Actor Tanner Novlan chatted about his character Finn’s epic reunion with Steffy on the hit CBS daytime drama “The Bold and The Beautiful.”
American track and field legend Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” Tanner Novaln is an actor, husband, and father that embodies this inspirational quote.
Novlan plays Dr. John “Finn” Finnegan and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood portrays Steffy Forrester Finnegan.
Most recently, their characters reunited on the show in Monaco after Finn was presumed dead after being shot by Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown). “The shoot in Monte Carlo was amazing,” he said. “To be a part of the first location shoot since COVID was really great, it signified that the show is getting back to its old ways pre-COVID.”
Their characters’ love in the show is a substantial indication that love does indeed conquer all.
“I thought the reunion worked really well,” he said. “The church bells were used as a calling to each other, it had a real emotional impact on both characters that way and honestly, on a spirit and subconscious level too. It was really fitting to use the bells that way.”
Novlan had great words about working with Emmy nominee Naomi Matsuda (“Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series”), who plays his mom Li. “I love working with Naomi, it is really fun to explore Li and Finn’s relationship moving forward as well, especially how grateful he is to his adoptive mother.”
He also praised Emmy nominee Kimberlin Brown for doing great work in the scenes when her character, Sheila, kept Finn hostage on his bed. “Kimberlin portrayed such a great villain in those scenes, it was nice to see our characters manipulate each other to get what we needed out of that relationship, it was neat to get meaty scenes like that,” he remarked.
Novlan was thrilled for Ted King for winning the 2022 Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series” for playing his on-screen father, Jack Finnegan. “How cool was that? Ted and I had some really great scenes, I was so glad to see him win,” he said.
A true highlight moment was earlier this year during Wood’s breakdown scene when she initially found out that Finn didn’t make it. “Jacqueline brings it every single day,” he exclaimed. “I am lucky to be able to work with her.”
“I get to work with some amazing actors, and they all really brought it for this storyline,” he added. “It all comes back to the great writing.”
When asked how handles being dialogue-heavy, he said, “It is definitely a muscle. I’ve found the rhythm of the show, it took a little bit of time but I’ve been feeling more and more comfortable through that process, and that ultimately comes across on the screen.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he responded, “March Forward.”
He listed “The Bear” on Hulu as one of his favorite series to binge-watch lately, and he enjoyed “Top Gun: Maverick.” “I am actually in the background in one of the scenes in ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ I was dressed as a fighter pilot. I am in the scene where Miles Teller is playing ‘Great Balls of Fire’ on the piano, if you blink you miss it,” he revealed.
In the dream collaboration partner department, he listed Oscar winner Tom Hanks, Ryan Gosling, and directors Derek Cianfrance (“Blue Valentine”) and Todd Phillips. “It would be really cool to watch Tom work,” he said.
If he were to write, direct, or produce his own short it would be “a story from a western.” “I love westerns,” he said.
As a favorite motto to live by, it is important for Novlan to try to “live in the moment.”
Baby No. 2
On June 6, 2022, Novlan and his wife, Kayla Ewell, welcomed their second child, a baby boy named Jones Douglas (who was born seven weeks early). “It is good. Jones is home now. There is not a lot of sleep in the house but that’s all right, we are in that phase. He is a really sweet boy. It has been fun watching my daughter Poppy be a big sister and having a dude in the house. The score is even, two boys and two girls in the house,” he said.
If he were to have any superpower, he noted that he would be “invisible” for a little bit. “That would be cool,” he admitted. “I would disappear for a little bit and I won’t have to change a diaper,” he said with a chuckle. “I would be able to fly under the radar being invisible.”
Success
He defined success as “fulfilling an achievement” and it is “ongoing and continual.”
Thanks the #Sinn fans
For their dedicated Steffy and Finn fans, which are affectionately known as #Sinn, Novlan remarked, “It has been amazing to have the fans on my journey. I am always in awe of how loyal they are, and I feel honored by that. It is really cool to see how well they respond to Jacqueline and my own work in this way. On our show, it has been the summer of #Sinn, which has been fun.”
Rapid Fire Questions
Novlan also took the time to answer some “Rapid Fire” questions.
Waffles or pancakes? Pancakes
Flying or driving? Flying
City living or country living? City living
Summer or winter? Summer, for sure
Library or museum? Museum
Bath or shower? Shower
Pepsi or Coke? Coke
Texting or calling? Texting
Half-full or half-empty? Half-full, I am working on that
Curly fries or normal fries? Normal fries
Skydiving or scuba diving? Scuba diving
Tea or coffee? Coffee
Rain or snow? Snow
Singing or dancing? Dancing
Burgers or tacos? Burgers
To learn more about actor Tanner Novlan, follow him on Instagram.
For more information on “The Bold and The Beautiful,” or to stream the show online, visit the show’s official website.
