John McCook — A Biography
John McCook was born on June 20, 1944, in Ventura, California. He attended Long Beach State University in Southern California. He was a gifted singer and dancer and gravitated towards musical theater.
While performing in a revival of West Side Story in New York City, John was discovered by movie mogul Jack Warner. He signed a contract with Universal Studios but was drafted by the U.S. Army.
After a two-year stint in the military, McCook quickly went back to his first love: musical theater. Television was not far behind.
From 1964 through 1976, John began racking up credits such as No Time for Sergeants, My Blood Runs Cold, Hank, Mister Roberts, First to Fight, Run for Your Life, Dragnet 1967, Bracken’s World, O’Hara: U.S. Treasury, and The Blue Sextet.
In 1976, when The Young and the Restless cast him as romantic lead Lance Prentiss, McCook finally gained national prominence.
John continued to capture hearts as Lance Prentiss until 1980 when the character returned to Paris. McCook returned to primetime with such credits as Trapper John M.D., Family Ties, Hotel, Masquerade, and Fantasy Island.
In 1987, John landed the role of Eric Forrester on Bill Bell’s new show called The Bold and the Beautiful. The show became an international hit and John’s popularity skyrocketed as the head of the Forrester fashion dynasty.
He never let go of his love of theater, taking breaks to include productions of “Barefoot in the Park” with Virginia Mayo, and Los Angeles and Las Vegas productions of “Mame” with the legendary Ann Miller. John had starring roles in “Oklahoma!,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “They’re Playing Our Song,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Peter Pan,” “Man of La Mancha,” and “42nd Street.”
McCook resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Laurette Spang, a former actress herself. They have three children, Jake, Becky, and Molly, and Seth McCook, a son from John’s marriage to Juliet Prowse.
Follow him on Twitter @JohnMcCook44 and Instagram @johntmccook.
The Bold and the Beautiful (BB) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. To find out what his character is currently up to on The Bold and the Beautiful, click here.
Fast Facts
- June 20, 1944 — Birthdate
- Attended Long Beach State University.
- Once worked as a Jungle Cruise tour guide at Disneyland.
- Was once married to famed actress and dancer Juliet Prowse. They had one child, a son, Seth McCook.
- He has been married to actress Laurette Spang since February 16, 1980. They have three children, Jake, Rebecca, and Molly.
- Favorite Snack: Extra-chunky peanut butter on the spoon with a glass of milk.
- His favorite Bond movie is Goldfinger.
- Was only 7 years older than his former on-screen son Ronn Moss, who played Ridge.
- Released a CD of love songs in 1993.
