ICYMI Jacqueline MacInnes Wood Interview

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, like so many people across the globe, had big plans for 2020. “At the top of the year, I did a vision board,” she recalls. “I always make them every year.” And though the year may not have turned out exactly as she planned, “It’s pretty cool to look at my vision board now and say that a lot of this has come true,” she says. “A lot of it was just about growing and learning more about myself, and there were a lot of things I got to do by staying at home. The small things are really important to me. It was a tough year for many people, and my heart goes out to so many people, but these times have been a reminder for me to focus on my family as much as I can.”

Focus on her family she did. Now, the actress is expecting baby No. 2 with hubby Elan Ruspoli in a few months. “We knew that we wanted to have another child,” Wood begins. “We were thinking maybe we’d try in October, but since 2020 was pretty much canceled, I thought when things do open and all my friends go drinking, I’ll able to join them, so we planned it perfectly [laughs]. They will be exactly two years apart and it’s wild that I kept it quiet for so long. I knew at the end of May/early June, right before we went back to work.”

Her knowledge of a two-sibling house- hold, however, is admittedly limited. “I have no idea what this world is going to look like!” she exclaims. “I’m technically an only child. My half sister is, like, 20 years older than me, so I pretty much grew up as an only child, and my husband is an only child, as well. So, this is a whole new world. To see the dynamic between siblings is going to be fun. We’re very excited, but we have no idea what we are in for.”

Wood reveals that she waited a bit before sharing her happy news at the studio. “The first person I told was Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer], obviously. I let him know and then in my cast it was Thorsten [Kaye, Ridge],” she remembers. “But I did keep it quiet for a while because we were just getting back to work. We were following the protocols and there was just such a dance in what we were doing. I was like, ‘I feel fine but I don’t want people to think, “Okay she’s pregnant and now we’ve got to worry.” ’ It was a crazy time, but I didn’t want people to worry, so I kept it quiet. Then, once we got through that big storyline [of Steffy’s opioid addiction], I was like, ‘Okay, now’s the time. I’ve only got a few more months left so I’d better tell them now.’ ”

That she got through the story keeping her pregnancy quiet while earning kudos and a solid Emmy reel for the next awards cycle, to boot, was quite a feat. “That was incredible. I was so happy to tell that story,” she reflects. “The feedback was incredible on social media, and it was really nice to know that we did it the right way. When people say, ‘This has happened to someone I know, or to me, and it reminded me of that same situation,’ it’s nice to know that we executed it the best way we possibly could. We shot a lot of dialogue, a lot of emotional scenes, and we all leaned on each other. It was so raw and real and something that I dove into. I am grateful to Brad for writing that story. A lot of effort went into making sure it was an accurate depiction of how dependency works. It’s such a major issue in the U.S. and it was a big topic being covered in the news and in the courts, and then Covid hit and the pandemic has driven those addiction numbers up. Brad does social storylines better than anyone. As an actress, it was definitely one of the highlights of my year.”

But surprisingly not so taxing despite her condition. “For me, I’ve had those moments where it’s like, ‘I’m pregnant and these are some really tough scenes,’ but it’s amazing what your body can do,” she marvels. “My first pregnancy, I had all of those emotional scenes with Bill and Liam, but then I got pregnant after that and I had a really chill storyline, not emotional, very relaxed. This time, I was 4 months pregnant, I had these very emotional scenes, but it’s weird in that it never felt like it was too much stress on the baby. It was really nice. It’s hard to explain. I was in the scene and the top of me knew I was in the scene and my lower half was like, ‘Don’t worry.’ I felt very grounded.”

The fact that the pregnancy would be written into Steffy’s story as a “Who’s The Daddy?” tale was welcome news for the actress. “I was far along in my pregnancy when I revealed that at some point in the new year I’d have to take maternity leave,” she adds. “I like that I get to embrace my pregnancy on the show; it just makes everything a lot more Zen. When I was pregnant with Rise, I was doing very emotional, crying scenes every day, and of course, I had to compensate to him in utero for all that emotion after the scenes were done. I think that this is a great plot twist. I mean, Steffy just found a new man so, of course, it can’t be uncomplicated and I no longer have to hide behind big, baggy clothes, desks, plants and purses!”

Making the dramatic connection wasn’t tough for her. “Again, with the uncontrollable emotion — despair, rage, descent into darkness — while pregnant! I was prepared this time as I already did it when I was pregnant with Rise. I think it’s just about being in tune with my baby and my body and letting them know that it isn’t real — Mama is just playing pretend. It’s all about that ‘I’ll always protect you’ relationship I’ve already established with my baby.”

With her vision board looking a little different for 2021, Wood notes, “I’m hop- ing for peace. I’m hoping for things to reopen and get back to normal. We need to get up and running again. This is a crazy time, and I get that it was a great awakening for people in 2020 for so many people. I just want to see people interact with one another, so I’m hoping for that. Maybe this will make people put the phones down and really be present with one another, and really care about each other’s lives. That’s my wish for 2021.”

Just The Facts

Birthday: April 17

Hails From: Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Husband Material: Wed Hollywood talent agent Elan Ruspoli in July 2018.

Son Up: Welcomed son Rise Harlen on March 4, 2019.

Good As Gold: Took home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2019.

First B&B Air Date: June 4, 2008.

Veteran’s Say: Wood tries to be hands-off with the younger cast members. “I know it sounds so cliché but it is true that we are a big family at B&B. We all help each other wherever and whenever we can. I only offer advice if they ask for it but I’m happy to show new cast members the ropes, introduce them around and be an ally. Although John McCook [Eric] holds the title ‘Official Welcomer of New Cast’. ”

Busy Bee: The actress aims to give her fans a glimpse into her life through social media. “It’s crazy right now because besides having a toddler and working a lot, we’re in the process of moving, so there are a lot of things going on, but there are more fun pictures to come for my Instagram audience.”