The Bold and the Beautiful’s Annika Noelle (Hope Logan) and Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter Walton) never expected their alter egos to be the catalyst for the show’s hottest tale — Hope and Carter ousting the Forresters from their eponymous company to take over themselves.
“What’s amazing about the story is that as it unfolded for the viewers, it unfolded for us,” begins Saint-Victor. “For a while, we didn’t know how far we were going to take it. Was it going to work? Are they going to get found out? And once you’re turning the pages going, ‘Oh, shoot, we actually do take over; we actually run the joint,’ I was in complete shock and happy surprise.”
The motivation for their coup has many levels, explains Noelle. “Even though Hope and Carter are saying that what they’re doing isn’t personal, it is personal to Hope,” the actress observes. “They didn’t want to have to do this. They do believe they’re the good guys in this. They’re saving Forrester Creations from themselves. They’re saving Forrester Creations from small-mindedness, petty vendettas, and a toxic workplace. They think they’re doing the right thing for the company by shaking things up and changing leadership and trying to steer it in the right direction. Obviously, though, that is not at all how it is coming across.”
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“Hope and Carter are good people,” points out Saint-Victor. “They do have a moral compass, but there are a lot of factors that are triggering traumas and all kinds of pain.”
They’re finding solace in each other because not only is the duo running Forrester together, but have coupled up. Noelle and Saint-Victor, who have shared scenes here and there in the seven years she’s been on the show, feel it’s been a seamless transition from pals to partners. “Even though Annika and I didn’t work together, we were around each other a lot and we spent a lot of time together in Rome [on location in 2023],” Saint-Victor shares. “I think it parallels Hope and Carter’s relationship in that they’ve been around each other for a very long time and when they started their relationship, there were just certain things they skipped because you know each other so well. I saw fans say, ‘We didn’t get the slow burn of the first date,’ and that is true. But usually when people know each other for 10 years and start getting intimate, you kind of speed up to the finish line of it. And I felt that way working with Annika. I felt like the friendship we had supported us navigating through this.”
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Noelle agrees. “It’s been really great because we haven’t had to find a rhythm; it was already there,” she notes. “We are a very good yin and yang on set. It’s always fun to get to share scenes with someone that you didn’t always have the chance to in the past and in a very deep way, too. Lawrence and I love the storyline and we’re so excited about it.”
So is the show’s head writer and executive producer, Bradley Bell. “There’s nothing I love more than taking established characters who have never really crossed in a romantic way and bringing them together,” he explains. “They have an appreciation for one another already and you don’t have to build the foundation and lay all the groundwork. We know who they are, and in this case, they have common ground in Forrester Creations. Hope is championing Carter’s vision for the future, so there’s lots of controversy in the air.”
The surprise romance has, not surprisingly, prompted a lot of chatter online. Saint-Victor, who also pens scripts for the soap, took to social media in early November to debunk comments that he was responsible for the storyline and the pairing. “Lawrence does not have that power to dictate story,” Noelle states. “None of us do.” Echoes Saint-Victor, “And if we did have that power, none of us would say, ‘I want to write myself in episode so I can kiss all the actresses.’ That is not what any of us would do with that power if we had it. But the investment is great, and I understand for some fans, the line gets blurred between Lawrence and Carter.”
As the year winds down, it won’t be the merriest Christmas for the new lovers, who are left out of the festive Forrester gathering. “The saddest Christmas party ever,” chuckles Noelle. “Poor Carter is just there amongst the grieving Logan women. But I really have to give Carter props; he is both feet in, and it’s forlorn Brooke and everyone else is just kind of awkward and doesn’t know how to deal with the situation going on. I really can’t wait to see how it turned out because it was so much fun filming.”
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But 2025 will be off to a better start, thanks to a new woman who comes on the scene. On January 7, Murielle Hilaire will make her B&B debut as Daphne Rose. “I am so excited for this character,” enthuses Noelle. “They take their time with her introduction and it’s a really fresh character that’s bringing something dynamic. I have had so much fun playing these scenes. I’m also really excited to have someone to practice my French with because she is a fluent French speaker and she’s an incredibly talented actress and I’m so excited to have her on board.”
Saint-Victor is equally enthused about Daphne’s arrival. “With Daphne coming in, it’s another one of those page-turners,” he teases. “It’s just so much fun how the story continues to evolve and transition, and Murielle is so fantastic, and she has such an amazing energy.”
Time will tell if Hope and Carter can go the distance in the new year. “They might have met their match in each other and I’m really excited to see how they deal with things maybe not necessarily working out according to plan,” offers Noelle. “We haven’t really tested their mettle. I do think they are in a little bit of this, ‘Us against the world’ kind of mentality and they might be a little oblivious to the chaos they’ve caused around them. But we’re just getting started with Hope and Carter, so I’m very curious to see if it really is a power couple that can withstand the test of time.”
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