As one of the original characters of the soap opera, Eric Forrester has experienced a lot of drama in his life in THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL. So let’s recap some of the highlights (and lowlights!) for you! First appearance in B&BIn the very first episode from 1987, Eric was always played by actor John McCook. He even brought the character to sister soap THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS for appearances several times over the years.
Eric Forrester had already faltered with his marriage to Stephanie Forrester. She believed he was having an affair with his assistant Margo Lynley, but it was Stephanie herself who introduced the “other woman” into her life when she hired caterers for a party and one of them turned out to be Eric’s ex, Beth Logan! Eric left his wife for Beth, but returned when he learned he had a long-lost daughter who suffered from microcephaly. Stephanie had lied that Angela was stillborn to spare him the pain of a disabled daughter. Unfortunately, the real Angela had died years ago, and the doctor had presented the family with a scam.
After his son Ridge Forrester ended his relationship with Brooke Logan, Eric became attracted to the beautiful blonde. When Brooke carried Eric’s child, she considered terminating the pregnancy because technically he was still married. Stephanie was stunned when she found out about the secret affair and Eric left her to marry Brooke. After they welcomed their son, Eric “Rick” Forrester, Jr., Brooke was drawn back to a newborn Ridge, and she claimed to be carrying his baby, but Bridget Forrester turned out to be Eric’s. Although a relationship with Sheila Carter led to Eric walking down the aisle with her, she was a dangerous psychopath, so that didn’t last long.
Eric was later shocked when Stephanie confessed to him that Ridge wasn’t his biological son. Massimo Marone was his father, from an affair she had. Although this caused some initial tension, Eric still favored Ridge over his biological sons Rick and Thorne Forrester. Eric divorced Stephanie and remarried Brooke, but their takeover of Forrester Creations was thwarted when Stephanie learned that she was in fact the sole owner of the company! In the end Brooke went back to Ridge and Eric went back to Stephanie one more time.
Stephanie’s intrigues once again drove Eric into the arms of another woman, this time Donna Logan. Stephanie and others planned to separate them, but it ultimately fell through and Eric divorced her to marry Donna. After Eric had a heart attack while having sex with his wife and fell into a coma, it was revealed that he had been poisoned. Although there were many suspects – and Owen Knight confessed to suspecting Donna, with whom he was in love – they learned that it was Pam Douglas who had drugged him to help her sister Stephanie.
Business at Forrester was going bad and Eric had to constantly mediate between Ridge and Rick’s sibling rivalry. Bill Spencer managed to take over the company briefly, but the family managed to get it back. Eric’s marriage to Donna was strained by her close working relationship with her ex Justin, and then when she wanted to press charges against Stephanie for accidentally causing her mother Beth’s fatal drowning. Realizing the strength of Eric and Stephanie’s bond, Donna divorced him. And when he found out that Stephanie had stage four lung cancer, Eric’s old feelings for her returned and they reconciled and remarried before she sadly passed away.
Although Eric regained control of Forrester Creations, he was distraught over the loss of his wife. He found solace in conversation with Taylor Hayes, and it eventually grew into a romance. Brooke was not happy about this development and tried to get rid of her, but when she found out she was pregnant, she asked Eric to pose as the father so Ridge wouldn’t find out it was Bill. Eric declined because he didn’t want to risk his new relationship, and the truth came out anyway after Brooke miscarried. However, Taylor was upset that Eric had kept Brookes secrets and their relationship had fizzled out.
Amid all the constant power struggles at Forrester, Eric found himself attracted to Quinn Fuller, a new jewelry designer they were working with. The family wasn’t thrilled when he went public with their relationship, citing all of the horrible things Quinn had done to hurt people in the past. But Eric defended her and even decided to marry her! After no one but Ivy Forrester attended their wedding, Eric lashed out at his ungrateful family and suffered a stroke. After recovering, Eric found out that Sheila was back in town and trying to turn a new leaf. But she was just as scheming and exposed Ridge and Quinn’s affair to Eric, who moved out of the mansion to a motel where she tried to get her claws into him. Eric presented Quinn with the divorce papers, but after she signed, he tore them up and accepted her apology. He even forgave Ridge!
Eric and Quinn’s marriage was on pretty solid ground for a while, but when Eric found out that she and Shauna Fulton had a plan together to convince Ridge that he had married Shauna to keep him away from Brooke, he dumped her out of the house. Quinn kept trying to apologize and didn’t help her case when she accused Sasha of going after Eric, but eventually he forgave her.
However, Eric’s cool demeanor towards her, especially in bed, sent Quinn into Carter Walton’s arms and they ended up having a torrid affair! When her secret was revealed during Quinn and Eric’s renewal ceremony, he kicked her out of the mansion again and fired her from Forrester. However, he later tore up the divorce papers and asked them to move back in, explaining that his behavior was because he suffered from erectile dysfunction and felt humiliated that he could no longer satisfy her. Quinn promised it didn’t matter and vowed their marriage would work out, but was stunned by his subsequent suggestion that she continue seeking sexual gratification from Carter!
Katie Logan tried to find out what was on Eric’s mind and eventually he confessed the truth and asked her to keep it quiet. Of course, the truth quickly emerged and Eric had to defend his scandalous decision to his family! Realizing he had made a mistake, Eric recommitted to Quinn, who got jealous when Donna used some honey to remind Eric what passion felt like. When Quinn asked Eric to fire Donna, she quit to spare him the pain. He also urged Brooke to fight for her marriage to Ridge when they encountered difficulties.
Quinn was proud of her husband because he went to the club to play pickleball, unaware that the exercise he was getting was actually a passionate affair with Donna! Eric felt guilty and eventually tried to call it off but couldn’t tear himself away from Donna…although everything changed when Hope saw them together and confronted him about cheating on his wife!
Stay tuned to B&B to see what’s next!
