Which of These Soap Stars Studied Muay Thai In Bangkok, Thailand?

Everybody needs a hobby – and that certainly includes soap stars. And if said hobby could also double as an intense workout (which would help keep the practitioner lean and fit), then all the better.

Which Of These Soap Stars Was It?

All of these actors portray a character on one of the four remaining soaps – The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless. But only one of them can say that he studied and practiced Muay Thai (a combat sport) in Bangkok, Thailand.

But who can that actor be? Is it Matthew Atkinson (Thomas Forrester, BB), Drake Hogestyn (John Black, DAYS), Donnell Turner (Curtis Ashford, GH), or Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, YR)?

Matthew Atkinson

Atkinson is undeniably fit. And he maintains his physique thanks to intense workouts and long-distance running – he has, after all, participated in Big Sur, Chicago and Atlanta-hosted marathons. He did not, however, learn the ins and outs of “Thai Boxing” while vacationing in Bangkok.

Drake Hogestyn

Hogestyn has maintained a svelte figure since his days as a minor league baseball player. These days he maintains it through visits to his local gym (“It’s my sanctuary”) as well as his frequent excursions into the garden. “It’s good physical labor,” he insists. But he isn’t today’s featured star.

Eric Braeden

Braeden is vocal about his love of boxing – even Victor Newman, the character he has played on YR since 1980 is enamored with the sport. And in 2017, Braeden accepted the opportunity to serve as grand marshal of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Parade of Champions. (Inductees that year included Evander Holyfield whom Braeden recently “invited” to join him at the CBS soap.) But Braeden isn’t the actor in question.

Donnell Turner

Outside of the ABC studio, Turner is an exceptionally active man. He indulges in yoga, kickboxing, knife combat training, and various forms of martial arts… including Muay Thai. Turner trained in the sport (that uses eight points of contact; the hands, knees, shins, and feet) while visiting Thailand.

So if you guessed that perhaps the soap star in question was Donnell Turner – who has played GH’s Curtis Ashford since November 30, 2015 – then you were absolutely correct!