Sean Kanan Reflects on Maturing 'Alongside' His Bold and the Beautiful Character Over Nearly 25 Years: 'Very Special' (Exclusive)

Sean Kanan opens up about how he and his Brave and beautiful the characters shaped each other.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the 58-year-old actor reflected on playing Deacon Sharpe for nearly 25 years on the daytime soap (as well as in crossover episodes of its sister series Young and restless from 2009 to 2022). He says that he and Deacon grew and developed “alongside” each other over time.

“On a personal level, I think I’ve really matured as a man Brave and beautiful. And I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Deacon Sharpe has become a more advanced, better human being, hopefully right next to me over the years,” Kanan says, noting that it’s a “special thing” to be able to stand in the same character’s shoes for so long.

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“I’m eternally grateful to Brad Bell and his late parents, Bill and Lee Bell, and the entire Bell family for giving me what is probably the most important role I’ve ever had on television,” he adds, referring to Late Bold and Y&R creator and producer William J. Bell, his wife Lee and their children Bradley, Lauralee and William Bell.

Sean Kanan appears as Deacon Sharpe in ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ in October 2021.

Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty

Kanan says to work on Bold he opened his career presenting it to a wide international audience. “Brave and beautiful is the most watched daytime drama in the world. It’s in the Guinness Book of Records, so it was an amazing gift,” he explains, adding that the show’s huge popularity in Italy even prompted him to start learning Italian more than 20 years ago. “[That] it turned out to be a really great thing because I was able to work in Italy for a lot of time.”

As for the countless memorable stories of his character Deacon over the years, Kanan has a clear favorite among them.

“I’d say getting my mother-in-law pregnant was soap opera gold. Katherine Kelly Lang was my mother-in-law [Brooke Logan]. I was married to her daughter Bridget and I had an affair with my mother-in-law and I gave birth to Hope Logan, my daughter who is now on the show,” he tells PEOPLE. “Yeah, it was a pretty memorable story that still sticks with a lot of people and me. ”

Kanan says the controversial plot has drawn strong reactions from fans. “I mean, it was pretty hot. It was so taboo and rude,” she recalls. “Bridget was so innocent and kind. At that point, my character was a much worse guy.”

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Since then, however, “Deacon has certainly come a long way,” Kanan says of his character’s redemption arc. “[He] got out of prison and really became a better man. When I first came on the show, I mean, it was tattoos, earrings, leather pants, smoking cigarettes and a bad attitude.”

Sean Kanan.

Paul Archuleta/Getty

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The actor jokes, “He’s probably read a few of my books. That’s probably the cause.”

In 2021, Cobra Kai star released The Way of the Cobramotivational book designed to inspire people to identify their “whys,” set goals, and achieve them — or, as the synopsis says, “unleash your inner COBRA, that successful driven beast within you.”

In October, Kanan and his wife Michele published a second book, The Way of Cobra Coupleswhich offers “battle-tested strategies” for successful relationships.

As for whether fans can expect Deacon to return Y&RGenoa City again soon, Kanan tells PEOPLE that new crossover episodes are definitely possible. “I think so. Yes,” he says. “We’re like sister shows. I always joke that all you have to do to go from Los Angeles to Genoa City, Wisconsin is walk about 30 feet from Brave and beautiful stage to Y&R stage because we are on opposite sides of the corridor.”

“So it’s always fun to go and play in their sandbox,” he adds. “I love working with Y&R actors, but B&B is my television home and always will be.”

Brave and beautiful and Young and restless aired on CBS.

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Source: HIS Education