Ridge Forrester

Ridge Forrester is a fictional character from the CBS Daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. The character was introduced in the series premiere on March 23, 1987^[1] and has been a regular fixture ever since. Ronn Moss played the role since the beginning, and was one of four remaining original cast members for 25 years, along with Susan Flannery, John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang. Lane Davies briefly replaced Moss for a small amount of time in 1992. However, Moss departed in 2012. The character's fate was uncertain, although head-writer Bradley Bell confirmed in an interview with Michael Logan of TV Guide that he had plans for a recast should Moss choose not to return to the series.^[2] In October 2013, TV Guide's Michael Logan reported that the role of Ridge was recast with former All My Children actor, Thorsten Kaye. Kaye made his first appearance as Ridge on December 13, 2013.^[3]

Development

Characterization

Actor Ronn Moss originated the role of Ridge, portraying the role for twenty-five years, from 1987 until his departure in 2012.

Ridge (currently) is described by: "Currently CEO and the driving force behind Forrester Creations Empire, this debonair designer spent his entire life believing that he was Eric’s son, only to later learn that he’s not a Forrester at all, but rather the son of shipping tycoon Massimo Marone, and half brother to sailor, Nick. Father to Thomas, Steffy, and RJ, and stepfather to Hope, the one-time conflicted lover has finally settled down with Brooke, the true love of his life."^[4] In December 2013 during an interview with TV Guide, executive producer Bradley Bell talked about a significant change in Ridge's personality following the recasting of the role. He described, "He's become very introspective about the first chapter of his life, and the highs and lows of being married to a woman like Brooke. He's been working, traveling, keeping a low profile and really trying to analyze himself and the mistakes he's made. He's been thinking a lot about what he wants for the remainder of his life."^[5]

Departure

In August 2012, it was announced that Moss had decided to leave The Bold and the Beautiful after 25 years of being on the series.^[6][7][8][9] He will exit the series on September 14, 2012.^[10] When approached about the possibility of a recast following Moss' exit, series executive producer Bradley Bell confessed, "I might go a little younger but we'll be true to the age range that's been established. I do have people in mind in terms of a recast — some very interesting people."^[11] Bell also revealed that the character would return at some point in the future, whether it was Moss portraying the role or not. He revealed:^[11]

Bell later announced he would recast the role, should Moss choose not to return, and had several high-profile actors in mind.^[2] On October 15, 2013, it was announced that former All My Children star Thorsten Kaye was recast in the role of Ridge. He made his on-screen debut on December 13, 2013.^[3][12] Bradley Bell explained that Kaye was at the top of his list for a Ridge recast and even considered bringing him to the series prior to the recast. He said, "I've had Thorsten on a list of several possible Ridges for a long time. Some of the actors on that list came from daytime, others had never done daytime before."^[5]

Storylines

Ridge Forrester is the son of Eric and Stephanie Forrester^[1] (until a 2001 storyline changes his paternity), the oldest of the five Forrester children: Thorne, Kristen, Felicia and Angela.^[13] He is initially portrayed as an arrogant playboy who fully enjoys his status as the favored son. Yet, like Eric, Ridge is a talented designer and soon becomes a central part of the family company, fashion house Forrester Creations. He dates the virginal heiress, Caroline Spencer Forrester. They fall in love and set a wedding date, but right before the wedding, Caroline finds out Ridge had a last minute fling and collapsed at the wedding. She went on to marry his brother Thorne and Ridge ventured into a romance with Brooke Logan. Caroline and Ridge still loved each other, however, and Caroline finally left Thorne and went to Ridge, and they were married. Caroline died after being diagnosed with Leukemia.

Caroline's dying wish is for Ridge to be with Brooke, but he instead romances and then marries Caroline's oncologist, Taylor Hayes.^[14] Taylor instantly clashes with Brooke, who schemes from the beginning to be with Ridge. By the time Taylor is presumed dead in a plane crash, Brooke is engaged to Taylor's associate, James Warwick. Ridge initially encourages their relationship, but he ends up crashing their wedding. He and Brooke soon marry instead. When Taylor turns up alive, Ridge initially chooses to stay with Brooke because of the children, but goes back to his true wife (his marriage to Brooke was invalid). This sets in motion a bitter rivalry between Brooke and Taylor. In an attempt to make Ridge jealous, Brooke threatens to elope with Grant if Ridge doesn't agree to remarry her. When Ridge refuses, she goes through with the wedding. She also gives Grant control of Forrester Creations. When her son Rick shoots Grant, Ridge takes the blame and while waiting to be sentenced, he spills his heart to Taylor confessing it was her he always loved. When Ridge is released, Taylor is pregnant. However, when she goes to tell him she is pregnant, she catches Brooke and Ridge in bed, she decides to tell everyone Thorne is the father. Taylor didn't know that Brooke staged the scene, getting Ridge drunk and out of his shirt and he still refused to make love to her. The truth about Thomas Forrester in fact being Ridge's son comes out, and he returns to Taylor. In 1999, identical twin daughters, Steffy and Phoebe, are born.^[15]

Several ordeals undermine his happiness during the marriage. His old lover, Morgan DeWitt, tricks him into getting her pregnant. A physical confrontation with Taylor leads to Morgan miscarrying, which in turn leads to her kidnapping Steffy, faking the child's death and passing the girl off as her own. Morgan eventually has both Taylor and the child held captive; but Ridge manages to save them both. Taylor is killed by Eric's ex wife, Sheila Carter. Ridge also learns he isn't Eric's son, but the son of billionaire shipping magnate Massimo Marone (even Stephanie didn't know this), Stephanie's best friend. Ridge returns to Brooke. When Ridge, Brooke and series newcomer Nick Marone are kidnapped by Sheila, Ridge falls into a fire furnace, and presumed dead. Brooke sleeps with Nick after grieving Ridge's death, however Ridge is actually alive, returning days later. She gives birth to R.J. Forrester, Ridge's child (originally thought to be Nick's child, later revealed as Ridge's). Brooke tosses between Nick (who she now loves) and Ridge. She chooses Nick in the end.

Brooke returns to Ridge, however he leaves her for Taylor, who returned from the dead. In reality, she was kidnapped by Prince Omar to recover from her wounds. Stephanie faked a heart attack, and convinced Ridge to marry Taylor as her "dying" wish. When her lies were exposed, Ridge still goes through with the wedding. Taylor tells Ridge the truth about her sleeping with James Warwick many years ago in a serious emotional time where both thought they were dying, so Ridge returns to Brooke, however she rejects him, choosing Nick instead. When Nick and Brooke marry, Ridge suffers from a heart attack. Brooke returns to L.A after leaving to support Ridge, however remains with Nick. Ridge dated Brooke's sister, Donna, hoping Brooke will be jealous.

After Bridget and Nick sleep together, Brooke wants Ridge back, however he rejects her; he has his eye on the new chemist at Forrester Originals, Ashley Abbott (a character who had been well established years earlier on The Young and the Restless). They have a brief relationship, and engage however he breaks it off to be with Brooke again after Brooke is raped and leans on Ridge. When a man named Shane McGrath dies, Ridge is blamed (despite not killing him). He is jailed and released. Rick ends up in a relationship with Taylor, however Taylor breaks it off as she still loves Ridge. This results in a fist-fight between Ridge and Rick. Rick falls off a building and ends up paralyzed. In 2009, Ridge and Taylor becoming close again after their daughter Phoebe is killed in a car accident, in a car which Rick was driving. They protect their daughter, Steffy from Rick after she shows interest in him as well. Steffy and Rick break up. Taylor gives Ridge pills for stress, however he starts to overdose himself without Taylor's knowledge; and the two of them have sex. He leaves Brooke and he's ready to marry Taylor. But at the last minute Brooke interrupts the ceremony, arriving with a horse, and, after a short period, Ridge leaves Taylor's house and reunites with Brooke. In 2010, Brooke accidentally sleeps with Oliver Jones, Hope Logan's teenage boyfriend. Ridge pardons her and doesn't react at all. In 2011, Taylor and Ridge's son, Thomas, set out to promote their Forrester Creations Line called "Taboo" but end up in a plane crash and get stranded on an island. They return, and Taylor consumes poisonous berries that are brought back, assumed to trigger a sexual anxiety when consumed. Thomas and Stephanie lie and tell everyone that Thomas and Brooke had sex on the Island. Ridge returned to Taylor, and nearly married her because of this. The truth came out and he returned to Brooke and basically disowned his son, Thomas. He left Taylor heartbroken and she is now dating Thorne. Also Ridge is stunned when he learns that his daughter Steffy married Hope's fiancee Liam Spencer in Aspen. Despite whatever doubts he may have about the marriage, Ridge supports his daughter's decision to marry Liam while Brooke doesn't. When Liam ends his marriage to Steffy and reunites with Hope, Ridge expresses his personal concerns while Brooke is happy that her daughter is finally with the man she loves. Ridge proposes to Brooke in Italy. Stephanie offers to organise the wedding at her house; it was a simple ceremony with only family as guests. Ridge and Brooke leave for their honeymoon after the speeches have taken place. While on their honeymoon, Brooke is in touch with Deacon via text, and Ridge finds out, but when he asks Brooke about it, she denies it. Ridge tells Brooke he can no longer take the lies and tells her he will not be returning home with her. Brooke arrives home without Ridge to deal with Katie. Ridge leaves his son Thomas in charge of Forrester Creations as interim CEO.

Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) returned to L.A. in late 2013. Ridge reconnects with Brooke but breaks things off when he learns of her affair with Bill Spencer, Jr. Everyone blames Brooke's affair with Bill on Ridge leaving and spending one year away in Paris. Ridge begins dating Brooke's youngest sister Katie Logan, which angers a jealous Brooke and Eric, who wants Ridge and Brooke together. Eric tells Ridge that if he breaks up with Katie and gets together with Brooke he will appoint Ridge CEO of Forrester Creations. Eric makes Brooke and Ridge co-vice presidents with Rick still serving as president. Katie and Ridge become engaged and Bill seizes the opportunity for another chance with Brooke. Bill and Brooke travel to Abu Dhabi for their marriage, which is stopped by Ridge when he learns of Bill's one night stand with Quinn Fuller. An enraged Bill orders his right hand man Justin Barber, who was secretly piloting the helicopter Ridge and Brooke were on, to dump Ridge into the Persian Gulf. After an extensive search Brooke finds Ridge on the beach but he has suffered memory loss and has lost the ability to draw. Ridge blames Bill for his loss of drawing but finds that he is learning to draw again by working with Rick's wife and Bill's niece Caroline Spencer. Eric says he will step down as CEO to travel more with his brother John and will decide on a successor between Ridge and Rick. As Caroline and Ridge work together alone on the new couture line they share a few kisses and declare their attraction for each other. Katie becomes jealous of Caroline's ability to understand Ridge and help him draw again but tells Ridge not to use Caroline to attain the CEO position. Eric chooses Ridge as the new CEO but changes his mind when he learns about Ridge and Caroline kissing. Rick is angered and hurt and begins an affair with the greedy and opportunistic Maya Avant, who convinces Rick to accept the CEO position. Rick uses his new role as CEO to enact revenge on Ridge and Caroline. Ridge and Katie's relationship is strained and a vengeful Katie tells Bill, who gets into a fight with Ridge. Caroline wants to have a relationship with Ridge but he tells her to work things out with Rick. Eric orders Rick to end his affair with Maya or he will fire him as CEO. Rick devises a scheme where it appears he has returned to Caroline until he is secure in his position at Forrester Creations.

Reception

In his column of the newspaper Gettysburg Times on January 10, 1990, John N. Goudas discussed Ridge: "You have to hand it to Ridge Forrester. That handsome devil on The Bold and the Beautiful. In love with two women, Caroline and Brooke, he played a stalling game for 3 years, and got away with it. In December (1989) the writers finally cleared up Ridge's conscience and finally made a decision in favor of Caroline, the unhappy wife of his brother Thorne," not knowing that after years of turmoil Brooke would emerge as his true love (even after another woman, Taylor Hayes, had a life with Ridge). Ronn Moss said on his character (in the very early stages) "Ridge has developed since the show began. He is less devious, and more respectful than others. Besides, he had a problem that was uncommon; he was in love with two ladies."^[16] Connie Passalacqua from The Rock Hill Herald said at the show's inception: "Even the most hardened feminist would swoon at the sight of Ronn Moss, Ridge Forrester [...] Ridge has been shown at various angles, sunning his ripply muscled bod by the Forrester swimming pool". Passalacqua also commented on the character's looks and touching on the beauty and good looks of the show's cast, embodying the title Bold and Beautiful at its very best.^[17]

Notes

References

External links