John McCook has played fashion mogul Eric Forrester on CBS’s “The Bold and the Beautiful” since the show premiered in 1987. Now he has earned his third Daytime Emmy nomination in the Best Actor category, having previously been nominated in 2001 and 2012. Will McCook win his first career Emmy? The winners will be announced on April 29, but they’ve already been decided in the drama acting categories by blue ribbon panels that viewed sample performance reels. Watch McCook’s submission above.
The reel begins with Eric confronting his wife Quinn (Rena Sofer), who has been having an affair with Eric’s son Ridge (Thorsten Kaye). Eric demands to know how many times they were together, and even though both proclaim that their relationship is over, Eric is certain that Ridge will continue to make a fool out of him, so he angrily calls Ridge by his biological father’s last name, Marone, as if to disown him. Eric then turns his rage towards Quinn and rails against her for breaking her marriage vows.
In the next scene Ridge attempts to convince his father that his affair with Quinn is really over. Eric apologizes for calling Ridge a “Marone,” and fondly reminisces about Ridge as a child and the bond the two shared. He remembers bringing Ridge into the fashion industry and how they were the perfect father-and-son duo. But Eric also remembers that Ridge wanted more and more fame and notoriety, and Ridge took it because he could. Then Ridge decided to take Eric’s wife, also because he could. As he holds Ridge’s face in his hands, Eric says he loved being his father, but Ridge will never be his son again.
Will McCook win Best Actor with this performance against Michael Easton (“General Hospital”), Billy Miller (“GH”), James Reynolds (“Days of Our Lives”), and Peter Bergman (“The Young and the Restless”)? Let’s look at the pros and cons of his submission.
PROS:
McCook’s reel is chock full of the type of dramatic range that Emmy voters often like to see. His blistering rage in the opening scene contrasts with his concluding scene, in which the actor shows not only Eric’s love for his son, but also the heartache that his son has caused him over the years. The reel ends with a bang, giving McCook what is arguably the most impactful moment in the entire Best Actor category when Eric kisses Ridge’s forehead and says, “You’ll never be my son again.”
McCook has the lion’s share of the dialogue in his submission, which allows him to both showcase his abilities as an actor and hold the viewer’s attention throughout the reel.
Voters might be keen to finally reward the Emmy-less McCook for his 31 years in the role.
CONS:
At just over five minutes in length, McCook’s submission is the shortest in the category. Voters might choose to reward a more substantial submission.
McCook’s storyline involves a son having an affair with his stepmother. Might the subject matter be just a little too salacious for Emmy voters?
In three decades McCook has only earned three nominations. Is there something about this role that voters just don’t respond quite as strongly to?
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