Bold and Beautiful’s Katherine Kelly Lang: UAE ‘exotic, mysterious and romantic’

Katherine Kelly Lang, the 52-year-old television actress who is in the UAE this weekend to participate in the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon and to film episodes of Bold and the Beautiful, talks to The National's Hareth Al Bustani about the role (Brooke Logan) she has been playing since 1987, keeping fit in your 50s, and why the UAE is the perfect setting for the wildly popular soap opera.

When did you arrive in Abu Dhabi and what have you been up to so far?

I arrived yesterday. We’re trying to squeeze a lot into a short period of time and also trying to get a little rest before the big race. It’s hard to do everything but we went to see the Horse Whisperer this morning and he showed us all these tricks and how he teaches the horses how to run across the desert and stop for the cameras for movies. So that was really exciting.

We also did kaftan shopping yesterday — that was fun because I have a kaftan clothing line. It’s always fun to go around and see what other people are making and designing.

How did the kaftan company start?

I wanted to do a line of clothing for an online business with a partner who lives in Australia. The kind of kaftans I make are hand-painted silk, sheer and hand-beaded. You throw them in your suitcase and wear them over your swimming costume, wear them with jeans, or as a dress. There are only three to five of a kind, so you won’t see them everywhere.

What sort of preparation have you done for the triathlon this Saturday?

I only started competing in triathlons last summer but I’ve always done athletics my whole life. My father was in the Olympics for skiing and I raced horses for twentysomething years — I like such endurance sports so I transitioned to the bike-swim-run. And I really like it — I fell in love with it, so I’m trying to see how far I can go; I’d love to get up to doing the Ironman triathlon.

How did you hear about the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon?

My boyfriend mentioned it and I was like: “Oh my gosh, I want to do that. Let’s try that.” It sounded exotic and I’ve always wanted to go to Abu Dhabi and Dubai so it was perfect timing.

What’s the shooting schedule like for next week?

We’re shooting Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. I’m in Dubai, with one day in Abu Dhabi; probably about seven episodes put together.

Do you think there’s something romantic about the UAE, as a setting?

Oh definitely, yes. It’s very exotic, mysterious and romantic. People are probably very curious about this country. It’s fun because on The Bold and the Beautiful we travel a lot and do episodes outside the US. Last time we went to Monte Carlo — people like to watch these episodes because it’s kind of like they travel along with us.

How has the chemistry changed with Thorsten Kaye replacing Ronn Moss as Ridge?

It’s kind of an adjustment period. It’s hard for the audience to see somebody else playing that character, it’s hard for me to see that new person as Ridge and it’s hard for the new person to believe he is Ridge because he doesn’t really know the history, no matter how much he reads about the it. So he has to kind of make it his own. But he’s a wonderful actor and a nice person, it’s just a matter of how the story goes.

Do you think people would be able to blitz through B&B and catch up?

No — it would take a few years!

What’s the pace of shooting a daily show like?

We do about eight shows a week, shooting four days out of the week. We double up, so we do two shows a day. We really have to be prepared, they try to make us do it in one take and get through the day because we have so much to accomplish. Then every three weeks we have one week off, so we have a lot of time off.

What other passions and interests have been keeping you busy?

This year I am a spokes person for Amgen Breakaway From Cancer. I like to work with different charities and so that’s what I’m focusing on this year and it’s going to take up some time and dedication. The kaftans and training take up a lot of time too, because you’re not just training for one sport, you’re training for three sports. And then the time that you have to put in for the mileage — you’re out there on a bike for five hours a day on a weekend. I can do that now because my kids are older, I couldn’t have done that if they were young but most of them are out the house so I have more time.

How do you balance all of those commitments at once?

It’s pretty basic — just never give up, never slow down and just keep going. I like to have a lot going on at the same time, I like to keep busy and I like to push myself harder. I’m not the kind of person who lies about on the couch or sleeps in. It’s about perseverance.

What kind of diet are you on right now?

I’ve always eaten fairly healthy so I just try to stay away from too many trans-fats and empty calories. I mostly eat lean protein, a lot of greens, some fruits, nuts, not too much sugar and drink a lot of water. Of course, once in a while I eat something sweet or a bag of potato chips.

Is there anything you excel at or struggle with of the three triathlon sports?

I’m finding the running harder right now, because that’s the last — you swim, bike and then run. I’m training more on the bikes and enjoying that more. I love to swim, too, so I’m finding that I don’t like to run as much.

What do you have in store for the rest of your trip?

It’s nice to be able to go around and get a feeling of the culture and the architecture. We’re going to the Arabian Nights tonight, it’s always good to see the touristy stuff, and my mom and daughter are here with me, too, so it’s fun. We’re having a good time.

halbustani@thenational.ae