Morgan Fairchild made another return to The Bold and the Beautiful this week. The legendary actress and soap fixture also appeared on the Soapy podcast with Greg Rikaart and Rebecca Budig to discuss her prolific acting career and her soap return.
Key Takeaways
- Morgan Fairchild shared the details of her rise to stardom, covering her early work, her transition to film, and the soap opera innovations she helped introduce, such as the “Morgan light.”
- The episode also explores Fairchild’s most iconic moments, including her legendary Cybil food fight.
- The conversation highlighted Fairchild’s love for the soap genre and offered a behind-the-scenes look at her latest return to B&B.
Fairchild Reflects On Her Acting Career
Fairchild appeared on this week’s episode of the Soapy podcast. Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart, Fairchild didn’t leave any detail behind as she talked about her rise to fame. She moved all over the country, from her stomping grounds in Texas to New York and eventually to Los Angeles.
During the conversation, Fairchild discussed her early-career beginnings, her love for the soap opera genre, and her bold transition into primetime drama and film. In her time on soaps, Fairchild developed the “Morgan light,” a concept she helped introduce.
It started when Fairchild chose Chinese lanterns over the soft lighting the crew recommended. It was first used by Caleb Deschanel and Shirley MacLaine since her fiancé worked as their cameraman.
But the actors and crew didn’t know how to work with Chinese lanterns since it was a new concept to them. Fairchild wanted to use it for herself since she looked better on camera. At the time, there were rumors that she “demanded this extra stuff and all this lighting.”
Budig got a flashback to All My Children when they also used the “Morgan Light.” She was grateful for it and always looks for it whenever she’s on a soap set. Fairchild preferred it because it put the actors in a flattering light.
Looking Back at Iconic Feud
Also, in the interview, Fairchild talked about her iconic Cybil food fight with Cybil Shepherd. Fairchild recalled that Shepherd came up with the idea after their rehearsal.
Once she uttered the words “food fight,” Fairchild was game. But they couldn’t film it all in one take. She admitted that production had to “cut it up,” and that they only had “so many wedding dresses to go through.” Fairchild also revealed how her fall into the fountain was captured.
“But the tricky part with the fall into the fountain is that it was this high off the ground, but people don’t realize how hard it is to do,” Fairchild explained. “I have a dress with a train. I am in high heels. I have to keep looking at her and back up into this fountain and land straight back into the fountain.”
It was “tricky” because Fairchild made sure she didn’t back up the wrong way and “crack” her head. Even though the ladies had a lot of fun filming the scene, it took hard work to get it right.
On the Atmosphere at B&B
Fairchild was incredibly grateful to be part of B&B. She loved the vibe on the set. While she’s a veteran of a genre that she adores, coming onto the set of an established show can make anyone feel like the “new kid on the block.”
“This show is absolutely, from the top down, the kindest, nicest, most grateful people, and they treat everyone with respect,” Fairchild said.
Fairchild returned alongside Jim J. Bullock, who played her “gem-inspect assistant.” She joked that they both had too much filming scenes together. Bullock and Fairchild would often “crack each other up,” and they had to keep their giggles down while the other actors were filming intense scenes nearby.
This week on B&B was a tense moment among the Forresters, Logans, and Spencers. Fairchild and Bullock offered the perfect comedic relief to those scenes.
