Who Is The Bold And The Beautiful's John McCook Married To In Real Life?

For more than three decades, Eric Forrester on "The Bold and the Beautiful" has been popular with the ladies. In real life, however, it seems no woman could hold a flame to actor John McCook's real-life wife Laurette Spang-McCook. The couple has been married since 1980 and, in addition to John's son Seth from his previous marriage, the couple also share three children — Jake, Rebecca, and Molly — and a spate of grandkids. 

On the work front, Laurette has been John's constant support. When he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2022, she reminisced on Instagram, writing, "I know how lucky we are to have this opportunity this late in life. Then I think, what better time? John deserves this honor, ... whether he wins or not. We are grateful." It's no surprise that John picked up his Emmy that night.

"B&B" sources confirmed that John will still be on the show for some time to come, per TV Insider. However, don't expect Laurette to keep his slippers warm after he comes home from a hard day's work because she has a rigorous schedule of her own, including volunteering at a hospital. In July, she shared, "Today I trained in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to be on call for cuddling new babies who are withdrawing from maternal drug use, or following surgeries. An honor to help with these little ones who have a rough start to life."

Laurette's life, thus far, speaks of her dedication to her dreams and a work ethic bar none.

Before Laurette Spang-McCook and John McCook settled down, she had become a TV star in her own right, appearing on shows such as "Happy Days," "Emergency!," and "The Love Boat." She told The Wichita Eagle in 1978 that her path toward acting began after her father stopped financing her college studies since she spent her time partying. "For several months I didn't speak to him, but then I realized he was right," Laurette said. 

Determined to make something of herself, she worked four jobs simultaneously and started taking acting classes. When her dad saw that she was serious, he helped her move to New York. It wasn't long before Universal discovered her and she signed a contract with them. Providence followed the young star, and she booked a gig as Cassiopeia in the original 1978 TV series "Battlestar Galactica." Although she was initially only supposed to have a short-lived guest role, Laurette became a series regular and even starred alongside the legendary Fred Astaire when he joined the cast.

In a 1991 interview with South Florida Sun-Sentinel, John told the outlet that his wife decided to stay home after having their children. "I found that to be an amazing decision," he said. "It is one that she has never tossed back at my face. Also, her having guested on almost every episodic show, she truly felt there was more that she wanted." It seems that Laurette weighed up her choices, and decided that she wanted to raise her family for a few seasons.

Laurette Spang-McCook does not shirk from new challenges. She and her son Jake McCook paired up and wrote a book called "Cliffs of Schizophrenia" and released it in late 2023. The book addresses schizophrenia, mental illness, and how it affects family dynamics. Written from Laurette and Jake's perspectives, it provides valuable insider insight.

Both Jake and Laurette talked to Soap Hub about their experience crafting the book. Laurette revealed how she encouraged Jake to continue writing even on difficult days "If he was having a bad day, I'd say, 'Forget about punctuation. Just write what's in your head.'" Jake also shared how he felt about writing the tome with his mom. "I want to say I loved having this experience with my mom," he said. "Having something we could work on creatively together has been wonderful."

Of course, this wasn't Laurette's first attempt at writing. While talking to The Wichita Eagle in 1978, she divulged that she had bought an electric typewriter with one of her paychecks. She was so excited after getting it, that she had spent an entire night drafting a TV movie script. Now we don't know if anything ever came from her typewriter exploits, but co-authoring the book with her son may have just been a tad easier than her earlier efforts more than four decades ago. Either way, Jake and Laurette's book is a manifestation of their love and commitment. 

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.