Courtney Hope is simply a force of nature. While starring on the international hit soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful for three years, she seemingly burst into every scene her Sally Spectra character was in. She recently exited the show, telling fans via her amazing Instagram page “The last three years have been amazing, and though I do not know what the future holds, this chapter of Sally has sadly come to an end.” And on a personal note, she said “I love my cast and crew and will miss everyone dearly, but await the day we may all play again. Some things are out of our control, and I thank the fans for your support through it all!”
Well, those fans don’t have to wait long, as Courtney has just let it be known she’s headed to Genoa City – to the #1 rated The Young and the Restless! So stay tuned – and tune in when she makes her Y&R debut in the coming weeks. “Until then, I revel in new beginnings and everything the future has in store.”
On her days away from television sound stages – both B&B and Y&R are taped at the historic CBS Television City building in Hollywood, Courtney is usually climbing and hiking, or exercising in one form or another – usually with her boyfriend Chad Duell, a Daytime Emmy Award winning actor from General Hospital. In an exclusive interview with HollywoodHI, Courtney gives an inside look at her bold and beautiful life.
Can’t wait till things get back to normal, she is excited to leave her home – and Los Angeles, to do some more traveling. “Oh my goodness, yes. I want to take the trip to Hawaii that Chad and I were supposed to take in May, first and foremost.” But, wait, there’s more. “I also would love to go back to Japan because I loved it so much,” she said, with her eyes a glow. And? “I want to go to Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and Indonesia at some point soon as well!”
Apparently, Courtney was destined for the bright lights. “I knew at a young age – watching Barney – that this, though I didn’t know the term, was something I wanted to do. I loved dancing, creating skits, and being in front of the camera, so it was something I gravitated towards. As I got older I fell in love with Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks and many others that really made me solidified in my dreams.”
Away from the camera, and more than ever these past several months, Courtney finds her beautiful face in a book. “I just finished The Mystic in the Theatre: Elenora Duse by Eva La Gallienne, about the late 1800/early 1900 actress Elenora Duse and I couldn’t put it down. If any artists or actors/ actresses are interested that is a very insightful book on one of the inarguable greatest of all time. I also am reading the Courage to Create by Rollo May and Destressifying by Davidji, which are both fantastic reads so far. I tend to read two to three books at a time because I like a balance between right brain/left brain/ and spiritual/artistic enticement.”
Courtney comes from a close-knit family, and credits her parents, Phil and Sandra, for much of who she is today. “They have taught me so many wise and wonderful things. I think my mother taught me what it meant to be a strong, compassionate, educated and hardworking woman and human being. She led by example, as someone who succeeded at work, motherhood and tackled many things in life, including cancer, with grace and a true belief in a greater outcome. I thank her for that. My father is very wise and always has many words of wisdom that I carry with me in my heart, but one thing that I really appreciated was when he said to me as a teen/young adult, “Never confuse love and lust”. As a young woman, this not only helped me but many of my friends as well. It really forced me to take a step back and look at what I believed the definition of both was, and I was better able to navigate my interests at a younger age. I saved myself a lot of unnecessary heartbreak, and gave me a wisdom I felt was vital.”
Favorite source of motivational quotes. “Motivation comes from all sources from me, as I believe it is all around you if you choose to look for it. Many of my quotes that motivate me most come from different ends of the spectrum of life: spiritual sources, gurus, scholars, philosophers, and on the
other end: I love a good quote from someone who has been in a dark place and risen from the ashes with the bravery to tell the tale. I just love the beauty of life, and I don’t think there is a barrier of where that can come from.”
Her very favorite quote of all. “I have MANY, but I love ‘You already have it, you just can’t feel it, because your mind is just making too much noise.’, by Eckart Tolle from the Power of Now. I have had this quote on my mirror for years. I think this quote can apply to so many situations because fear and doubt drives many of us in so many ways on a daily or weekly basis. Sometimes this keeps up from following our gut, trusting what we already believe to know, or mustering the courage to act on an impulse. I like to think we already have the answers to the questions that burn so incessantly in our souls, the humility and strength to learn, take risks, stumble and triumph, and the peace and patience to remove destructive thoughts and worry from our minds to learn what we most primally want and need to the core. That place is where I believe true love and confidence comes from.”
It’s pretty clear that Courtney has perhaps the most positive attitude of anyone. “Well, thank you! I appreciate that. I honestly don’t know. I really detest negativity, it actually affects my energy, so it is something I try to stay away from. I also don’t feel good inside being negative because I believe your words hold value over your future and the future of others around you. I would rather speak something positive into existence and create life, then tear it down through fear, disdain and doubt.”
Exclusive to HollywoodHI