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Follow the links to our archive of Thorsten's print interviews and articles about the characters he's portrayed.
Above: On the cover of the June 26, 2007 issue of Soap Opera Digest.
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Ridge Remixed!
Thorsten Kaye puts his own spin on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL'S iconic Casanova
Soaps In Depth
by Amy Helmes, Published December 30, 2013
Walking onto the set of THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL to portray a character previously inhabited by someone else for a quarter of a century? Talk about your daunting prospects! As the new incarnation of Ridge Forrester, Thorsten Kaye surmises that it is likely more difficult for co-stars like John McCook (Eric) and Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) to adjust to the situation than it has been for him. "At the end of the day, they're the ones who must be thinking, 'Who is this guy?'"
While Kaye is taking his new gig in stride, he acknowledges what a huge adjustment this must be for B&B viewers, regardless of the fact that it's been over a year since Ronn Moss voluntarily vacated the role. "He was an icon," Kaye remarks of his predecessor. "It's almost like replacing Susan Lucci (Erica, ALL MY CHILDREN)."
Why He's As Surprised As Anyone
Kaye harbors a healthy amount of humility, not to mention a great sense of humor about the challenges that lie ahead. "You know, actors are insecure, and I'm no different," he admits. "Of course, I think the audicence would have chosen Ronn to be here. I would have chosen Ronn to be here... but he's not. This is one of those situations where the part becomes more important than the actor playing it."
That said, Kaye is still in slight disbelief that B&B would peg him to play its dashing leading man. "I just don't see [Moss and myself] to be very similar in any way," he says. "I think they could have found somebody a little prettier, but maybe they'll just turn the lights down!"
Naturally, B&B's newest cast member will bring his own spin to the part, and he hasn't even attempted to commit to memory Ridge's decades' worth of history on the show. "What happened in the past will be explained to me, I'm sure," he says, "but soaps work because they keep moving forward. The past informs the future, but it doesn't necessarily dictate it.
On The Fly
The biggest mental hurdle for the East Coast actor in joining B&B was the realization that it would take him away from his partner Susan Haskell (Marty, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) and their two daughers, McKenna, 10, and Marlowe, 6. "I'm going to fly back and forth every week to Los Angeles," he explains. "It's a sacrifice, but you've got to keep in mind that I'm not doing this for free. Yes, I would much rather be home chasing my kids around the yard, but you've got to provide for them, too. So I think we've figured it out, at least on a trial basis."
He'll be clocking plenty of frequent flier miles, but Kaye's attitude is definitely grounded when he considers the new journey he's about to embark on.
"If someone as respected as {B&B executive producer and headwriter] Brad Bell asks me to do this, I'm not going to question him," he says. "I've got to think he's right, and we'll make this work, and I understand that if it doesn't work, that's okay, too. I'll just go back and hang with my kids. But if it does work... then they may have to eventually come [to L.A.]!"