Off topic but who would have made a better Eric Forrester?

Re: John McCook. It's hilarious that Bill Bell was quick to sign him to a contract in 1975 and build him into a big deal, but sat on the fence about signing Tom Selleck. Then in 1980 Magnum PI hits and Selleck hit it big as a heart throb. Bell was kicking himself.

2011 Soaps-in-Depth announcement about the casting of MCE as Chelsea
https://web.archive.org/web/20111010122823/http://cbs.soapsindepth.com/2011/10/yr-casts-another-amc-alum.html

15 hours ago, SoapDope78 said:

I think Peter Browns character is in jeopardy of being killed off the soap and he tries to kill Jennifer.

And then Mr. Brown proceeds to give one of the hammiest "breakdown scenes" in history ("At last! I'm getting the recognition I've long deserved!"), making the moment when a gang of pseudo-Black Panthers relieved him of his member in "Foxy Brown" look like something out of "Death of a Salesman."

Coincidentally, "As the Hart Turns" was co-written by Ronnie Wenker-Konner, who head-wrote THE DOCTORS for a spell with her then-husband, Lawrence.

15 hours ago, DRW50 said:

The role I enjoyed him most in was when he'd pop up on Alice as a cheesy game show host.

My personal fave is when he shows up on "Three's Company" as Cindy's photographer boyfriend who, in so many words, informs her that her skin looks hideous. Of course, with the deeply tinted glasses he wore in his scenes, I'm sure everyone's skin looked like crap.

Let me put it this way: if John McCook had come along about 10 years earlier than he did, he probably would've been a client of Henry Willson's. IYKYK.

15 hours ago, SoapDope78 said:

Re: Hart To Hart. McCook comes across similar to Robert Wagner. They are supposed to be these macho, charismatic, sexy men that women find irresistible, but in reality they are cheesy, bland and boring.

Which also explains Cameron Mathison's career, lol.

9 hours ago, Broderick said:

It's very hard to believe that John McCook has remained employed for almost 40 years in that role, but c'est la vie.

I mean, if I were two steps away from the gutter and hired to write for B&B, I'd probably write the best material that I could for him. Just as I would write the best material that I could for ANY soap performer. (Except for Cameron Mathison. That's when I'd turn the gun on myself).

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by Khan

7 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Off topic but who would have made a better Eric Forrester?

I'm not saying this is my choice exactly, but he'd have to be LIKE Robert Culp.

He'd have to have been someone who could've gone ten rounds with Susan Flannery and not make her look like his mother. (For years, I thought Eric was Stephanie's much younger husband. Imagine my surprise when I learned that wasn't the case).

I've no earthly idea WHY Bill Bell or John Conboy would've been on the fence about signing Tom Selleck to a contract when it was clear he carried charisma and looked incredible next to Jaime Lyn Bauer. Just as I don't know what made them think Wings Hauser was perfect for Greg, lol.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by Khan

8 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Off topic but who would have made a better Eric Forrester?

I don't know a LOT of different soap actors, like some of y'all do. But I was thinking of someone in the mold of a Chris Bernau --a man who could play sophistication, suaveness, and a steely determination in his career, but with a slightly more "formidable" presence than John McCook ever had. Someone who could be Stephanie's equal. It would've completely changed the dynamics of the show if Eric had been less of a spineless patsy.

There actually WAS an actor similar to that on B&B during its first year --- the actor who'd played Neil Fenmore on Y&R. (James Storm?) Whenever I saw a scene between Bill Spencer Senior and Stephanie Forrester, I often wondered how the story would've developed differently if HE had been cast as Eric Forrester.

Someone posted a picture of (a washed-up) Troy Donahue in this thread yesterday. That immediately made me think of TAB HUNTER, who was a decent actor, was only a few years older than Susan Flannery, and still came across as very handsome and sort of boyishly playful in the 1980s, but also understood sophistication (and subterfuge). I expect he would've been happy for a steady job in 1987.

17 minutes ago, Broderick said:

I don't know a LOT of different soap actors, like some of y'all do. But I was thinking of someone in the mold of a Chris Bernau --a man who could play sophistication, suaveness, and a steely determination in his career, but with a slightly more "formidable" presence than John McCook ever had. Someone who could be Stephanie's equal. It would've completely changed the dynamics of the show if Eric had been less of a spineless patsy.

There actually WAS an actor similar to that on B&B during its first year --- the actor who'd played Neil Fenmore on Y&R. (James Storm?) Whenever I saw a scene between Bill Spencer Senior and Stephanie Forrester, I often wondered how the story would've developed differently if HE had been cast as Eric Forrester.

Someone posted a picture of (a washed-up) Troy Donahue in this thread yesterday. That immediately made me think of TAB HUNTER, who was a decent actor, was only a few years older than Susan Flannery, and still came across as very handsome and sort of boyishly playful in the 1980s, but also understood sophistication (and subterfuge). I expect he would've been happy for a steady job in 1987.

I think Bell intended for Eric to be that way hence why McCook was cast as Eric. No one else could have worked for that version of Eric...imho.

And I think Beth #1 could have worked opposite Stephanie, but as my late mom used to say... Beth #1 was blonde, tall, and attractive... no way that Eric would look in Stephanie's direction... but Beth #2.. definitely could have seen that.

In regards to Vanessa, she seemed like a Gothic character and there were a few instances where Bell did infuse the character with a bit of depth. However, the story have run for over five years.. and either Bell needed to reform her or else kill her off because Lorie vs Vanessa had run it's course by 1981