Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
What’s going on in your favourite actress’s head?
Family drama fills Jacqueline MacInnes Wood’s time when she’s on the set of Bold & Beautiful (1987- current, see p24) and playing troublemaker Steffy Forrester is a lot of fun for the 31-year-old Canadian. While South African audiences are watching pregnant Steffy going through a paternity crisis with her hubby Liam and father-in-law lover Bill (Scott Clifton and Don Diamont), Jacqueline is pregnant in real life with her first child with her talent agent husband Elan Ruspoli. “I am so busy getting ready for motherhood that I don’t have much time for TV,” says the Jackie. “Except The Bold & The Beautiful, obviously! I love catching up on past episodes because I’ve gone through pregnancy onscreen and now in real life too.”
What was the first TV show you acted out with
friends? Baywatch (1989-2001). We all had red one-piece swimsuits and would run and shout “I need back-up!” when we were at the beach. I probably did that a thousand times.
Who was your first TV crush? Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Randy in sitcom Home Improvement (1991-1999). He was sweet and sexy and I kept blushing when I saw him on television. What did you do when an adult moment came on while you were watching TV with family? I’d be like, “Yuck! How gross?” and then escape to the kitchen to make popcorn. What product have you wanted ever since you saw it on TV? Skincare products from Pro-Active. I used to suffer from acne but their product helped me clear up my skin. Whose TV wardrobe do you want? I wouldn’t mind taking all the clothes from Bold! We have an entire floor dedicated to fashion and almost everything is stored there. Whose TV house would you love to live in? Definitely my character Steffy’s house in Malibu, on the beach. What shows are you fanatical about now? The most TV that I get right now is catching up on episodes of Bold. I’ve been pretty busy preparing for my first child. If you worked behind the scenes, what job would you want? I would definitely direct. I am a visual person. I can see how I want certain shots to look or how to execute a scene.
Which character is your favourite hero? There are so many and from so many shows, but I’m always gravitating to strong female characters. What is your nightmare scenario with filming? Shooting in frigid temperatures. I remember having to tape a scene in the ocean in Northern Canada in wintery November. That was so, so cold! If you could play any character on any show, who would you choose? See what I meant earlier about strong female characters? Katey Sagal’s character Gemma Teller in biker drama Sons Of Anarchy (2008-2014). She was so bad-ass and ran a motorcycle gang! What show and episode made you
cry most recently? It was on Bold and it’s probably a spoiler alert for your readers because South Africa is 18 months behind us in broadcasts, but it was watching Annika Noelle deliver an amazing performance when her character Hope finds out that her baby is stillborn. Tough scenes to watch, not least because I’m pregnant. Which show made you want to be an actor? Teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000). I loved that it filmed in glamorous, warm Los Angeles. It’s pretty cool that this Canadian, me, gets to work in LA now. I still have pinch-me moments. Who is your favourite television icon? Betty White (Rose in The Golden Girls, 1985-1992). She played my great grandmother Ann Douglas on Bold from 2006 to 2009 and she’s not only a fantastic actress but a huge animal activist like myself too! And if you could change one thing about Steffy, what would it be? She needs to be an outsider and to step away from all the traps from her family dysfunction.