John McCook Looks Nearly Unrecognizable 39 Years After Joining ‘The Bold And The Beautiful’

For nearly four decades, John McCook has been one of the most familiar faces on daytime television. Since The Bold and the Beautiful premiered in 1987, viewers have watched him play wealthy fashion designer and family patriarch Eric Forrester.

According to the Daily Mail, recently, however, fans got a glimpse of McCook far away from the glamorous world of Forrester Creations. The 82-year-old actor stepped out in Los Angeles with longtime friend and Dark Shadows veteran Jerry Lacy, 90. Although the two television stars are now older and grayer, both remain recognizable to longtime viewers.

John McCook Was Spotted With Dark Shadows Star Jerry Lacy

Iconic Soap Stars Spotted Strolling in LA! https://t.co/BNQ3ntD2Ee

— Bintano (@bintanonews) August 9, 2026

 

McCook and Lacy appeared relaxed as they enjoyed a leisurely walk together in Los Angeles. The longtime friends reportedly spend time together socially, and their latest outing seemed equally casual. At one point, McCook animatedly raised his arm while apparently making a point during their conversation. Meanwhile, Lacy walked beside him and listened. Their appearance offered fans a rare look at two veterans of classic television simply enjoying each other’s company away from the cameras.

Lacy became famous through Dark Shadows, appearing in more than 100 episodes between 1967 and 1971. In fact, he played several characters during his years on the supernatural soap. John McCook, meanwhile, found his defining television role years later. He joined The Bold and the Beautiful as Eric Forrester when the CBS soap debuted in March 1987. Since then, his character has remained at the center of the Forrester family’s business battles, romances, betrayals, and complicated relationships.

He Has No Plans To Leave The Bold And The Beautiful

Eric Forrester helped establish many of the storylines that turned The Bold and the Beautiful into a daytime institution. His turbulent marriage to Stephanie Forrester, played by Susan Flannery, became one of the show’s defining relationships. However, Eric also became involved in several complicated romances over the years. His relationships with members of the Logan family created even more drama, particularly when his romantic life collided with that of his son Ridge.

McCook’s decades of work eventually brought him one of daytime television’s biggest honors. After several previous nominations, he won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2022. Moreover, his remarkable run shows no sign of ending. The actor has made it clear that he has no desire to walk away from the soap that made him a daytime legend. Nearly 40 years after first becoming Eric Forrester, John McCook remains an important part of the series and a familiar face to generations of fans.