John McCook on Tackling Ageism With ‘B&B’s Forrester-Spencer Showdown

A battle royale is brewing between the Forresters and the Spencers on The Bold and the Beautiful, and John McCook is thrilled that his alter ego, Eric Forrester, is right in the middle of it

The drama traces back to December 2025, when Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) threw a retirement party for his father, despite the fact that Eric had no intention of stepping away from the company he founded. McCook was intrigued by the idea of portraying a character of a certain age fighting to stay relevant in the working world.

“Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer] wanted to do this ageism story, and I was very much into that,” says McCook. “It was a good story, and it was emotional, and it was very timely. We have a lot of fans who are more than 40 years old, let alone in their 50s and 60s and 70s, so I think it was something they could really get into and really relate to. I applaud that.”

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From there, the situation quickly escalated into a larger business and family feud. Eric ultimately took his talents to Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) and Katie Logan’s (Heather Tom) new company, Logan, a move that blindsided Ridge and Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang). Ridge urged his father to return to Forrester Creations, but Eric’s designs belong to Katie and Bill, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown.

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“Creating a competing fashion line over at Spencer is a great idea,” McCook praises. “Now, everyone is so alarmed that Eric’s designs are being used by them, which, as far as they’re concerned, is an absolute act of lawlessness. On the other hand, Bill and Katie have a very strong leg to stand on, too, so that’s the horror of it. It’s good conflict and a good story, and it puts the Forresters in a very difficult place, and they’re not going to be able to keep them from using those designs. So, it’s pretty exciting.”

As the fallout escalates, McCook is especially mindful of how Eric is portrayed amid the rising tension. “I don’t want to play into this old place or this weak place where he has no strength to come back or to fight this,” notes the actor. “So, I am constantly working to keep Eric as strong as I can, rather than him being defeated and sad and embarrassed over what happened.”

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Offscreen, the storyline has also prompted McCook to consider his own journey on the show. “I’m like every old actor on a soap, where I’m not getting as many scripts as I used to,” he shares. “I’ve been on the show for 39 years; I know I’m the older guy, but I don’t like seeing so many episodes go by without Eric in the office or without Eric involved in the story. Eric is an embracer and a supporter of everybody around him. It’s a wonderful character, and he’s a lovely guy, but he’s not as aggressively written for as some of the older characters on the other shows, the guys that are gangsters or big, rough businessmen. I love that Eric’s this way, and that he’s thought of this way, but since he’s older now, I have less to do, and I have to suck that up as part of growing older on a soap.”

Still, McCook is quick to point out the upside. “Now, the other side of that coin is, I’m going to be 82 years old, and I’m still an actor, and I’m still working,” he points out. “There’s like eight or 10 actors in the whole country that have had a run like this, week after week, a paycheck for decades and decades on the same show, and I’m very proud and happy to be one of those people.”

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That he’s been a part of the B&B cast since its premiere on March 23, 1987, is also a source of pride for McCook, who, along with Lang, are the soap’s only current original cast members. “It’s kind of amazing,” he marvels. “Kelly and I were right there on the first day. It’s so sweet to see how long we’ve been on this show, it really is.”

As the show prepares to celebrate its 39^th anniversary, the longevity still surprises him. “What’s funny is that it’s actually the antithesis of being an actor — playing the same part for decades,” he muses. “Being an actor means playing many different roles, and I haven’t been doing that. I thought, ‘It’ll run at least five or 10 years, probably, and maybe even more,’ but it never occurred to me it would run for 40 years or 50 years or forever. It’s really great.”

Looking ahead, McCook’s hopes for Eric — and himself — are simple. “I just need him to stay healthy and happy, and he is. That’s all I want for him, and that’s all I want for me, for God’s sake!”

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