Akbar Gbajabiamila on Doing Double Duty on ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ & ‘The Talk’

The Talk co-host and former NFL football player Akbar Gbajabiamila is headed back to The Bold and the Beautiful this week, recurring as Forrester Creations executive Max. A devoted soap opera viewer, Gbajabiamila doesn’t take lightly his visits to the half-hour soap, which is set to celebrate its 35th anniversary later this month.

TV Insider chatted with Gbajabiamila about reprising Max, how he feels about the current lineup of The Talk (Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell, Sheryl Underwood, and himself), which Daytime Diva reduced him to tears, the role Oprah Winfrey played in his life, and much more! Read on for the scoop!

You’re back as Max!

Akbar Gbajabiamila: [Laughs] That’s my name — don’t wear it out!

How did you joining B&B come about?

I think it was all activated when I was talking about my love of soap operas when we hosted The Soap Hub Awards on The Talk last year. That was fantastic. There was some crossover with the actors [we had on the show] and the ones I grew up watching. I couldn’t believe I was meeting them. It was one of the things I’ll never forget!

How long have you watched soap operas?

I started in elementary school and grew up a big fan of soaps. When I got to college and started playing football, I didn’t watch as often. But somebody [at CBS or B&B] got wind of it being my dream to be on a soap. Before I knew it, I had an offer! I was so nervous coming on. I was walking into their space. This was the holy grail for me when it comes to dramatic television. I didn’t want to mess it up. I was nervous. The whole time I was on set I was thinking, “This is the wildest thing ever!”

What is it about soap operas that you enjoy?

Everyone needs an escape. Before reality TV, there was — and still is — the father of it all, which, to me, is soap operas. My parents used to call them their “stories.” I remember crying when Susan Lucci won her Daytime Emmy [for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1999 for her role as Erica on All My Children] — and I’d never even met her! I go all the way back to [axed serials] Ryan’s Hope and Loving. I call those shows and B&B institutions. These shows are woven into the fabric of television. How many shows go on for four or five seasons and then, they’re gone? Soaps are phenomenal because they have stories that run for so long.

You have some acting credits on your résumé, so you’re not walking into B&B without any experience.

Overall, it’s very little. I did an independent film and was coached through it. In [a 2017 episode of the NBC drama] The Night Shift, I played “me” — hosting American Ninja Warrior. This is different. I’ve got real dialogue and I get to be part of an institution. [B&B] is older than I am!

It’s an interesting time to be working at Forrester Creations these days, given Ridge’s (Thorsten Kaye) marital woes with Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang). What’s Max up to when we see him next?

I’m not sure I’m at liberty to say but I will say I got a chance to reconnect with Thorsten. It was pretty cool to be back there. Both Lawrence [Saint-Victor, who plays Carter] and Thorsten were extremely helpful and calmed my nerves. I wanted to make sure I did a good job.

Did Sheryl Underwood, who recurs as Emmy on B&B, give you any helpful tips?

I didn’t get a chance to ask her much but she wished me luck. Jerry [O’Connell] actually gave me a pep talk and talked about “choices” that I’d make in my scenes — I’m learning all this new lingo. You have to make choices with your character and decide how you’re going to deliver your lines. Jerry was like, “I got you. You’ve got this.”

Natalie Morales has been a great addition to The Talk. Can you talk about the chemistry the five of you have? The show has a real fun vibe to it.

Thank you. I appreciate that. I use a lot of sports terms, but this group feels like we’re a basketball starting five [line-up]. We have every position covered. We have our point guard, our shooting guard, our center…we all really work together. This is what a team should look like. You can’t put four centers together and have a team that will move the ball around. We’ve got every position covered and we put in the work. We respect each other and we allow each other to be ourselves.

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Last month, The Talk honored individuals including ballet legend Misty Copeland for Black History Month. Who would you like to honor in future shows?

It was so great to have Misty on the show. I’d heard so much about her and watched how she revolutionized ballet. In the future, I’d like to see [decorated sprinter] Allyson Felix come on. She’d be my dream guest. What she’s done in the track space and how she has marketed her new shoe company [is amazing]. She stepped away from Nike on principle and started her own shoe business. I’d love to see people like her honored in any month. That type of representation goes a long way. If I hadn’t watched Oprah Winfrey, I don’t think I could have ever dreamed I’d someday be a TV host. That meant something to me.

What do you love about hosting The Talk?

I love getting in new information. I’m a firm believer in conversation over confrontation. We all have that spirit [at the show]. The power of having conversation is that you’re always learning. I love to learn new things. It was so cool to have Eric Braeden [Victor, The Young and the Restless] on the show. The fact that he’s a football fan is cool! Also, I got to dance with Paula Abdul. It may have only been for 30 seconds but it felt longer. I also loved having Ludacris [rapper and actor, The Fast and the Furious] on the show. I would love to hang out with him. He’s got a charm about him.

Let’s talk about the Food Face-Off, where dueling chefs present their dishes on The Talk.

Well, my nickname is “Snack Bar,” so it has been great! I love to travel. I’ve been to 40 countries and to 80% of the United States. When I get to a different country or state, I want to know what the locals are eating. When they told us about putting this together, I thought it was great. We get to try different foods. I get to fill up my belly from all these different places across the country. More important is the impact [the segments] are having on smaller businesses that have been staples in many of these cities. The pandemic floored some of these small businesses, and this is a great way to re-energize people into trying new foods. Even if they’re not near a big city, they might go and find the best local food that they can. Getting people out and spending local dollars is good. We saw that with the Inglewood area during the Super Bowl. All our chefs have been amazing. We love it. It’s a win/win. We get to give credit to great chefs and restaurants. They get business. And I get to eat!

I’m hearing The Talk hosts are going to be going outside the studio in a way that we’ve never seen. What can you tease about that?

I’ll just say this… Hosting American Ninja Warrior for 10 years, I spent a lot of time outside as people run different courses. I even ran the course myself once… That’s all I can really say. Who knows what’s going on? [Laughs] Maybe I’m misdirecting you, and maybe I’m not!

Circling back to B&B, do you know if your character Max is getting a last name?

Oh! That’s a good question. If Max gets a last name, it’s got to be powerful. I’m 6’6” and I weigh 260 lbs. Max’s full first name should be Maximus. I think his last name should have some oomph behind it!

The Bold and the Beautiful, Weekdays, CBS, Check local listings

The Talk, Weekdays, CBS, Check local listings