Emmy award-winning actress Jacqueline MacInnes Wood chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about starring as Steffy Forrester in the hit CBS daytime drama “The Bold and The Beautiful.” Earlier this summer, she won her second career Daytime Emmy Award for her acting work on the popular soap opera.
Eleanor Roosevelt, the former First Lady of the United States, once said: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” A woman and actress who epitomizes this quote well is Jacqueline MacInnes Wood of “The Bold and The Beautiful.”
She is drawn to playing her character Steffy for many reasons. “Steffy has morphed into a strong, super-smart, badass woman. She is a great role model. She balances work, I mean she’s the CEO of a major fashion house, with love and children. Steffy becoming a mom has been especially poignant for me as I have become a mom at the same time,” she said.
Wood opened up about her 2021 Daytime Emmy win for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series,” where she won for her powerful performance in the opioid storyline. “I am so honored to have won the ‘Lead Actress’ Daytime Emmy this year,” she said. “It’s my second Emmy! The opioid story became very close to my heart. We all put so much into it. I was blessed to have Brad Bell and his writing team write this important arc and take good care to get all the facts right,” she said.
“My castmates, Thorsten Kaye, Scott Clifton, and Tanner Novlan were terrific,” she said, praising her co-stars. “I couldn’t have done it without this ensemble. I received so many notes from fans who thanked me for the accurate portrayal and who shared their stories about how opioid addiction affected them, their family, or their loved ones.”
She complimented her luminous acting partner Tanner Novlan, who plays her love interest, Dr. John “Finn” Finnegan, on the show. “I adore Tanner,” she admitted. “He is a fellow Canadian and we work really well together. Here’s a fun fact: we did not get physically close for love scenes for an entire year. Weddings are always so fun to film. Everyone is together. I believe this might be the first ‘normal’ wedding Steffy has had,” she said.
Wood was happy with the way that the water birth story turned out on the show. “The show’s writers and producers and all of the production team were pivotal to this scene. Having a home birth was totally something Steffy would do – and I think she felt safe because Finn is a doctor, so if anything went wrong, he was right there. I love that our show is willing to go outside of the box to make things more realistic to our fans,” she explained.
On being an actress in the digital age, at a time when streaming service and technology are so prevalent, she said, “Shows that stream are certainly amazing and I watch many. That said, don’t discount how important and powerful broadcast television is.”
“Some streaming shows tape eight to 20 shows a season – we film 250,” she exclaimed. “It’s a whole different ballgame but I do believe that the landscape of what television is will continue to shift and change and I’m excited to shift and change with it.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, “Good Risings.”
When asked how she handles being dialogue-heavy on “The Bold and The Beautiful” (where the actors have to learn many pages of script each day), Wood remarked, “By now, it is routine. It’s all about reading, memorization, and running lines with whoever is around and willing.”
For young and aspiring actors, she offered the following hopeful advice. “Don’t get discouraged. Follow your dreams. Study, and prepare. Always, always be professional,” she underscored.
Regarding her career-defining moments as a person and as an actress, she acknowledged that there are many. “Landing the role of Steffy on ‘The Bold and The Beautiful.’ Being able to travel for work, and honestly, even finding love in my own life and having children, have helped define who I am as a person and actress,” she said.
On the greatest lesson that the acting profession has ever taught her, she responded, “To always be grateful, to take care of your body, mind, and soul, and to give back.”
She defined the word success as “kindness.”
For her dedicated fans and supporters, Wood expressed her sincere appreciation. “Thank you very much for loving and supporting Steffy and me. It has been a wonderful ride so far, and it’s been terrific to get to know so many of you. I wouldn’t be where I am without you,” she said, effusively.
To learn more about Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, follow her on Instagram.
For more information on “The Bold and The Beautiful,” or to stream the show online, check out the official CBS website.
