Soap Opera Star Jack Wagner Reveals Details From Wedding: 'It Was Just a Rock Fest!'
When it came time to curate the soundtrack for his recent wedding, Jack Wagner turned to his beautiful bride, who happens to be a singer and songwriter, for her expertise.
'As soon as we were married and coming back down the aisle, she chose that new Katy Perry song ('Lifetimes'),' the actor tells TODAY.com over Zoom and sings a few lines from the upbeat tune.
It was an appropriate choice, Wagner says, since the song matches his wife Michelle Wolf's energy.
'Michelle's just this vibrant spark plug," he says.
Beaming with pride, Wagner recalls that the uplifting song set the tone for their nuptials.
'That was just the energy of the whole day, with some very poignant moments as well as this whole celebration jam,' he says. 'That's the deal with her, which I think is important for me because it keeps me young.'
The newlyweds tied the knot at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles in front of 40 guests on May 18 and honored their religious faith with the help of a priest and several gospel readings.
Several family members, including Wagner's son Peter and Wolf's daughter Ornella, spoke at the wedding, as did a few of the couple's friends, including actor Lori Loughlin and tennis player Mardy Fish.
The newlyweds turned to the film 'When Harry Met Sally' for inspiration for their first dance and busted a move to the song 'It Had to Be You.'
Afterwards, Wagner recalls, his wife urged the crowd to join in dancing.
'From that moment on, it was just a rock fest,' he says.
Wolf, who Wagner describes as "an incredible singer," has worked with a wide array of artists throughout her career, including B.B. King, 'N Sync, James Ingram, Oleta Adams, Zucchero and many more.
'She's been singing since she was a girl and in bands. She toured with Rufus, she's got an R&B rock band up in Malibu and she's just a wonderful person," he says.
After their "kick-ass celebration," the lovebirds traveled to Italy for a romantic honeymoon in the Amalfi Coast and Naples. Up next, Wagner filmed a story arc that marks his first time appearing on "The Bold and the Beautiful" since 2022.
While reflecting on his relationship with Wolf, Wagner describes one of the reasons she "checks" all the right "boxes" for him.
'When you get older and you're in relationships, it's about problem-solving skills. When something comes up, how are you gonna deal with it? She has an amazing gift to let things go. She lets things go and me being the dramatic person, (she helps me) let it go,' he explains.
In fact, the actor says this is his biggest piece of advice for all couples.
'I would suggest that to couples: the ability not to push things down, not to over-explode, but to actually be with it. That's the deeper work as human beings. Can I be with what's come up personally? Can I then have an adult conversation with it where the emotion's not driving it?" he says.
Luckily for Wagner, Wolf is on the same page and he can't help but gush about "energetic, positive" personality.
"We laugh a lot," he says.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
14 hours ago
- New York Post
Servers blast parents whose kids make their jobs hell: ‘It's not a McDonald's PlayPlace'
Parents are being served up some serious etiquette lessons. A server says many in the industry dislike when mindless moms and dads dine at restaurants with their unruly kids in tow. But while other patrons may direct their ire at the offspring, many professionals say parents are the ones who should shoulder the blame if their children misbehave. 'Servers don't want to shame families or discourage them from going out to eat,' Alana Fineman, a comedian and server who posts restaurant skits on TikTok, told 'Parents are usually…trying their best.' However, Fineman, who hails from Southern California, says there are some mistakes moms and dads do make in restaurants. 'The phrase, 'The customer is always right' is dying out,' the server dished. Below, the errors that reveal more about the parents than they do about their children. Leave a mess Part of being a kid is making a mess, but when parents leave it to the bussers to clean up, that's when it becomes a problem. 'It's one thing when a baby throws food from his high chair — it's another when kids rip open sugar packets and dump them on the floor or finger-paint with ketchup on the walls,' Fineman said. 'That usually means that a parent is not paying attention or allowing it to happen.' If a kid throws up or there's food all over the walls and floors, it's the busser that cleans it up. Allow children to run around Most restaurants don't have the space for children to be running around wildly, which could lead to destruction. If a child runs into a server, broken glass can end up on the floor, food can fall and there's the potential of delayed orders and injuries. 'If you're carrying a tray of five martinis or plates of boiling-hot food and a child runs in front of you, you can drop it on the floor or onto a person,' Fineman said 'Kids shouldn't run through a restaurant — it's not a McDonald's PlayPlace,' she declared. During an incident at her restaurant, there were kids that 'climbed over a fence and onto the street, where they threw rocks onto the dining patio.' While no one got injured, an employee at the restaurant 'did the parenting' and lectured the children. Make servers part of a 'teachable moment' 3 'Kids shouldn't run through a restaurant — it's not a McDonald's PlayPlace,' she declared. Quality Stock Video – When kids get to a certain age, they're able to express themselves and order their own food. Oftentimes, the parents will say to their child, 'Tell the lady what you want.' And while Fineman mostly finds this kind of conversation 'funny and endearing,' it can sometimes be an issue if the child won't speak for themselves — and the parent persists. 'Every so often, a parent says, 'We're not moving on until you learn to order,'' Fineman explained. 'I can't always be a part of it when I'm really busy.' Demand changes for picky eaters 3 Dining out with children can be a stress for parents — but sometimes it's the parents who make a server's job harder. JackF – Typically, picky eaters aren't a problem for servers at restaurants — unless the parent has big expectations, Fineman said. She claimed that some parents will get 'irate' if the restaurant's menu is restrictive or if the chef can't make a very specific meal. 'If it's a slow day, they might be able to…but not every time,' says Fineman. 'There needs to be a contingency plan for what your child can eat.' Forget to include kids in reservations 3 Alana Fineman revealed the things that parents do at restaurants that make workers the most annoyed. Tiktok/alanafinewoman There's apparently a 'fascinating phenomenon' where parents don't include their children in a reservation, not realizing that they, too, count as guests — even if they'll be using a high chair, taking up the same space as a regular chair. Fineman guessed that perhaps some parents do this to not have to pay automatic gratuity for larger parties, but she believes that most simply don't realize. This could lead to a problem on busy days when the family will ultimately end up waiting longer for a table that can accommodate them. 'There can be an unfortunate domino effect in the restaurant industry,' Fineman said. 'Miscalculating three people can affect the next 45 minutes.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
‘General Hospital's' Jack Wagner says keeping separate homes with new wife ‘works' for them
'General Hospital' star Jack Wagner and his wife, Michelle Wolf, have no plans to move in together after tying the knot in May. Wagner and Wolf agreed not to 'rock the boat' and stick to the routine they formed while dating as they take on marriage. 'It's an adjustment in terms of my schedule, for sure, right? And Michelle's a singer, and she has an R&B rock band, so she's just a monster singer. We're able to make it work,' Wagner said in an interview with Parade. The soap opera star admitted that neither party has 'really changed anything' in their relationship. 'It's kind of cool, you know? She has her place. I still have mine. We're both super comfortable in our places and going back and forth, and so we've decided, let's not rock the boat and sell this and sell that and try to find something,' he said. 'The Bold and the Beautiful' actor continued, 'We take a couple nights off, and then we trade off who's going to be where because I think we both know that the older we are, it's nice to have a little space. Not too much, but it's okay! It works.' Wagner and Wolf began dating in 2021, according to People. The outlet reported that Wolf shared an image from their wedding day on her Instagram account, which is now private. 4 Newlyweds Jack Wagner and Michelle Wolf don't plan on moving in together. AFF-USA / Shutterstock 4 Wagner is a three-time Daytime Emmy Award nominee. Getty Images 'We did it!!!!!! MARRIED in front of our little family!! #MrAndMrs,' Wolf wrote, per People. In the photo was herself with her new husband, Wagner's son, Peter, and her daughter, Ornella. Wagner and his ex-wife Kristina shared two sons. Their son, Harrison, died in 2022 from 'fentanyl and alprazolam intoxication,' the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner told Fox News Digital at the time. 4 Wagner and his ex-wife Kristina shared two sons. Their youngest, Harrison, died in 2022 from 'fentanyl and alprazolam intoxication.' WireImage 4 The cast of 'The Bold and the Beautiful' smiled for a photo while on set in Naples. IPA / He was 27. His death in June 2022 was listed as an 'accident' in the coroner's report. Xanax is a common brand name for alprazolam. Jack and Kristina were married for 13 years before their divorce was finalized in 2006. Following Jack's divorce, he was in a longtime romance with Heather Locklear beginning in 2007. The couple, who worked together on 'Melrose Place' in the '90s, became engaged in 2011 but called off their nuptials only three months later.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Pee-wee as Himself': Director Matt Wolf on exploring the duality of Paul Reubens and earning his trust — ‘It was a constant struggle'
When Matt Wolf took on the daunting task of creating a documentary about the enigmatic Paul Reubens, the man behind the flamboyant and charming Pee-wee Herman, the filmmaker never could have imagined just how deeply layered the story would be. Now, in Wolf's Pee-wee as Himself, audiences are given an unprecedented look at a fiercely private artist whose boundary-pushing creativity and resilience impacted an entire generation. The two-part HBO documentary introduces viewers to Reubens in an unexpected way: as an eccentric figure claiming to have been born in 1938 on the banks of the Mississippi River. It's humor that cuts straight to the core of who Reubens was, but also hints at the complicated man behind the bowtie. Wolf admits that the opening moments of a documentary often come together through trial and error: "Oh, I don't know. You just try stuff out and it sticks and we probably tried that immediately as the first thing and it stuck. I mean, it's funny." More from GoldDerby 'Gypsy' and 'Just in Time' producer Tom Kirdahy on serving a 'social and cultural need' through creative work TV Visual Effects supervisor roundtable: 'Black Mirror,' 'The Boys,' 'The Wheel of Time' 'The Wheel of Time' VFX supervisor Andy Scrase: 'I always think of visual effects as the magic of filmmaking' For Wolf, getting a chance to tell Reubens' story required more than just persistence — it required fate. 'People, when you make documentaries, ask who's your dream subject? And mine always was Paul,' Wolf tells Gold Derby. After several unsuccessful attempts to connect with the famously private Reubens, a serendipitous sequence of events involving the Safdie brothers [Benny and Josh], who were at one point rumored to be working on an autobiographical Pee-wee film, ultimately led to Reubens reaching out to Wolf through producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff. From the outset, however, trust was a challenge. Reubens, known for his intense control over his public image, was reluctant to relinquish that same control for the film. "It was hard. It was a constant struggle of trying to earn Paul's trust, but to also accept that there were limits to how much he was willing to trust somebody," Wolf explains. Reubens' fraught history with the media, where he felt his personal story was often misrepresented, left him wary. "I empathized with where he was coming from," Wolf continues, "but trust is a foundation of what we do as documentary filmmakers. ... And Paul was somebody incapable of taking a leap of faith." Over the course of hundreds of hours of conversations, the two worked to find a middle ground, even as Wolf recognized that Reubens would never completely let his guard down. Courtesy of HBO Unbeknownst to Wolf and the crew, Reubens was privately battling cancer while filming the documentary. "I was scheduled to complete a final interview with Paul the week after he died," Wolf shares. "I found out that Paul died on Instagram, the day he died, along with everybody else." The reveal added an even deeper emotional weight to the production. Despite this devastating blow, Wolf pressed on, knowing Reubens wanted the documentary to move forward, giving his blessing in their final conversations. 'I read the 1,500-page transcript of our interview right after [he passed],' Wolf recounts. 'I wanted to rise to the occasion and do justice under these extraordinary circumstances.' The film explores the duality that defined Reubens' career: Pee-wee Herman, the irrepressible, childlike alter ego, and Paul Reubens, the man behind the magic. It's a balancing act few have undertaken successfully, as Wolf points out: 'Somebody else who's in the film that's done that a bit is Elvira, Cassandra Peterson. But it's a small club of people who live as their alter ego. And Paul was kind of the most visible member of that club.' Reubens made a conscious choice to keep Pee-wee a separate entity, a concept born out of both creative and personal motivations. "He wanted people to believe that Pee-wee Herman was a real person,' Wolf explains, 'but on a deeper level, Paul was very protective of his privacy and anonymity." HBO/Pee-wee Herman Productions, Inc. As the documentary delves into Reubens' life before Pee-wee, it reveals the formative influences that shaped not only the character but the artist himself. From his art school days at CalArts to performing as an openly gay man before retreating into the closet for his career, Reubens' trajectory captures the struggles and compromises of a queer artist in the entertainment industry of the 1980s. "He chose to go into the closet to focus on his career,' Wolf notes. 'It was a personal but also pragmatic decision, knowing that in the early 1980s, an openly gay man would not be able to rise in the entertainment industry." Reubens' rejection from Saturday Night Live became the catalyst for Pee-wee Herman's creation. "I think that rejection really kind of emboldened Paul to take matters into his own hands," Wolf observes. From a midnight play at the Groundlings to the cult success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Reubens carved out a path that was quintessentially his own. HBO/Pee-wee Herman Productions, Inc. Collaborating with now-iconic director Tim Burton on his feature debut, Reubens enjoyed a type of creative freedom and naïveté in Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Wolf reflects on Burton's experience making the film: 'You're just kind of putting it all out there. And I think there was something very naive about the making of Pee-wee's Big Adventure that allowed it to be very pure." His subsequent Saturday morning show, Pee-wee's Playhouse, broke barriers with its artistic vision and diverse cast. 'In some ways, people recognize that the show was revolutionary,' Wolf says. 'But to watch in more specific detail the types of things that they accomplished and the ambition of it, it will be undeniable how singular it was as a cultural phenomenon.' The documentary doesn't shy away from the controversy that derailed Reubens' career. The incident in an adult movie theater — and subsequent false allegations of child pornography — forever altered public perception. Wolf describes the impacts of that time: "Paul was in a state of shock for a number of years and it had a profound impact on his life... But thankfully we were able to see him in his full breadth of talents as a character actor." Reubens' ability to persevere and work through those challenges is a testament to his resilience. "[He] was a resilient person," Wolf emphasizes. "I didn't see him as a victim. I think he proved over and over again that he could overcome hardship and kind of put his work first." For decades, Pee-wee and Paul existed as two separate beings, a distinction even immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where Pee-wee Herman has a star — Paul Reubens does not. Wolf hopes that his documentary helps fuse these two sides of the same coin. "Paul Reubens created Pee-wee Herman," Wolf reminded us. 'Now that Paul has passed away ... I hope people can respect and appreciate the artist that was always there within, behind, and alongside his creation.' Pee-wee as Himself is currently streaming on Max. Best of GoldDerby TV Visual Effects supervisor roundtable: 'Black Mirror,' 'The Boys,' 'The Wheel of Time' 'The Wheel of Time' VFX supervisor Andy Scrase: 'I always think of visual effects as the magic of filmmaking' 'The Boys' VFX supervisor Stephan Fleet explains why a one-minute shot 'took about 17 hours' to make Click here to read the full article.
