Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Breaking news this morning out of TV Guide! All My Children’s Jacob Young who has been playing a very drunk JR Chandler as of late has made a decision to not stay with the series when it debuts online via Prospect Park. Instead, the Daytime Emmy winner is heading back to his original soap opera home, The Bold and the Beautiful, reprising the role of Rick Forrester!
And as AMC castmate Debbi Morgan before him, ( she is set to debut on Y&R after AMC closes down on AMC) Young will be seen on September 26th for the first time on B&B, just a few days following the September 23rd ending of AMC. Smart move Mr. Brad Bell!
Here are a few interesting excerpts on Jacob’s decision to leave for his BOLD family!
Jacob on how the deal came to pass to bring him back to B&B: “Brad Bell approached my management and asked if I’d be interested in returning because he wanted to see the character really come to fruition. He assured me that Rick will return with some very heavy involvement. It was always at the back of my mind that I’d love to return to this role. It was my first part on television and the fact that Rick’s still around is almost too good to be true. To go back and make the role my own again is a real thrill for me. I’m eager to work with Katherine Kelly Lang [Rick's mother Brooke] again. We had such a great rapport when I was younger. When they suddenly aged Rick and gave me the part she was, like, “I’m too young to have a kid this old!” That was when I was 18 and now I’m almost 32. [Laughs] I can’t wait to go back and bust her! ”
Jacob on his concerns that if Prospect Park debuts AMC online in January it needs some significant help to keep viewer interest: “It will take a lot of advertising to bring awareness that the show has moved to the internet and to keep interest going during that gap. Also, this idea of the show moving to a Hulu-type [platform] is confusing to a lot of people. I took a little poll of my mother-in-law’s friends — all of them watch AMC — and almost none know what Hulu is or how that sort of thing works. But these Prospect Park people are very credentialed and they told us they’d been developing a Monday-to-Friday serial of their own when AMC and One Life to Live were cancelled. Their take was, “This is exactly the format we’re looking for. It has a built-in audience. Why don’t we buy the rights, buy the sets, lease the building and see how it goes?” Hey, it’s the future. Even if they lose money on this, it’s the pioneer effort that will pave the way for everybody else.”
Jacob on telling the folks at AMC…he is out of there!: “The other day [AMC creator] Agnes Nixonwas doing an appearance on our show and [exec producer] Julie Carruthers said, “Agnes is looking for you. She wants to say hello. She says she also wants to give you a spanking!” But Agnes, in addition to being a genius, is a lovely lady. She understood. When I found her she was getting her makeup done. I said, “Agnes, how are you?” She said, “Well, I’d be a lot better if you [weren't leaving]. Nah, it’s okay. I just had to put that dig in there! You’ve been so great on the show and we’ve been lucky to have you.” I think everybody understands.”
So how do you feel about Jacob choosing to go to B&B? Excited? Or, would you have preferred to see him on AMC online? Let us know!
Brian T says: 
kay killgore 
Nancy Wizner