Who played the original Ridge Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful?
The Bold and the Beautiful star Ronn Moss originally became famous when he was part of the band Player, whose song "Baby Come Back" became a number one hit for three weeks on the Billboard Top 100 in January 1978. From 1987 to 2012, he played Ridge Forrester on B&B, capturing the hearts of fans everywhere. Not only was his song a huge success, but B&B would go on to garner international fame, and as a result, Moss became so popular in Europe that he continues to perform concerts there to this day.
Ridge famously became part of the love triangle with Brooke Logan and Taylor Hayes—a romantic plot that would last for decades with the two women fighting over him. But he was never quite able to make up his mind over which woman he wanted to be with. However, he married and divorced Brooke far more times than he did Taylor, who always seemed to get pushed aside in favor of Brooke if things didn't go the way he wanted. One could argue that Ridge was extremely self-centered when Moss played him, but he had a charm that couldn't be denied, which was why he became a huge fan favorite.
While generally considered a good guy, Ridge has been known to punch several people over the years, as well as kiss women—whether or not they were in a relationship with someone else. He’s also kissed other women while he himself was in a relationship, even going so far as to make out with Karen Spencer before he was supposed to marry Taylor in 1992.
Soap star Thorsten Kaye stepped into the role of Ridge Forrester in 2013, and some fans have longed for Moss to return and once again play the suave character. With Kaye in the part, the character seems less edgy and is back with Brooke once more. On The Bold and the Beautiful’s official Reddit page, one fan stated that Moss was their favorite iteration of the character, and they even posted a video link to the song "Baby Come Back."
Another fan laid out their feelings on the matter perfectly by writing the following:
“This new Ridge doesn’t feel like [the] original Ridge. He doesn’t have the debonair, charismatic fashion designer feel to him at all. He seems gruff, unkempt and rough around the edges. Ronn Moss was made for the role and was so smooth as Ridge. Even when he did the most ridiculous things, he had such a charming way about him, you could still see why all the ladies were after him.”
Why did Ronn Moss quit The Bold and the Beautiful?
In September 2023, Daily Express reported on a now defunct Entertainment Weekly article in which Ron Moss explained that money was part of the reason why he exited the show in 2012, stating, "Yes, [money was] a piece of the whole thing, and it all showed me I need to move forward, not backwards.”
He also explained that the deeper reason for his departure was rooted in the need to creatively challenge himself. He explained how devoting himself so much to the show was a hindrance to other things that he wanted to pursue, and described it like this:
"I felt that I needed to go in this new direction to give myself the chance to do all the creative things that I haven't had a chance to do in 25 years, because I've dedicated so much of my life to this."
Moss definitely challenged himself creatively when he became a film producer. He co-executive produced The Bay from 2010 to 2020 and was executive producer on his first feature in 2022, which was called Surprise Trip, which he also starred in.
He continues to work on his music, with his most recent album being the soundtrack to his film called Surprise Trip Love, which was released in 2023, and he also tours across Europe, performing songs from his many albums. His performances have taken him to countries like Italy, Bulgaria, and Belgium, and he's extremely popular in Europe, partially because of his music but mainly because of the 25 years he spent on The Bold and the Beautiful.
