“The Bold and the Beautiful” Star Thorsten Kaye Jokes He 'Didn't Like Award Shows' Before 2024 Daytime Emmys Win

After thanking his cast and crew, Kaye paid tribute to his family and said being a father to his children was the "greatest honor of my life"

<p> Bill Inoshita/getty</p> Thorsten Kaye

Bill Inoshita/getty

Thorsten Kaye

The 51st Daytime Emmys have named their winner for best actor!

On Friday, June 7, Thorsten Kaye won the award for outstanding lead performance in a daytime drama series: actor for his role as Ridge Forrester in The Bold and the Beautiful.

As he approached the stage and accepted the award, he took time to thank not only his cast, but also the family members who have supported him through every step of the way.

"I gotta be very honest, I don't like award shows," Kaye shrugged before joking, "I didn't like award shows until tonight. Now they make perfect sense!"

<p>Gilbert Flores/getty</p> McKenna Kaye and Thorsten Kaye

Gilbert Flores/getty

McKenna Kaye and Thorsten Kaye

Related: Daytime Emmys 2024: See the Complete Winners List

"The other thing that doesn't make sense is that anyone could do this alone. We can't. You need a great boss who sees you hears, you need a cast that tolerates you," he continued. "You need a whole village of people that have agreed that they're not going to let you drown, not tonight. I have all of that so thank you."

In addition to having a professional support system, Kaye issued a special shoutout to his loved ones.

"I've got Marlowe and McKenna — being your dad is the greatest honor of my life," he said as the camera panned to his daughter McKenna wiping tears from her eyes. Kaye then honored his wife, and added, "Susan, thank you for this beautiful kids and everything that you sacrificed did not go unnoticed. Thank you. Honey, I love you."

The category was dominated by actors in CBS shows. Among those up for the award were The Young and the Restless' Eric Braeden, The Bold and the Beautiful's Kaye, Scott Clifton and John McCook and Days of Our Lives star Eric Martsolf.

Here is a look at the actors who were nominated for the award.

Related: Victor Newman Gets Movin'! Eric Braeden, Lauralee Bell and More 'Y&R' Stars Get Down for 50th Anniversary

CBS/Cliff Lipson Eric Braeden on 'The Young and the Restless'
CBS/Cliff Lipson Eric Braeden on 'The Young and the Restless'

Created by the late William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, The Young and the Restless follows the lives of the residents of the fictional Genoa City. Since its premiere in March 1973, the series has welcomed over 350 cast members.

Braeden made his debut as charming yet stubborn Victor Newman in 1980. Though he's been on the long-running series for over 40 years, the actor previously told PEOPLE he had no plans on ending his tenure on the soap opera any time soon.

"I feel very loyal to The Young and the Restless, very beholden to Victor and very beholden to the audience who has supported us for all those years," he explained. "I intend to stay as long as I can."

"I've always looked for meaning in acting, but I've learned to understand that the essence of what we do is to entertain, to make people happy," Braeden added.

The last time Braeden took home the win was in 1998. He's been nominated nine other times.

Related: Looking Back on 'The Bold and the Beautiful' 's Surprising Guest Stars

sean smith/jpistudios.com (L) Fred Willard and John McCook on 'The Bold and the Beautiful'
sean smith/jpistudios.com (L) Fred Willard and John McCook on 'The Bold and the Beautiful'

The Bold and the Beautiful, which premiered in 1987, is the sister show to The Young and the Restless and was also created for CBS by the Bells. While actors have crossed back and forth from both series, The Bold and the Beautiful is set in Los Angeles and follows the Forrester family and their haute couture empire.

McCook, who takes on the role of family patriarch Eric Forrester, is the soap opera's longest running male actor and has been with the show since its inception. Throughout his tenure, the actor has received four Daytime Emmy nomination and nabbed the award in 2022.

The Bold and the Beautiful's third nomination for lead actor is Scott Clifton.

Clifton began his journey on the soap in 2010 and plays portrays William "Liam" Spencer III. Throughout his career, the actor has received nine Daytime Emmy nominations and won three. In 2017, he made history when he became the first male actor to win Daytime Emmys in all three performance categories: younger, supporting, and lead.

Courtesy: Getty Images/TobyCanham Eric Martsolf
Courtesy: Getty Images/TobyCanham Eric Martsolf

Related: Dick Van Dyke Earns Historic Daytime Emmy Nomination at 98 After Guest Starring on Days of Our Lives

The finale nominee rounding out the pack is Martsolf, who stars as Brady Black on Days of Our Lives.

The actor made his debut on the long running soap in 2008. In 2014, he won his first Daytime Emmy for supporting actor and was nominated again for the same award in 2019.

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Over the years, Martsolf has cemented his reputation as a certified "soap hunk" for his frequently shirtless portrayal of Black. In a cover story for Playgirl’s April digital issue, the actor shared why a solid skill set was just as important as maintaining a certain physique in soap acting.

"One can’t control what the public thinks or how they define you," he said at the time. "The good daytime actors have just as much depth on the inside as displayed on the outside. Staying power in the soap world requires understanding of character and an incredible work ethic. It’s not for everyone."

The Daytime Emmy Awards airs live on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.

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