B&B: Old/Classic Discussion & Articles

[Soapfan8]

Who are your top 10?

Edited July 6, 2022 by Soapfan8

[Videnbas]

LOL, I don't really have a top 10 list. I just meant that I could easily think of at least 5, possibly 10, actresses in the history of the show that I feel were stronger than both KKL and HT. But it also depends on the material - some actresses were given much less to work with than either of those two leading ladies, so I also think it's fair to take into account what an actress does with the material she's given.

Susan Flannery is of course the self-evident #1.
I would place Darlene Conley, in all her scenery-chewing campiness, at #2 because she created a truly memorable character and actually set the tone for an entire subgroup of the B&B cast.

Then it becomes difficult. I have seen Joanna Johnson, Kimberlin Brown, Michelle Davison (Ruthanne), Bobbie Eakes, Schae Harrison, Jennifer Finnegan, Heather Tom, Ashlyn Pearce, Alley Mills, and many others do wonderful things when given the right material (although some of them weren't often given the chance to shine). I think I would place all of these actresses above HT, and at least half of them above KKL.

[Jennybold1974]

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@Videnbas @sheilaforever and Co,  really enjoy reading your long posts! I don't always agree, but it's nice to read opposite opinions about the show and its history. More interesting than the current episodes... lol

[Soapfan8]

That list is solid and I think Rena, Anna Maria and Leslie kay as well. 

[Althea Davis]

Nobody asks me but I will tell my Top 10 for me are...

1. STEPHANIE the queen in charge.. with the one exception is that she is better at ice and bully than crying and sadness. Stephanie has hard time crying with tears.

2.BRIDGET 2001 2002 amazing... truly masterpiece of an actress. She could have given so much more to the show.  

3.HEATHER TOM KATIE but she overdoes it sometimes. How many times did she have a heart attack... too much... but again.. pure talent.

4.SALLY icon... not realistic at all.. more like a cartoon character but very unforgettable and unique. 

5. CAROLINE she can be very real and very fake based on the material... the actress was not that consistent but the highest moments were truly special 

6.AMBER very big potential and she drove such great moments of the show... she and Sally have made me laugh more than anyone.

7.BROOKE the biggest storyline driver... not a genius actress but I belive kkl is kkl when she acts like brooke. That's the only way she can act... and it's good. Brooke is irreplaceable. But not the top talent. Nope.

8. SHEILA. She is amazing but only in her 2 3 perfect notes... sheila has never been the most realistic character... there have been a lot of bad acting moments with her... but I blame the material 

9.PAM she could be in top 5 if she got more material.. true psycho... and really superb actress.. I place her here because the show gave the others a lot more opportunity to shine... but I think alley mills needs to be more active as psycho pam. I would kill for sheila vs pam

10.TAYLOR... very beautiful but that's the negative... you can't really see past the beauty sometimes... and after 2005 she acts absurdly bad. That's why I place her last... if I judged her from the early Years.. she would be top 5.... but in the late Years...

 

 

Notable mentions

1. Jackie. Had some great moments but in the end ended very boringly 

2. Morgan... not the best actress but I loooved her

3. Macy... again not the best actress... she is too soapy and melodramatic but I love the character... and she can sing that woman

4. The new Hope that is on right now... she us the best for me acting wise

5. Lauren...

 

Negative top 5 chacters

1. KIM Matula hope... sorry many people like her...but for me she made the character too naive and too sweet... it was like I had eaten too much candy... really really got bored by her... and didn't find her effective at all. That's my opinion many people love her.

2 steffy... I mean.. for me there has been so so much overacting... very bad body language. Too much gesturing.. she just feels off to me... I just don't like the actress at all... I feel vulgarity when I hear her voice... and the character is very copy paste from past bold vixen types.

3. Beth Logan.... ew... the most boring character in history of the show.

4. Margot... I mean... overacting... melodramatic...

5. Donnalogan ... all of them.... have been bad.

 

Nothing against actresses... just opinion of a fan.

[Soapfan8]

1. Susan Flannery

2. Jennifer Finnigan

3. Heather Tom

4. Lesli Kay

5. Anna Maria Hasford

6. Darlene Conley

7. Rena Sofer

8. Joanna Johnson

9. Kimberlin Brown

10. Bobbie Eakes

honorable mention: Courtney Hope, KKL, Linsey Godfrey Jacqui and Annika 

 

I think Kim was a great younger lead for bold, she had the charisma energy, sex appeal and had chemistry with the whole cast. I would say Annika has more ranger however she’s more of a lower energy actress. 

[Videnbas]

I like your list too! It's pretty close to mine, especially at the top. You are right JF's Bridget was phenomenal. She could have done so much more on the show but I think she went on to primetime (unsurprisingly).

In the case of most characters/actors who have been around a long time (like Sheila, Stephanie and Brooke), I think they invariably did their best work in the early years (mainly the 90s, up until the early 00s). I wonder if it's a reflection on the directors of the show because I imagine that can make a lot of difference in an actor's performance. 

I actually feel the way you do about KM's Hope and JMW's Steffy! It has made for many years of frustrating viewing when the show revolved/revolves around one or both of them. AN's Hope is much more tolerable and nuanced to me (albeit not exactly a scene-stealer) and she did some great work during the Beth storyline.

[Videnbas]

Who would you say are/were the top 10 actors on B&B? 

I think it's a lot harder than to think of 10 good actresses because the male characters tend to be less developed and have more of a supporting role. So a lot of the male characters are sort of one-note - meaning they work as one "character type" but rarely have the opportunity to show any range. The show usually isn't "about" them the way it is "about" the women.

 

[sheilaforever]

The truth has been spoken! This has ALWAYS been the case with B&B, regardless whether Bill Bell or Bradley Bell was head writing. And it’s quite different to Y&R with the bunch of alpha males (and as forum user Cat would say “with their magic penis” which female genoa City residents are chasing for) and some super strong females like Original-Victoria, Jill and Dru.

 

I had a really tough time to type up a top 10 because I’ve seen some of these actors with better material on other shows, yet looking only by their B&B work it would look like this

1 Jim Storm

2 Thorsten Kaye

3 Ian Buchanan

4 Jacob Young

5 Sean Kanan

6 Mick Cain

7 Dan McVicar

8 John McCook

9 Justin Torkildsen

10 Rick Hearst

 

Runner ups depending on the material they were given: Jack Wagner, Winsor Harmon, Matthew Atkinson, Drew Tyler Bell, Charles Grant, Clayton Norcross and Don Diamont

[Soapfan8]

Ranking them is hard but thorsten kaye, d Jack Wagner, Charles grant, Ian Buchanan, Mathew Atkinson, Scott Clifton, Jacob Young and Ric Hearst, Obba Bat, John Mccook would be included 

honorable mentions: Winsor Harmon, Justin T, Daniel M, Scott Clifton Jim Storm and Don Diamont

[Soapfan8]

this is shallow but who would you all say have been the most beautiful actresses on the show?

1. Hunter Tylo (90s)
2. Ashley Tosoro
3. Susan Flannery (80s)
4. Kim Matula
5. Ashleigh Brewer 
6. Katherine Kelly Lang
7. Rena Sofer
8. Colleen Dion
9. Karla Mosley
10. Krista Allen

Honrobale mentions: Katrina Bowden,Diamond White, Jacqui Woods, Joanna Johnson, Tracey Bergman, Maybe Jennifer Gareis?

Edited July 8, 2022 by Soapfan8

[Althea Davis]

Most beautiful

1. Brooke... in the sense that her beauty has Lasted for 35 years... she was and still is so beautiful

2. Taylor... hunters taylor... but I am placing her second because of the way she looked later years

3. Caroline 

4. Stephanie first 3 4 years 

5. Sheila

6. Macy 

7. Annikas Hope

8. Bridget Jennifer F 

9. Lauren 

10. Jackie 

 

[Soapfan8]

I would place Lauren in honorable mentions I forgot her. I think Jf got prettier when she aged. I was gonna put Lesley In honorable mentions but eh. 

The character itself sucked but I’ve always thought Katrina coulda been a solid Hope recast, she favors KKL & even Sean kinda. She’s so pretty and a decent actress though not  the best. 

[kalbir]

My top 3 actresses are Susan Flannery, Darlene Conley, and Joanna Johnson. Of note is that Darlene Conley was B&B's first Daytime Emmy nominee in the acting categories.

I cannot for the life of me pick top 3 actors.

[Liberty City]

Episode 483 is the first interaction between Sally & Stephanie, and how delicious it absolutely was!

"You copy my husband's designs, why not my lunch?"