The CBS daytime drama, "The Bold and the Beautiful," has an impressive African American cast. There are 10 actors who portray black men and women on the show. The problem is that none of them are ever in a lead storyline. Most are not on contract and only appear when they are needed as support for the major players. Recently, Wayne Brady was added to the cast but his stint on the show was short term and now he is gone. The powers that be are to be celebrated for diversifying the soap opera, but should follow the lead of their sister soap opera "The Young and the Restless".

African American cast as sidekicks

On "Y&R," the Hamilton and Winters family members have storylines that are uniquely their own. On "B&B," Justin Barber is portrayed by Aaron D Spears and in recent years is basically a sidekick to his boss and friend, Dollar Bill Spencer. Justin is seen at the Spencer Publications office, where he tries to keep Bill Spencer in check. Nia Sioux joined the "B&B" cast during the summer, as Justin's niece, Emma. The two are never shown together and she too is almost always seen at work at Forrester Creations.

Maya Avante Forrester is played by Karla Mosley, who has not had a great storyline in years. She pops up long enough for viewers to know she is still part of the cast.

Xander, Emma, and Zoe are portrayed by Adain Bradley, Tiffany Brady, and Kiarra Barnes. They too are always in their place of employment, and even though Xander and Zoe are a couple, they rarely have any love scenes. In 2013, "B&B" hired Lawrence St. Victor for the role of Carter Walton, who is often not seen for months. Carter shows up occasionally to officiate at weddings for file divorce papers and not much else.

These talented African American actors sitting on the sidelines is a waste of who they are.

'B&B' can do better with blacks on the show

Wayne Brady asked for a short term role on "The Bold and the Beautiful" and has come and gone. He received more air time in a few months than the African American celebrities who have been with the cast for years.

Obba Babatunde and Anna Maria Horsford are black actors with impressive resumes. They show up, from time to time, as Julius and Vivienne Avant, the parents of Mya.

The only person of color who is front and center right now is Zoe, because she suspects foul play with Hope's baby. Spoilers say she will force the truth out of Flo, but once the baby switch is revealed, she may be sidelined again. "The Bold and the Beautiful" airs weekday afternoons on CBS at 2:00 PM ET. Stay tuned to find out what happens next with these talented African Americans.
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