Dien, from Season 4 of "Stranger Things," where she played troubled cheerleader, Chrissy. 

After getting married to "Starship Troopers" star, Casper Van Dien, and welcoming two children into the world, Carrie decided to take a step back from acting. When she and Casper got divorced in 1998, the star decided to do a full career change and become a gourmet chef, according to the Santa Ynez Valley News. She moved to Italy and worked there as a cook before studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. "It's been about food ever since," she told her former co-star, Ronn Moss, in a YouTube conversation, explaining that she's done a little bit of everything with her cooking career, from opening restaurants, catering movie sets, and providing food for hurricane reliefs.

Born into Hollywood royalty, Ethan Wayne is the son of John Wayne. Following in the footsteps of his father, he began pursuing acting at a young age. In 1987, he landed the role of Storm Logan on "The Bold and the Beautiful." In a 1987 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he confessed that the gig came as a pleasant surprise. "I admit that I'd never really considered a soap opera until the offer came up," he explained. "Now I like the idea of being on a soap. You get a lot of publicity and visibility because you're on the show nearly every day. Millions of people watch the soaps ... So I accepted the job." Per IMDb, he was a "B&B" regular until 1989. He then made occasional guest appearances up until 2003.

Today, he's the director of John Wayne Enterprises and the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. "Right now we are making a big push to tell the public about John Wayne's track record in cancer and invite them to join us in the fight. There is going to be a dramatic shift in the way things are done," he told Jeremy Roberts on Medium in 2016. By the looks of Ethan's Instagram, he also spends a lot of his free time traveling with his dog.

Bryan Genesse played the character of Rocco Carner from 1987 to 1989. As he explained on an episode of "The Bold and Beautiful Podcast," he actually initially auditioned for the role of Storm Logan which was eventually given to Ethan Wayne. Genesse did the audition in such a humorous manner that they actually wrote the part of Rocco Carner for him. "It was a pivotal part of my life and my career," he said in the interview with the podcast. Today, he still stays in touch with his co-stars, dishing, "Katherine [Kelly Lang] was great. We actually dated a little bit ... I'm still friends with her and Ron [Moss] ... I'm good friends with Carrie Mitchum still." 

After leaving "B&B," Genesse continued to act, showing off his martial arts skills in the '90s series, "Street Justice." He also briefly returned to the soap for six episodes in 2009. Nowadays, he's an author and a father of two and by the looks of his Instagram, continues to practice martial arts.

Prior to Stephen Shortridge's brief stint on "The Bold and the Beautiful," he was known for his roles in "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "The Love Boat," per his IMDb. During the first season of "B&B," he took on the role of Dave Reed, Brooke Logan's police sergeant boyfriend who eventually gets his heart broken when she leaves him for Ridge Forrester, according to Soap Central.

After Brooke broke off their engagement, his character disappeared from the soap and shortly after, Shortridge gave up acting in order to become a full-time visual artist. "I had been acting for several years and although I had been successful, it was never where my heart was. Art was my first love and always was," he wrote on his official website. In addition to working on his own paintings, Shortridge has written books about art and Christianity, including his 2011 spiritual tome, "Deepest Thanks, Deeper Apologies." He also co-owns a fine art gallery in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho with his wife, Cathy Shortridge, called The Painter's Chair.