# Thorsten Kaye
**Thorsten Kaye** (original name Thorsten Ernst Kieselbach) is a German-born actor known for long-running roles in American daytime television, most recently as [Ridge Forrester](https://www.edgepedia.org/ridge-forrester) on the CBS soap opera *The Bold and the Beautiful*, a part he has played since 2013[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/). He is a two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/awards/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966; birthplace is given variously as London, England, Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate), and Frankfurt, Germany[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/kaye-thorsten-1966) • [4](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/) |
| Education | B.A. in fine arts, United States International University, San Diego; M.A. in theater and theater history, Wayne State University, Detroit[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/) |
| Signature soap roles | Patrick Thornhart on *One Life to Live* (1995–1997), Dr. Ian Thornhart on *Port Charles* (2000–2003), Zach Slater on *All My Children* (2004–2011 and 2013), Ridge Forrester on *The Bold and the Beautiful* (2013–present)[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/kaye-thorsten-1966) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/) |
| Daytime Emmy Awards | Winner, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 2023 and 2024 (back-to-back), for Ridge Forrester; previously nominated in the same category for *Port Charles* (2003) and *All My Children*[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/awards/) • [6](https://apnews.com/article/e1fd25f345b26fd5cc40a40b316d8b60) |
| Distinction | Per CBS, the only performer to be Emmy-nominated in the Lead Actor category on three different shows[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/) |
| Partner | Actress Susan Haskell, his former *One Life to Live* co-star; two daughters, Marlowe and McKenna[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/) |
| Also | Books: *From Timber Ridge to Daymer Gardens: A Journey in Words* (with Dorothy Bridges) and the children's poem collection *A Solid Wheel of Colored Ribbons*[4](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/) |
## Early life and arrival in the United States
Kaye was born in 1966 under the name Thorsten Ernst Kieselbach[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/kaye-thorsten-1966). Reference sources disagree on where: Encyclopedia.com records London, England, noting that some sources cite Mainz, West Germany[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/kaye-thorsten-1966), while the CBS biography says he was born in Germany and raised in England[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/), and the Soaphub biography places his birth in Mainz before the family moved to London[4](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/). His father worked for [General Motors](https://www.edgepedia.org/general-motors), and Kaye attended American schools in England[7](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-thorsten-kaye3/).
## Education and theater
Kaye came to the United States in 1985 on a track scholarship, as a decathlete, to the United States International University in San Diego[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/). A serious motorcycle accident ended his athletic career; he switched his major from physical education, with a minor in drama, to drama, and earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/). After a rugby tour through Europe, he entered the graduate program at [Wayne State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/wayne-state-university) in Detroit and earned a master's degree in theater and theater history[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/).
From 1991 to 1994 he was a member of the Hilberry Repertory Theatre Company in Detroit, playing classical roles that included Marc Antony in *Julius Caesar* (1991), Brick in *Cat on a Hot Tin Roof* (1993), and the title role in *Macbeth* (1993)[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/kaye-thorsten-1966). By his own account he had performed nearly every Shakespearean play by the time he auditioned for his first soap role[7](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-thorsten-kaye3/), and he trained with Bill Hobbs at London's National Theatre[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/).
## Daytime television career
**Patrick Thornhart and early work.** Kaye moved to Los Angeles for television work, appearing in the CBS miniseries *Sidney Sheldon's Nothing Lasts Forever* (1995) and the films *Deadly Desire* (1991) and *The Silencers* (1996)[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/) • [4](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/). In 1995 he took his first daytime role as the Irish poet Patrick Thornhart on ABC's *One Life to Live*, a part he played through 1997[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/kaye-thorsten-1966). On that show he met Susan Haskell, who played Marty Saybrooke and later became his wife[4](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/).
**Port Charles and All My Children.** In 2000 he returned to daytime as Dr. Ian Thornhart, Patrick's older brother, on ABC's *Port Charles*, playing the role until the series ended in 2003 and earning two Daytime Emmy nominations[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/) • [4](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/). In 2004 he joined *All My Children* as Zach Slater, appearing in 730 episodes from 2004 to 2011 and returning for 43 more episodes in 2013[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/). During his time on that show he also appeared in the prime-time series *Smash* as Nick Felder, opposite [Anjelica Huston](https://www.edgepedia.org/anjelica-huston), for two seasons[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/). His film work in this period includes *Shark Attack 2* (2000), *Animal* (2014), *Occupant* (2011), and *But Deliver Us from Evil* (2017)[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/).
**Ridge Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful.** In 2013 Kaye took over the role of Ridge Forrester, heir to the fashion house Forrester Creations, on CBS's *The Bold and the Beautiful*, a part originated by [Ronn Moss](https://www.edgepedia.org/ronn-moss)[4](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/) • [8](https://apnews.com/article/7e9fc824fe6965b9ffdcf0acb807f4ef). He received Emmy nominations in the Lead Actor category for the role in 2020 and 2021[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/). At the 50th annual [Daytime Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/daytime-emmy-awards) in December 2023 he won the lead actor award for Ridge Forrester[8](https://apnews.com/article/7e9fc824fe6965b9ffdcf0acb807f4ef), and in June 2024 he earned a second straight win in the same category[6](https://apnews.com/article/e1fd25f345b26fd5cc40a40b316d8b60). In his 2024 acceptance speech he credited the people around him, saying that no one can do the work alone and that he had a boss who saw him, a cast that tolerated him, and a village of people who agreed not to let him drown[6](https://apnews.com/article/e1fd25f345b26fd5cc40a40b316d8b60). According to CBS, Kaye is the only performer nominated for the Lead Actor Emmy on three different shows, counting his nominations for *Port Charles*, *All My Children*, and *The Bold and the Beautiful*[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/).
## Personal life
Kaye lives on the East Coast with his wife, the Emmy-winning actress Susan Haskell, and their daughters Marlowe and McKenna, and commutes weekly to Los Angeles to film *The Bold and the Beautiful*[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/). He has cited meeting his wife on *One Life to Live* and raising their two children as the moment that defined his career[9](https://hellenicnews.com/2023/05/19/interview-with-thorsten-kaye-of-the-bold-and-the-beautiful/). His stated interests include literature, music, riding American motorcycles, following the [Detroit Red Wings](https://www.edgepedia.org/detroit-red-wings), and supporting the [Miami Dolphins](https://www.edgepedia.org/miami-dolphins)[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/).
## Writing
Kaye is the author of two books: *From Timber Ridge to Daymer Gardens: A Journey in Words*, co-written with the late [Dorothy Bridges](https://www.edgepedia.org/dorothy-bridges), and *A Solid Wheel of Colored Ribbons*, a book of children's poems with illustrations by Tami Evans Foster[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/) • [4](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/).
## References
1. [Thorsten Kaye cast biography, CBS, The Bold and the Beautiful](https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/cast/214778/)
2. [Thorsten Kaye Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/awards/)
3. [Kaye, Thorsten 1966–, Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television via Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/kaye-thorsten-1966)
4. [Thorsten Kaye Biography, Soap Hub](https://soaphub.com/actors/thorsten-kaye/)
5. [Thorsten Kaye, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443406/)
6. [Dick Van Dyke becomes the oldest Daytime Emmy winner at age 98, Associated Press (2024)](https://apnews.com/article/e1fd25f345b26fd5cc40a40b316d8b60)
7. [#TBT – Thorsten Kaye, Soap Opera Digest (1996 interview)](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-thorsten-kaye3/)
8. ['General Hospital' dominates 50th annual Daytime Emmys with 6 trophies, Associated Press (2023)](https://apnews.com/article/7e9fc824fe6965b9ffdcf0acb807f4ef)
9. [Interview with Thorsten Kaye of 'The Bold and The Beautiful', Hellenic News of America (2023)](https://hellenicnews.com/2023/05/19/interview-with-thorsten-kaye-of-the-bold-and-the-beautiful/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › German actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license