Photo Credit: Greg Doherty
Veteran actor Ronn Moss (ex-“Ridge Forrester” on “The Bold and The Beautiful”) chatted with this Greek-American journalist about his portrayal of John Blackwell on the hit digital drama series “The Bay” on Amazon Prime and his European music tour. Moss also hopes to return to Greece in the near future to celebrate his tenth anniversary with his wife, Devin.
Moss played the role of Ridge Forrester on the hit CBS daytime drama The Bold and The Beautiful for 25 years, from 1987 to 2012. The Bold and The Beautiful is consistently ranked as the most popular soap opera in the world, especially in Greece and Europe in general. Moss holds the distinction of being the first actor from The Bold and The Beautiful to travel overseas.
He is also known for his musical work with the American rock group Player, which had the smash chart-topping single “Baby Come Back.” He played bass guitar and sang background vocals in his time with Player.
On playing John Blackwell on The Bay, Moss explained, “It is very different than portraying Ridge Forrester. It was an opportunity to play a very different temperament of a kick-ass character. Blackwell is a very dark, very understated man of few words, which I quite like. He’s more volatile, more mysterious, and he only wears black — until they come up with something darker.”
“John is multilayered,” Moss said. “There’s a lot going on beneath that calm exterior. One thing I like least about John is that he has an inclination to hit first and ask questions later.”
The multitalented actor had nothing but the kindest remarks about working with his on-screen sons, Brandon Beemer (Evan Blackwell) and Erik Fellows (Damian Blackwell). “Working with them is very nice. I like them both. They have different approaches to what they do,” he said.
Each day, Moss is motivated by gratitude, persistence, as well as loving the small moments, and increasing his awareness of all that’s around him.
Digital transformation of the entertainment industry
On the impact of technology and streaming services on the entertainment industry, Moss said “I believe it has opened up new platforms for creativity in film, TV, streaming, and podcasts. The media we have is no longer limited to the same handful of networks we’ve had the last many decades. I see it as an opportunity for more unusual, more creative, more underdog productions to be born.”
Moss acknowledged that everything is different thanks to the advent of certain technologies. “Some of it in a good way and some of it can be very intrusive, consuming, distracting, ‘time vampires’ sucking the life out of people,” he said.
As a musician, Moss loves the technologies that are available to musicians these days. “There is a multitude of new different sounds readily available through sampling, the recording process is available to everyone who has a laptop computer, iPad, or even an iPhone. It’s amazing,” he said.
Moss continued, “The days of having to have a million dollar recording studio charging hundreds of dollars an hour are over. If you’re moderately tech-savvy, you can be creative with amazing sounds and performance. I personally use my cell phone for the usual shit, social media (a necessary evil if you ask me), texting, FaceTime only sometimes, and seldom phone calls because I dislike talking on a phone.”
“If you’ve ever seen someone walk into a signpost because they’re consumed with staring at their damn phone, now that’s funny,” he said.
European tour
Moss revealed that he is preparing for his first European music tour. “Actually, I’ve been setting this up for the last year. I’ve recently completed my fourth tour of Australia in the last many years, and it went great. Now in Italy, we’re preparing a much bigger more involved show with a great band of Italian musicians,” he said.
“The next several summer months we will be performing all over Italy, from north to south, and back again,” he said. “It will be the first time I’ve done a show this involved. We’re calling it, ‘The USA meets Italy.’ It will be my gift to the Italians for the many years of love they have shown to me.”
“We are also planning a different kind of show to tour Belgium, Netherlands, and likely other European countries, using all Belgium musicians,” he said. “Fans can expect a combination of original and classic rock music that I’ve always loved. It’s my opportunity to perform several of the songs from artists that I grew up with and was most influenced by.”
Greece
When asked if he has ever been to Greece, Moss said, “I was able to go to Athens, Mykonos, and Hydra back in 1990. I was the first actor to travel abroad from The Bold and The Beautiful and the fan reaction in Greece was unbelievably over the top. It was such a memorable experience for many reasons, but I’ve never been able to go back since then.”
“Now, for the first time since way back then, I am planning to return to Greece to celebrate ten years of marriage with my lovely wife, Devin. We don’t know exactly where yet but we will figure that out soon,” he said.
The acclaimed actor and musician defines the word ‘success’ as “never giving up.” “You made mistakes, you failed, but you never let those deterrents stop you. You learned something positive from the failures and tried again in a different way to make it work,” he said.
Moss continued, “Often successes come in little increments. They are not always large all visible occurrences. The trick is realizing the small steps forward can get you where you’re going. They often add up slowly. All roads to success aren’t linear. I usually say, take one step, then take another, then another. Just like that. I find the direction I think I’m heading isn’t always the direction I end up.”
“Often, I’m surprised and amazed by where those steps take me. For me, personally, I also recommend being open to crossing over your comfort line. I’ve had to do that more now than ever before. That’s just part of my process now,” he added.
For his dedicated fans that have supported him on his journey, Moss says, “Thank You. There are many many wonderful people who have shown me such love and support over many years and I’m very very grateful for that. See I started with gratitude and now I end with gratitude. That’s the ways it should be.”
“Our new followers of The Bay are amazing,” he said. “I love how they discover our show and I love how they are helping us build something new. New technology is allowing us to build a first-class show that I believe will garner a worldwide audience. Again, I give thanks to the growing army of support for The Bay. They are ultimately the main reason we do what we do.”
To learn more about veteran entertainer Ronn Moss and his tour dates, check out his official website.
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