B&B’s
John McCook & Susann Flannery
“When
Susan falls into that unprotected place, it becomes involving for people to see
and involving for me to play off” – John McCook
The
re-marriage of Eric Forrester and his first wife, Stephanie, was something fans
desired almost as much as Stephanie herself. Although the union didn’t come
off – Thanks to Sally Spectra planting a sexy snapshot of Eric making love to
Lauren inside the minister’s Bible – viewers were treated to the intense
emotional drama they’ve come to expect from original cast members John McCook
(Eric) and Susan Flannery (Stephanie). For their portrayals of two friends who
lost a second chance at a life together, SOAP OPERA MAGAZINE names these
talented veterans Stars of the Week.
“Whenever
there’s a scene between John and Susan, you always end up with something
interesting, because they’re so committed to what they’re doing,” praises
B&B supervising producer-director John C. Zak. “However, with these
wedding scenes and the aftermath, John and Susan did some of their most powerful
work ever.”
What
made Flannery’s performance particularly appealing in her confrontational
scenes with Eric was that she showed Stephanie’s rarely seen vulnerable side.
“Susan chooses, it appears, to have that only with Eric, Ridge and Taylor
because of her feelings for those characters,” McCook observes. “I think
that’s perfectly appropriate. As angry as Stephanie was over the photograph,
Susan didn’t have Stephanie yelling – except for a word or two – and that
made the scenes all the more interesting.”
Compelling
and intimate moments do not exist in a vacuum, however. If Stephanie wasn’t so
invested in Eric, her sense of loss wouldn’t have been as dramatic. “When it
comes to Eric, I think both Stephanie and Susan see him as that Achilles’ heel,
that one weakness in her life,” Zak says. “And in doing so, she’s so much
more vulnerable to him.”
Likewise,
Eric played the repentant groom with loving sincerity, pleading with Stephanie
to not only forgive him but to marry him anyway. “When Susann falls into that
unprotected place, it becomes involving for people to see and involving for me
to play off,” McCook maintains. “It’s touching to see Susan so affected by
what I’m giving her as an actor.”
McCook,
too, conveys a special fondness for his character’s partner of many years, to
the point where Eric apparently put aside the reasons why he divorced her in the
first place. “I think if Eric were seeing how much manipulating Stephanie’s
continuing to do to this day, he’d be pretty surprised,” suggests McCook.
“Still, Eric’s made it absolutely clear in the time following the aborted
wedding that he wants to win her trust and he’s committed to marrying her.
Eric will woo Stephanie very much in Italy.
“However,
if Eric does end up marrying Stephanie, he’d quickly see that (meddling)
quality of hers raise its ugly head again,” McCook hints. “So, in terms of
them finally getting together, I don’t think it’ll be a done deal, even if
the deed is done.”
Soap Opera Magazine, not dated