MORE THAN JUST ‘BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL’

There are those who pursue acting with a vengeance and those who simply fall into a career. Bobbie Eakes, who celebrated four years as Macy Forrester on “The Bold and the Beautiful” last month, finds herself among the latter.

“I started out as a singer and was in an all-girls group called Big Trouble,” says Eakes. “We were hired to appear on the syndicated show ‘Comedy Break,’ which featured a group of ensemble players. We were the house band, so we opened and closed the show and did one song a week. One week, they decided to use me as one of the players on the show. To my surprise and to theirs, I did well.”

Eakes decided to try acting.

“While I was sitting around waiting for my album to sell, I asked my agents to start sending me out on auditions,” she says.

It was during this time that her group disbanded, and, to the surprise of Eakes, three months later she auditioned for and got the role of Macy on “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

It’s turned out to be absolutely fabulous,” she says with a smile. “Since I only work on this show two or three days a week, it enables me to do both acting, which I’ve come to love, and music, which I pursue in my free time.”

Recently, Eakes has been devoting many of her off hours to music, thanks to the support and encouragement of her husband, playwright David Steen.

“I’d been talking about it for a long time,” says Eakes about relaunching her singing career.

“David finally made a call to Club Lingerie (in Hollywood) a couple of months ago and booked me there in a showcase. A lot of people came out for it--some from recording companies who are interested in my music.”

While Eakes is waiting for a recording deal, she is content portraying Macy on “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

“Macy is a lot like me,” acknowledges Eakes, “although I do have more of a sense of humor than she does.”

What Eakes likes best about Macy is her candor.

“I like the fact that she says what she feels, especially to her mother, Sally (played by Darlen Conley). Macy and Sally have a nice, healthy relationship. They don’t always agree, but they’re always there for one another.”

“The Bold and the Beautiful” airs weekdays at 12:30 p.m. on CBS.