A few month after Sally Spectra became an integral part of "The Bold and the Beautiful" , Sally's only daughter, Macy, arrived in Los Angeles. It was a challenging character to cast because while Macy initially harbored resentment toward her mother for being shipped off to boarding schools at a young age, she was essentially compassionate and kindhearted.

Bobbie Eakes auditioned for the role in 1989, shortly after Big Trouble, an all-girl singing band she was part of, dissolved. "I had never audirioned for a soap," says Bobbie. "As soon as Big Trouble broke up, my agent called and said, 'They're looking for a new role on The Bold and the Beautiful, what do you think about doing a soap?'" Bobbie, who guest-starred on several prime-time television series, including The Wonder Years and Cheers, decided to do the audition for practical reasons. "You usually tend to audition as much as possible, and then if you get offered the job, that's when the decision-making comes into play," she explains. "In the meantime, you've met the casting director, who in the future might want to see you again for other roles that come up. It's also good to keep up your craft by auditioning. So I said, 'Sure, I'll read for it.'"

In the meantime, Bobbie tuned in to watch an apisode of The Bold and the Beautiful. "The first thing I saw was a scene where Sally, Darla and Saul were at a factory in the garment district. Darlene was wearing the dress she wears as Sally in the 'Sally says recycle' poster. It was a big flowery dress with a chinched-in waist." Bobbie immediately found herself intrigued by the chemistry the actors shared together and the natural humor that was present in their scenes. "They were having a ball," she says. "I didn't know it at the time, but these characters were also relatively new. I thought it would be a fun show to do."

Bobbie read for the part and was eventually called to screan test, along with two other actresses. "I actually tested with Billy Hufsey, who had been on Days of Our Lives and Fame. He wasn't on The Bold and the Beautiful, but they were testing him for a new role on the show," she reveals. In another test, Bobbie performed opposite Darlene Conley. Before performing her screen test, Bobbie observed the other actresses who were also up for the role. "I watched them and thought, 'Humm, they're really great.' They had a lot of energy and they were real frenetic." Considering the verve and theatrical flare Bobbie remembered in the scenes with Sally and her workers, she understood that the actresses were making acting choices that tried to match the same tone Darlene, Schae Harrison and Michael Fox possesed. "I thought, well, I could try to outdo that and go way over the top. Or I could bring it way down and play another element, give them something totally different. In contrast to what Darlene plays, I think it really worked. I think it was a nice balance."

Right before Bobbie's test, Darlene introduced herself and generously offered the young actress suggestions on how to approach their screen test together. Bobbie says, "She gave me a couple of little pointers, other than what I had already decided to do.. She also said, 'You ought to hit this line and emphasize this line.' I thought she was absolutely right. I was nervous and thinking about a million things; sometimes it takes somebody away from you to really look at the scene and really see your part in it. I took her advice and the scene went well." Smiling, Bobbie adds, "I thought, She must like me; she's helping me. Now that I know her, I realize she probably gave good advice to every one of the actors. But at the time I thought, She wants me to get it!"

Describing her role on The Bold and The Beautiful, Bobbie observes, "Macy has some very real problems. But all those things that are considered her problems make her very real to people who watch the show. I think there are women who identify with her. She's like your sister or cousin, somebody that you know. Macy isn't threatening. She's preety likable, for the most part. She has goodness and a wholesome quality. I like to try to balance the wildness of Sally and bridge that road, wonderful thing that Sally does with the Forrester family, which is very subdued and subtle. It's a different style altogether."

Bobbie says that working with Darlene Conley has been an invaluable experience. "She's a true original. She's always prepared and always brings so much more to the script than anybody ever dreams. So much of the character is really Darlene. She makes the character sing."