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Interview

ICYMI: You Asked, He Answered

Brooks
Darin Brooks "The Bold and the Beautiful" Set Thanksgiving CBS Television City Los Angeles, Ca. 10/18/17 © Howard Wise/jpistudios.com 310-657-9661 Credit: JPI

Is it hard for you when someone decides to leave the show?

Mark n Liza M.

A Yeah, it’s always hard when someone decides to leave. But that’s life, I guess. We’re actors — “traveling gypsies,” I say — and we always strive for the next challenging part. I always wish everyone the best, though, because they deserve it. Actors who work in soaps are the hardest-working people in all acting mediums. We work tireless hours with 80-100 pages of dialogue to memorize the night before, only to have 20 pages of changes and rewrites possibly dumped on you that morning, that you then have to re-memorize. All the while, only getting one take to get it all done and still try your best to make it good, if not, perfect. Try that in prime-time or your next $100 million Marvel movie [laughs].

 

I am really liking “Wally” and was wondering, what was your first reaction to learning you’d be paired with Courtney Hope’s Sally?

A B&B Fan

A I loved it! I really liked the idea of these two together when I first heard about it. Courtney is super-fun and funny and just the best, so I was really excited to see these two, who have been dumped by multiple other people, finally get together. I think someone called us “The Castaways” on the Internet. They said something like, “I’m really glad ‘The Castaways’ are finally getting together!” and I thought it was perfectly fitting.

 

JPI

Seeing Red: Brooks was enthusiastic when he first heard that Wyatt was going to hook up with Sally (Courtney Hope).

 

Does it ever get difficult to play such a nice guy? I hate it when I see anyone treat Wyatt like a doormat with some of these back-and-forth relationships. He’s too good a person to be treated like that! 

F.M.N.

A Heck, yeah! I always saw Wyatt as a guy who didn’t take any crap from anybody, just like his mother and his father. I played him that way in the beginning, which was fun. It really differentiated Wyatt and Liam. It made him the dark knight and Liam the white knight, and we could let the audience choose which one the girls should be with. I wish we could get back to a little more of that, where Wyatt shoots first and asks questions later and then has to make up for his actions.

 

Is it difficult or stressful for your marriage when you have these hot love scenes on the show? How do you handle that?  

Hillary H.

A No, it’s just a part of our jobs. It’s a lot less romantic than you might think and much more technical, with three cameras in your face and 50 crew members staring at you. And, my wife [Kelly Kruger, Mackenzie, Y&R] is an actress, too, so she understands the business and that it’s just a job. We have a rule in our house: When they say, “Action,” you do what you have to do for the situation and the character, and when they say, “Cut,” it’s done. That’s it. You never, ever take the work home with you.

JPI

Married … With Partners: Brooks’s wife, Kelly Kruger, who recently reprised her role as Y&R’s Mackenzie, knows all about soap love scenes. Also pictured: Thad Luckinbill
(ex-J.T.).

Hi, Darin. I’m a Hope and Wyatt fan, and was wondering if we’ll see more of you and Annika [Noelle], and how do you think she’s been doing stepping into Hope’s shoes? I hope they explore that more!  

D.B.

A Well, you never know. I’d love that, and I think she’s been doing a fantastic job. In soaps, it’s always hard to be a recast and step into a role that other people have played so well, but I think she’s done an awesome job of finding that balance of what someone else created and then Annika making it her own. I’m proud of her, because that isn’t an easy thing to do.

 

Hi Darin! I love Wyatt and I especially loved him with Katie and hope they reunite someday. You and Heather Tom had fantastic chemistry together! I especially loved how much fun “Watie” had. Were there any funny mishaps in those role-playing scenes you’d like to share?

Callie

A Aw, thanks. Yeah, Heather is amazing and just the best. We had a blast together. I’m sure there were lots of funny moments and mishaps that I can’t remember at the moment, but I do remember that one of the funniest times we had was when we were playing the scenes with Wyatt and Katie role-playing with the infamous mustache. I loved that thing!

 

Hey, Darin, you’re so fun to watch on B&B! Was there anyone who inspired you to become an actor?  

Caryn M.

A Actually, yes. There are a handful of people: Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner and Jack Nicholson. But my first experience of wanting to become an actor was when I was in the third or fourth grade, and I must’ve watched Tom Cruise in Top Gun, like, 1,000 times. I had the video game on Nintendo and everything. I wanted to become a fighter pilot, but I wore glasses then, too. I said to my mom, “Mom, one day, I wanna be a fighter pilot and fly jets!” and my mom said, “I’m sorry, honey, but I don’t know if you can become a fighter pilot, because I think they have to have 20/20 vision,” which bummed me out. (This was before contacts and Lasik and stuff.) But then she said, “But, you could be an actor one day maybe and play one on TV.” And so it began!

 

Hello. I was not sure if I should ask something show-related or more personal, so I will ask a few questions, and if any of these seem interesting, then maybe you can answer them. It would mean a lot.

(a) There are some Wyatt and Hope fans who would really love to see Wyatt and Hope get back together. Do you think Wyatt has unresolved feelings for Hope? Is this a story you might enjoy? 

(b) I read that you are from Hawaii.  Would you like it if B&B did a location shoot there? I think it would be beautiful. 

(c) Who is funnier — you or Wyatt?

Thank you for your time. I greatly look forward to this interview. 

Julie F.

A (a) Regarding Hope, oh, yeah! I think we all have a small connection to our exes because they shaped who we are today in one way other another. So, I always like to play residual feelings toward all of Wyatt’s exes. And, I love working with Annika. It would be fun to get back into and explore that storyline again.

(b) Heck, yeah! I’ve actually suggested it a few times. And I know all the cool places: cliff jumping, hiking, secret beach spots, moonlight bonfire places, etc. It would definitely be magical.

(c) Who do you think? Ha!

 

Darin, you and Heather were magic together: Effortless chemistry and the rapport was so natural and easy. Any hope they will be reunited, or at least revisited, down the line?  

Brandi

A Of course! I loved working with Heather, and I hope we can maybe have a quadrangle [with Sally, Katie and Thorne] in the future. Let’s make it complicated and crazy and fun.

JPI

You never have scenes with Quinn anymore. Do you miss working with Rena [Sofer, Quinn], and do you ever think we’ll find out more about your characters’ backgrounds?

 Jay

A Hell, yes! I miss working with Rena, and I miss Wyatt and Quinn together. There’s so much about their past that we don’t know about and they’ve been through some real crap together. It would be awesome to explore that: Quinn not wanting anything to do with Bill and not wanting Wyatt to even know his father; to what they had to do to stay alive and put food on the table, like lie, cheat and steal just to get by. Remember, we still don’t know what exactly happened to Ricardo Montemayor and that $100 million HFTF diamond, either. It would be really fun exploring Wyatt and Quinn’s dark sides, but even if it’s just the banter between overbearing mother and irritated son, that would be fun to get back to, as well.

 

Q Between Sally and Katie, what good qualities do each of the pairings bring out in Wyatt?

Courtney T.

A They’re both good for Wyatt, because if Wyatt’s single for too long, Lord knows what’ll happen [laughs]. I think Sally and Wyatt are still new, so I really hope the writers explore that more and let us find that between the characters. With Katie and Wyatt, he was always playing second fiddle to other people and when they got together, he didn’t have to fight for her love and attention. They could just be themselves and truly just have fun. Katie brought out the fun in Wyatt again and vice versa. Those two showed each other how to be truly loved by the person right in front of them. It was really nice to play, and to watch on TV.

 

I loved you on BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE and thought the movie was hysterical! Do you guys think you’ll have another reunion film? I could watch at least five more. Thanks for your answer.  

Brandon C.

A Thanks, Brandon! That’s actually a show I was really proud of, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving. I always say that because there are so many fans out there that watched the show, and still watch the show, on Netflix. I meet more and more every day. It’s crazy! My one request would be to do one final season on Netflix for Alex Moran’s senior year of college, and start it out introducing the new “Alex Moran” freshman kid and his Sammy-like best friend entering the school to play football and be the mascot. And then, introduce the new Donnies and Harmons and Thads, and having all of our senior characters take these freshman kids under our wings and pass the baton to them, and really get back to a sense of the camaraderie and brotherhood that the show was about. I’d love to get back to the core of these kids loving their brothers on the team and willing to do anything for them, and not just doing drugs and things for shock value. I thought the TV show was amazing at capturing that. Then, we’d get to see Alex graduate and send him off to the Pros, and they could even do more seasons with the new class if they wanted.

 

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