Tanner Novlan Says Goodbye to THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL
Sadly, it was not an April Fool’s Day joke when THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL killed off Tanner Novlan’s character, Finn, on April 1. The soap’s viewers were shocked by the “killer” twist they never saw coming: Sheila accidentally shot her son when Finn rushed into the back alley at Il Guardino to stop his mom from shooting Steffy and jumped in front of the bullet meant for his wife. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Novlan shared that he was caught off-guard when B&B executive producer and headwriter Bradley Bell personally called him to explain the plot details.
“Yeah, I was pretty surprised,” Novlan confessed. “But that’s the nature of soap opera. Anything can happen at any time, and that’s ultimately what keeps people engaged with the show.”
Novlan added that even his TV wife, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), was stunned by the news that he was being let go, considering the massive following their couple has in the online community of Sinn fans. “She was speechless, and I said, ‘Well, I think that’s the point of it,’” Novlan pointed out, adding that he’ll treasure the friendships he created at B&B over the last year and a half. “They are a great family, and we’ll remain friends. You don’t go on a show like B&B and not create great relationships.”
Luckily, Novlan’s wife, Kayla Ewell (ex-Caitlin), was “super-supportive” and able to give him some insight on what it’s like to be a casualty of a soap opera storyline, having been through it herself on B&B back in 2005. “It was nice to serve the show in that way,” he mused. “In soaps, the surprises keep coming, and this is one that will definitely get a bunch of buzz. This is the ultimate twist. Unfortunately for Finn, one of his values is having faith in people. Now, that comes back to bite him in the worst possible way.”
Looking ahead to his immediate future, Novlan and Ewell are preparing to welcome their second child, a boy, this summer. Professionally, the actor is waiting to hear if the CW will renew ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO for a fifth season (he recurs on the supernatural drama as Gregory) — and is keeping the door open for a daytime return. “I’m so grateful to B&B, and I really like the pace of daytime,” he shared. “Everyone getting behind Finn and saying Finn was this breath of fresh air for the Hope/Liam/Steffy triangle… to be able to provide that for the fans and the show alike was a real honor.”
