Katherine Kelly Lang and Jacob Young have decades of experience performing in daytime dramas between them. In addition to his years as Rick on The Bold and the Beautiful, Young’s been on both All My Children and General Hospital. Needless to say, they’ve had their share of fan encounters.
Katherine Kelly Lang and Jacob Young Talk Fans
Recently, Lang, who has played Brooke on BB since the show’s inception in 1987, appeared on her former TV son’s podcast Real Conversations With Jacob Young. The actor asked Lang if she’d had any surreal fan encounters and shared one of his own during the podcast.
“I get asked that a lot,” Lang responded. “Other than some scary letters and things that have had to be turned over to the police, mostly, it’s all good. People really appreciate the show.”
Lang says that many fans have been watching BB since its inception. “They know everything,” she marvels. “It means so much to them. I’ve heard so many stories from so many people.” She adds it always comes back to the concept of family. Lang says that many fans tell her they used to watch BB with their grandmothers and they still watch even though those grandmothers may be gone now.
“Daytime serials are generational,” Young concurs. “They touch the hearts of grandmothers, daughters, and granddaughters.” Alas, the actor shared that not every fan encounter has felt comfortable. “One time, I was just courting my now wife Christen. We were in New York City.
“We were sitting at a little café and somebody came up to us,” Young continues, “and [she] said, ‘JR [Young’s AMC character]…how dare you cheat on Babe [Alexa Havins]!'” Young thanked the fan for her comments, but he says, “she just snapped and went on and on.” He signaled for the waiter and paid the check. “We left, but she was still yelling at me from across the street. She thought it was real.”
Young suggests that being in viewers’ homes can contribute, in some cases, to select fans having trouble differentiating reality from fantasy. “There are so many wonderful fans, but I’ve had a lot of encounters that are strange,” he shares.
“My story is similar to yours,” Lang says. “A lady came up to me and said, ‘Brooke! Brooke! You have to watch out for Taylor [Hunter Tylo]! She’s out to get your man [Ridge].'” Initially, Lang believed that the woman was merely enthusiastic about the storyline but then started to feel that she was quite serious. “It took me a while to grasp that,” Lang told Young. “It’s like you say. We’re in their living rooms every day. To some, it crosses a line.”
To listen to Young’s entire conversation with Lang, click here. The Bold and the Beautiful (BB) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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