The Queen

By Nelson Branco

2008-03-04

In a rare interview, soaps’ best actor, and its most powerful star, Susan Flannery, reveals why she’s abdicating the throne. Plus: how she really feels about Brooke’s rape!

In the soap world, the devil doesn’t wear Prada, she wears Forrester Creations. But not for long, angels. The soap opera apocalypse is officially upon us: four-time Daytime Emmy winner Susan Flannery is leaving her iconic role as Stephanie Forrester on the world’s most watched daily serial, The Bold and the Beautiful, sometime in the next couple of years to retire from acting. Highly considered the best actor on daytime TV, the Golden Globe winner’s exodus will no doubt leave an irreplaceable void not only on the CBS sudser, but also in the entire industry. As an original B&B cast member, the soap’s identity has been based around her seminal character, Stephanie’s psychosis and her legendary love-hate relationship with Brooke Logan. But alas, La Flannery has made up her mind and barring a miracle, we're just going to have to deal with it.

The former Days of Our Lives star invited TVGuide.ca into her dressing room to go on the record about why she’s ready to move on and why she wasn’t happy with Stephanie’s involvement in Brooke’s rape last year in a rare and exclusive interview.

TVGuide.ca: Are you really planning on retiring in a couple of years? Or is this just another great scheme of Stephanie’s?

Susan Flannery: [laughs] Yes, I am retiring — and it’s going to be sooner rather than later. I haven’t set a date in my mind, but it’s not in the too-far distant future.

TVG: No! So that sound we hear is Brad [bell, B&B’s executive producer/head writer] constructing a dungeon chamber to keep you under his lock and key!

SF: [laughs] I don’t know about that. You know, life is short and I had a great run. I’m not leaving in the next four to five months, but I am definitely headed towards leaving the show.

TVG: My therapist is going love this. [sighs] If you had your druthers, how would you like to see Stephanie written out of the show?

SF: You know, someone asked me that and all I can say is I would trust however Brad decided to write me out; however best he thinks my exit should play out. Brad’s the writer — and I have a lot of respect for him — so, I wouldn’t even think to suggest anything.

TVG: Bradley is one of my all-time favourite writers, and I believe one of the most underrated head writers in daytime. I think his father, William Bell, would be extremely proud of him.

SF: Oh, I agree completely. William would be so, so proud of him.

TVG: I have to have a fan moment here for a second — my friends and I gather for Flannery nights at my house to review all your best acting moments. Your performances were the only thing keeping us from writing off your country during the past eight years.

SF: [laughs] Let me guess, ‘bitch, bitch, slap, slap!’

TVG: You know your fans all too well. Did you know from an early age that you were destined to be an actor? Your talent feels God-given.

SF: It sounds corny, but I always knew. I was very fortunate to have two wonderful parents who believed I could do anything that I wanted to. My father even said to me, ‘If you want to be the President of the United States, you can be the President of the United States.’ They were very liberating parents. The only requirement they expected of me was to go to college, which I did. After I graduated, I moved out here to the coast and began knocking on doors. You know I’ve been very fortunate to have been working my entire career and life.

TVG: I’ve always wondered which actors you look up to.

SF: Well, I have to tell you that I was absolutely thrilled when La Vie En Rose’s Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress Oscar. I saw the movie sometime last year when it was first released, and I remember turning to my friends to remark, ‘That’s the benchmark performance for an actress of her generation. That performance was untouchable in my opinion.’ Of course, I think Julie Christie is magnificent. She’s wonderful, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime performance. I was very disappointed that La Vie En Rose wasn’t nominated for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and cinematographer. Personally, I thought La Vie En Rose was the best movie of the year — and this is coming from a No Country for Old Men fan.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Interview

That's a pretty insightful interview. Then again, I do love Susan Flannery. She really is the Queen of Daytime, IMO. NB's right, if she goes, the industry won't be the same. Honestly, I don'y know what B&B will do. They haven't really made strides to bring B&B into the future or set up "tent-pole character" for that future. Yet.

LOL at bitch, bitch, slap, slap!

Edited March 4, 200817 yr by Cat

god what a boring interview!

you'd think he'd come up with something more exciting, considering that la flannery has announced her retirement. but nope! it's the same ol' fan worshipping to the bells.

interview had zero originality. no depth in the interview. just fan worship for the bells and brad bell, a writer who has yet to integrate characters of color on b&b. where were the "tough, journalist" questions? none of the hard questions were asked. for ex. why was stephanie's shooting drummed up to replace further delving into brooke's rape? why has the show virtually dropped something as "great" as stephanie's childhood abuse? why has the show not delved into stephanie's continued abuse of brooke despite stephanie knowing she was abused? where are all the people of color in b&b's la la land?

Edited March 4, 200817 yr by bakedghoti

That's a pretty insightful interview. Then again, I do love Susan Flannery. She really is the Queen of Daytime, IMO. NB's right, if she goes, the industry won't be the same. Honestly, I don'y know what B&B will do. They haven't really made strides to bring B&B into the future or set up "tent-pole character" for that future. Yet.

LOL at bitch, bitch, slap, slap!

ita!

NB is lucky, SF isnt knowen for her sit down interviews.

This isn't an interview with Brad Bell. I don't think it would be appropriate to ambush her with combative questions pertaining to things she has absolutely no control over. I'd love to know why B&B is the whitest, straightest soap on daytime but it wouldn't be the top of my list of questions to ask Susan Flannery.

I do think we'll be getting more interviews like this now that she's decided she's definitely retiring and perhaps she'll touch on more political stuff of her own accord. My only wish is that SF wasn't so "writers write" oriented. I know she was spoiled in her formative soap years with Bill Bell but she's too bright a woman not to sniff out garbage. I'd also love to know the original plans for the rape story because it seems as though it was altered somewhat.

"Bitch, bitch, slap, slap!" I love that she doesn't take herself too seriously and knows how people watch the show. Same goes for bemoaning the lack of camp since Darlene Conley's passing.

This isn't an interview with Brad Bell. I don't think it would be appropriate to ambush her with combative questions pertaining to things she has absolutely no control over. I'd love to know why B&B is the whitest, straightest soap on daytime but it wouldn't be the top of my list of questions to ask Susan Flannery.

I could not agree more.

I do think we'll be getting more interviews like this now that she's decided she's definitely retiring and perhaps she'll touch on more political stuff of her own accord. My only wish is that SF wasn't so "writers write" oriented. I know she was spoiled in her formative soap years with Bill Bell but she's too bright a woman not to sniff out garbage. I'd also love to know the original plans for the rape story because it seems as though it was altered somewhat.

I dont know about. I am sure we will get some interviews, prob more than she has done .. ever.. but i would be shocked if she much. She likes NB and called him (i think thats what i read), so i think thats the only way we will get a sit down interview.

I disagree. I think the actors should just let writers write. I hate it when soaps do what the actors want. They need to shut up and act more. Unless it is something major and they have a serious issue with it, like SF with the rape, i see no need to speak up. Now dont get me wrong, i love it when stars speakout besucae of the drama and things we learn, but IMHO, they shouldnt speak out unless it is needed (another great example is EZ re Dena)

"Bitch, bitch, slap, slap!" I love that she doesn't take herself too seriously and knows how people watch the show. Same goes for bemoaning the lack of camp since Darlene Conley's passing.

That made me LMAO!

I love this woman. She is such an all around class act. Her leaving daytime will be felt.

This isn't an interview with Brad Bell. I don't think it would be appropriate to ambush her with combative questions pertaining to things she has absolutely no control over. I'd love to know why B&B is the whitest, straightest soap on daytime but it wouldn't be the top of my list of questions to ask Susan Flannery.

I do think we'll be getting more interviews like this now that she's decided she's definitely retiring and perhaps she'll touch on more political stuff of her own accord. My only wish is that SF wasn't so "writers write" oriented. I know she was spoiled in her formative soap years with Bill Bell but she's too bright a woman not to sniff out garbage. I'd also love to know the original plans for the rape story because it seems as though it was altered somewhat.

"Bitch, bitch, slap, slap!" I love that she doesn't take herself too seriously and knows how people watch the show. Same goes for bemoaning the lack of camp since Darlene Conley's passing.

clearly la flannery has power and influence on b&b. the fact that she complained to brad that steffers would be directly responsible for brooke's rape made him alter the storylines. and la flannery directs the show and is a mentor to the younger set.

SO, her opinions on 1. stephanie's abuse of brooke 2. stephanie not delving into her childhood abuse 3. brooke not deliving into her rape and MOST importantly 4. the lack of racial representation on B&B would be enlightening since she is a core cast member.

To ignore these important questions and put filler like "oh i worship you, the bells, blah" is typically lame of branco.

And for branco to claim that La flannery likes him thus she's giving him an interview is HILARIOUS!

how many times has soap opera weekly and sod interviewed her. michael logan interviewed her numerous times. logan was able to interview la flannery about bridget/ridge pairing! the italian media interviewed her during the lake como shoot. heck even mr.smartypants, a b&b website owner and not a "journalist" like branco, interviewed her and kkl! it's on youtube!

typical of branco to pretend to "score" a big interview when a non-journalist like mr.smartypants has a video interview of 2 of b&b's MAIN divas in youtube!

hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited March 4, 200817 yr by bakedghoti

Susan Flannery is love

TVG: I’ve always wondered which actors you look up to.

SF: Well, I have to tell you that I was absolutely thrilled when La Vie En Rose’s Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress Oscar. I saw the movie sometime last year when it was first released, and I remember turning to my friends to remark, ‘That’s the benchmark performance for an actress of her generation. That performance was untouchable in my opinion.’ Of course, I think Julie Christie is magnificent. She’s wonderful, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime performance. I was very disappointed that La Vie En Rose wasn’t nominated for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and cinematographer. Personally, I thought La Vie En Rose was the best movie of the year — and this is coming from a No Country for Old Men fan.

I love that! I really do because I felt the same way about La Vie En Rose.

I enjoyed reading the interview and it's so weird to actually read an interview that she's leaving. It's not a dream- it's true.

Hands down, the only useful thing Nelson has ever done.

bakedghoti, if you want a different take on the lack of black representation in Daytime (for example), NB has posted a recent interview he had with James Reynolds (Abe, Days) on this very issue. I imagine you might find it lacking but I thought a lot of the questions -- and, more importantly the answers -- were interesting and thought-provoking.

http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/State+of+t...s_NB.htm?isfa=1

In fact, it sort of made go into "If only I were an EP of a soap" mode.

Re: SF and this interview, IMO Susan Flannery is a joy to read whoever is giving the interview. I don't know whether she'd be able to act as a proxy for Brad Bell's decisions, regardless of the respect and high regard she wields on set. And I honestly don't see how Brad Bell would ever answer those questions directly himself. I guarantee that 80% of all your questions raised, bakedghoti, would be met with a "This is a half-hour show. I would love to include more stuff about Stephanie's childhood abuse/more people of color, but we just don't have time or space." The standard B&B answer to almost every query.

Regarding Brooke's rape, I think SF said it all. She didn't think the audience would ever forgive Stephanie for going that far. Hence a climbdown (and, implicitly, the hastily put-together Who Shot Stephanie plot) to soften it.

La Flannery is wonderful with interviews...!

SO SO SO SO sad that she will be leaving! My God I hope she changes her mind and that Bell makes her more of a human and less of a cartoon. If there is one reason the character is not a complete joke it's because Flannery has been saving it with her incredible talent.

Does it get any better than Susan Flannery? Didn't think so.

I think retirement has been in her mind for years now...and if that's what she wants, so be it. I would prefer that she stay and become the Jeanne Cooper of B&B (not that she isn't already) but when I think of B&B I think of Stephanie just like I think of Katherine when I think of Y&R.

Stephanie is most definitely a tent pole character, she is SO necessary...if I were Brad Bell I'd get on my hands and knees, offer Susan Flannery the same money she gets now to only do 30 episodes a year. That way she can be there for sweeps, when she really counts and yet enjoy the benefits of retirement. The only other alternative is to place Brooke in the Stephanie role and cast someone new to be in the Brooke role. That relationship is VERY necessary as well but it doesn't necessarily have to consist of Stephanie vs Brooke. It needs to be Alpha Female vs Alpha Female.

Great interview with Susan! I love all of Nelson's interviews and the actors he picks. Sad to hear Susan is leaving, but I do like that she at least had them change Stephanie being directly responsible for Brooke's rape. That would've been too much. Also loved the Katherine Kelly Lang love.

I wouldn't call her the best actress on daytime, but I did enjoy the interview. I like that Flannery understands the genre, and takes pride in her work. She is a class act.