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Finding Forrester

Whether he realizes it or not, in just six months,
Thorsten Kaye has made the role of THE BOLD
& THE BEAUTIFUL's Ridge his own

ABC Soaps In Depth

by Amy Helmes, Published June 9, 2014

How long does it take to really make a character your own? Having accepted the iconic role of Ridge Forrester last fall, a year after the departure of his predecessor, Ronn Moss, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL's formidable new leading man, Thorsten Kaye, still doesn't have a definitive answer to that. "I actually told [executive producer/headwriter Bradley Bell] that I don't really like Ridge yet," he confesses. "There are a lot of things he does that I can't wrap my head around."

Case in point: Kaye is a little baffled by Ridge's knee-jerk propensity to propose marriage to the women in his life. (The character is currently engaged to Katie even though he exchanged vows with her older sister, Brooke, as recently as February of this year!) "I mean, you [shouldn't] get married so quickly to somebody the way he does!" notes the actor. "It's a really fast-moving train."

Then again, the humble soap-hopper says that he isn't one to knock a formula that works. "ALL MY CHILDREN [on which he played Zach] always took its time with storylines," he notes, "but it's cancelled.

"Maybe that's the reason that B&B is still around," he continues with a grin. "Somebody clearly knows what they're doing over there."

Sister Act

Though the daytime MVP isn't sure Ridge should be rushing to the altar with Katie, there's no denying that pairing these two characters on the show has really shaken up the status quo, especially given Ridge's epic romantic history with Brooke. "Who knows? Maybe there's still something between those two," notes Kaye, "but I think they're giving the new guy a little slack on that."

Whereas a  Ridge/Katie romance would have seemed almost preposterous two years ago, Kaye has made such a storyline not only feasible but one many fans have strongly championed. "That is probably an advantage I had, not having been on the show for the last 27 years," he notes. "When a new set of eyes comes in, or a new actor, the character no longer has that baggage [of previously established relationships] to carry around."

That's not to say the actor doesn't recognize the inherent risks in the pairing. "It's a tough one," he acknowledges. "She's his sister-in-law, so there's a strange factor that may not work for everybody."

Full Steam Ahead

Kaye says he's also been learning to adjust to B&B's less-frequent taping schedule. "[All that time off] kind of takes you out of the rhythm for a little bit," he says. "When I take a break and come back to work, it takes me a little while to get sharp again."

On the other hand, Kaye says the added time off is a blessing in terms of allowing him to spend time at home in Connecticut -- where his better half and their two young daughters hold down the fort. "It's great because I can hang out with my kids and watch hockey and drink beer," he says with a laugh. "Not being in the same state is the toughest part of my job. I spend more time traveling than I do working, and that's a little harsh."

That said, Kaye considers his workplace climate to be second to none, which means he's more than willing to continue along for the ride. "I'm happy enough, and it seems to be working," he says. "We'll see how the next chapter goes, but I respect my boss a great deal, and that means a lot, because that doesn't happen very often. Not with me, anyway."

Fan Club

Soaps In Depth asked Kaye's co-stars to weigh in on working with "the new kid on the block." Here's how they responded:

Don Diamont (Bill): "He's certainly a very different Ridge, but I think he's done a really great job and I definitely enjoy working with him. He's a terrific actor, with a great sense of humor, which is really important."

John McCook (Eric): "It's a new attitude that he brings, and I love that. He's very enthusiastic about being an actor and the part he's playing. I like actors who care about what they're doing, so I admire that in him."

Heather Tom (Katie): "I feel very fortunate to work with someone who I trust implicitly, who always hits the ball back and who cares about the work. I'm thrilled to have Thorsten on the show."

Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke): "Working with Thorsten is such a pleasure. He'a an amazing actor and brings so much to the table. He has made the character of Ridge his own. We laugh a lot on the set and enjoy ourselves. He's a great guy with a great personality."

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