Is The Bold and the Beautiful ready to move forward with plans to recast the role of Ridge Forrester? The role became vacant last year when original cast member Ronn Moss exited the show.

The show recently put out a casting call for a character being called "Harper." Savvy soap fans know that soaps often use false names in casting notices to disguise the role that they're really trying to cast.

Harper is described as a Caucasian male in his mid-to-late 40s. The casting notice also offers additional details, saying that Harper is "Handsome! Very upscale. Great business man. A commanding presence. Refined -- comes from money."

Actors for the contract role must be at least 5'11".

Soap Opera Digest has suggested that the recast might be an attempt to recast Ridge Forrester, a role played by Ronn Moss from the show's debut in March 1987 through 2012, when the actor opted to leave the show he'd called home for 25 years.

The age range in the casting notice might strike some fans as curious. Ronn Moss is more than a decade older than the actor the show is seeking to play Harper.

In an August 2012 interview with TVGuide, B&B's executive producer and head writer Bradley Bell acknowledged that there would come a time when the show would need to have Ridge be a part of the canvas again.

"Ridge will not be dead or presumed dead," said Bell said at the time. "He will just not be in the picture. I don't want to do a presumed death because I don't want the story that follows to be all about Ridge. [...] There will be a period of time without Ridge, which is where some new, interesting avenues for Brooke will come into play. But at some point it will be necessary for Ridge to return to the show. Who will be playing the role at that point remains to be seen."