B&B’s Jacqueline MacInnes Wood Shares Backstage Secrets (EXCLUSIVE)
Though her alter ego’s penchant for keeping secrets has gotten the character into trouble at times, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) is an open book when it comes to chatting about what life is really like behind the scenes on a soap-opera set. Here, the actress dishes the dirt on everything from slapping scenes to filming between the sheets, answering all of our burning B&B questions in the process!
What’s your secret for memorizing your lines?
“Repetition. For me, the brain is a muscle, so the more you do it — the more you say the lines out loud — that’s what works for me. I’ve noticed that when I take care of myself and I’m healthy — when I’m taking vitamins and treating my body right — I’m like a sponge, and my brain can grab onto it a lot easier than when I’m not as healthy. It’s like fitness.”
Is it tough to resist the food when you’re taping scenes at Il Giardino?
“No, I don’t feel that it’s difficult. If we have a lot of dialogue, you’re more aware of it, though. The food isn’t bad. We do have the director say over the intercom, ‘Jacqui, less chomping! Little bites! Little bites!’ So obviously, I’m enjoying the food!”
When you accidentally flub a line on camera, do you just keep going and try to save it, or do you immediately cut?
“It depends. I do both, 50/50. When I mess up a line, I try my best to take it back without having to start all over again. Sometimes we move so quickly, like when we’re taping four episodes in a day, and that’s when the swear words will come out of my mouth! So it’s a little hard to jump back into the scene when that happens!”
Anything interesting, unique or just plain weird in your dressing room?
“No. To be honest, I treat the hair and makeup room more like my dressing room. I’m always hanging out there. I think people would be surprised to find out that I have a dog [her pitbull, Ja’mie] in my dressing room.”
What’s the hardest part about filming bedroom scenes?
“Ooh, goodness. I think the hardest part is making sure you don’t get a nip slip!”
What do you think viewers would be most surprised to learn about the B&B set?
“We’re always laughing. There’s so much drama in what we film, but there’s none in real life. Everyone’s always trying to find out some sort of dirt about us, which one’s a diva or who’s always late, but we don’t have any of that. We’re all really lucky that we get to have a ton of chuckles. When you’re in high school, you laugh all the time with your friends, and then you kind of forget those good tummy laughs as you get older, but I feel like we still get to have those here a lot.”
How do you prep when you have a kissing scene coming up?
“Well, if it’s Scott [Clifton, Liam], then I just want to have ribs and garlic, to mess with him. Otherwise, just some breath mints.”
What’s your secret for crying on cue?
“I put myself in the situation and think about the scenario. Just imagining losing a loved one, it pulls on my heartstrings. So being really present in [those scenes] is what works for me. Lately, we’ve been filming all these crying scenes, and I go to get in my car [after work], and I’m still so emotional because I’ve triggered that part of me.”
What’s at the top of the staircases in the mansions?
“Oh, well, you go to the top of the stairs and there’s this little room with an elevator that takes you to the rooftop, and there’s a dance party happening there.”
How hard is it to do a slapping scene?
“It’s not hard. I love those kinds of scenes. It’s like dancing. You have to learn the choreography. Yeah, it can be challenging, but once you get it, it’s fun and easy.”
Any inside secrets about the Forrester steam room?
“I’ve actually never filmed a scene in the steam room! Never. Can you believe it?”
What do you do to kill time when you’re waiting to be called to the set?
“A few different things. I’m either walking my dog, or I’m reading different books or listening to podcasts.”
What are you thinking about when you have to do one of those long final tags?
“Oh, the faraway eyes? I’m still in the scene. I try to keep it as present as possible, so I’m just questioning the other character in that moment. I like to keep it authentic as much as I can.”
What aspect of your character’s life do you wish you could incorporate into your own real life?
“Umm… Oh, yeah, definitely the jet, so that I can go wherever I want, whenever I want!”
For more from your favorite B&B stars, keep reading the CBS edition of Soaps In Depth magazine.
This story originally appeared in our print magazine
