Jack Wagner reveals the one 'DWTS' moment that 'blacked out' his mind — and it wasn’t the dancing
Jack Wagner is no stranger to the spotlight. Popularly known as Dr. Peter Burns from 'Melrose Place,' Wagner has spent decades in front of the camera, but when he hit the ballroom on 'Dancing With the Stars,' he was completely engulfed in terror. The 'Bold and the Beautiful' star joined the celebrity cast in season 14 and was paired with pro Anna Trebunskaya. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Wagner opened up about his experience on the show.
"I've always been plugged into the theater, always been around dance and theatrics. So when I wound up doing 'Dancing With the Stars,' here I am with ballroom-trained dancers, and it was intense." He recalled, "All of the contestants, we would say the most petrifying thing of all is when you're ready to do your dance, your partner's on the left side, you're on the right of the curtains, and the announcer goes, 'Dancing the samba: Jack Wagner!' Paralysis sets in, and you forget everything that you've learned for the last week. Everybody shared the same thing, 'When they announce your name like that, right?' It's this complete blackout."
View this post on Instagram
Despite having a solid background in singing and dancing, the 'When Calls the Heart' actor found himself dumbfounded on the show. "I'm a song-and-dance guy, I'm from the theater and trained theatrically," he told the outlet. "So when I did three years on 'General Hospital,' I went right to a national tour of West Side Story, and we rehearsed in New York, all Broadway dancers and a Broadway cast. Then in '88 I did a national tour of Grease, then Jekyll & Hyde in 2000 on Broadway." But still, having his name announced in such startling fashion "was something that I hadn't experienced before," he said.
Wagner was eliminated in week 3, but he showed great team spirit throughout his time on the show. "I don't think anybody expected that we would be eliminated," he said backstage in an interview with ET Online after the show, adding that there were five or six couples who were in the same boat as he and his partner. "Somebody had to go, and it was us." He added, "I like getting up every day and pushing myself. Anna pushed me. We worked hard together, and I think having that day in and day out gives your mind something to focus on."
Fast forward a few years. Wagner is now looking forward to returning to season 38 of his hit series 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' in which he played the famous Nick Marone from 2003-2012.Although the premiere date hasn’t been revealed, Wagner spoke about his return to Entertainment Weekly. "To come back and just kind of lock in with Kelly was great," he said. "It's like we haven't missed a beat. I compare it to hopping on a moving train because of the speed, soaps work now. But it's also like a class reunion. You get to catch up, and you hug, and you share."
