The Bold and the Beautiful Character Recap: Eric Forrester

He’s not only an original cast member of The Bold and the Beautiful but also one of the longest-running characters in soap opera history. We’re talking about patriarch and leading man Eric Forrester, played by Emmy-nominee John McCook, who appeared in BB’s premiere episode and has been a staple ever since.

Who Is Eric Forrester?

When we first met Eric, it was clear that he and Stephanie were at an impasse in their nearly 30-year marriage. Steph, however, didn’t want to lose Eric and suspected he had a romantic interest in longtime assistant Margo Lynley. In reality, Eric had fallen in love with Beth Logan, his college sweetheart whom he had dumped after Stephanie became pregnant.

Marrying Brooke
Stephanie disposed of Beth, but found it more problematic breaking up Eric’s marriage to her daughter Brooke. Eric had two children with Brooke — Rick and Bridget — but she still dumped him for Ridge. Next, Eric fell for naughty nurse Sheila Carter. Eric and Steph remained bonded by the company they built — Forrester Creations.

Loving Lauren
Post-Sheila, Eric was targeted by every woman on the show except daughter-in-law Macy and Maria, the family maid! Stephanie, Sally, Taylor, and even Darla had thoughts of being with Eric. After a fling with family friend Lauren Fenmore, Eric and Steph were about to re-marry when the bride spied a naughty pic of Eric and Lauren in the minister’s bible.

Father’s Daze

Eric rewed Stephanie after she recovered from a stroke. She stood by him as he grappled with wanting to control the lives of his daughters, Kristen and Bridget, and the choices they made in husbands. Eric wrestled with son-in-law Deacon over a gun and he was shot. Next, Eric wrestled with his feelings after finding out that Stephanie’s former lover, Massimo Marone, turned out to be Ridge’s biological pop.

Marrying Brooke II
Eric walked out on Stephanie after finding out that she faked having had a heart attack so Ridge would dump Brooke for Taylor, Steph’s favorite. Eric and Steph argued, throwing heavy family scrapbooks back and forth at one another. Rubbing salt in Stephanie’s wounds, Eric briefly re-married Brooke.

Finding Forrester Creations on The Bold and the Beautiful
Eric was tossed out of his own company after Stephanie found a document giving her sole ownership of Forrester. After giving him the figurative boot, Stephanie gave Eric a literal knee to the groin as payback. (Ouch!) Family dramas — Felicia’s illness and Steph dealing with repressed childhood abuse — brought the couple back together. But after Eric learned Steph had an inadvertent role in Brooke being raped, he left her once more.

Donna, Divine

Eric took up with Brooke’s sister, Donna, but Steph tried to squash the romance by blackmailing Donna with the knowledge that her brother, Storm, shot her. Eric had a heart attack while in bed with Donna.

He and Steph teamed up to prevent her unbalanced sister Pam from murdering Donna. Eric showed his commitment to Donna by adopting her son, Marcus, but the pair split after Steph played an inadvertent role in Beth’s death. Eric and Stephanie seemed fated to be together.

Stephanie, RIP
Battles at Forrester Creations continued, but Eric learned what was really important in life when Stephanie became ill with cancer. They had time to process her fate. She died not in his arms but in the company of Brooke, her nemesis-turned-friend.

Designing Woman
Eric took up with jewelry designer Quinn Fuller, who knew how to turn on the charm with Eric while making miserable the lives of her adversaries. She and Eric have mostly had a conflict-free marriage.

A notable exception has been Quinn’s battles with Eric’s ex, Sheila, back from the dead. Today, Eric maintains his roles as Quinn’s husband, Brooke’s best friend, family peacekeeper, and patriarch. The Bold and the Beautiful (BB) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes.