Latest 2010 The Young And The Restless Toronto Fan Event. Coverage

Soaps.com was there Saturday September 18 when The Young and the Restless's Sean Kanan (Deacon Sharpe) and Daniel Goddard (Cane Ashby) thrilled a very lucky group of fans with their appearance at Big Mamma's Boy Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario. The setting had a warm ambiance, lots of character, and those who turned out were able to get autographs, photos, and were truly able to get up-close-and-personal with the stars in this intimate venue.

Sean Kanan, who plays complex bad boy, Deacon Sharpe, on The Young and the Restless, arrived first and was very gracious and accommodating when it came to his fans. He greeted them all personally out on the back patio, before coming inside and answering their questions during the luncheon. He also sat down for a chat with Soaps.com.

The first thing we spoke about was Deacon and Phyllis hooking up and what it was like working with Michelle Stafford. Sean told me that since The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful actually tape across the hall from one another, he's come to know most of the The Young and the Restless actors over the years, and has known Michelle for years now, and always wanted to work with her. He elaborated, saying, "The great thing about being on a show that has a cast as large as The Young and the Restless [is that] you never know who you're going to get thrown in with…sometimes you get lucky and get to work with someone who you really want to, and I've wanted to work with Michelle for a while. I think Michelle probably works a lot like I do as an actor; she really is in the moment, takes what's being given to her and runs with it, which means that you have to be really on your toes. If you work with Michelle, you have to bring your 'A' game, and I like to think that if people are going to work with me, they need to bring their 'A' game, so for me, it's a lot of fun." As for more scenes between the two, Sean, who typically gets scripts a week or two in advance, said there was nothing else coming up with Deacon and Phyllis as of the time of our conversation. But Sean feels the writers are keeping that as an ace-in-the-hole, saying, "Whenever we do bump into each other, something combustible always happens."

About Deacon's new job at Gloworm, Sean commented, "That's the interesting thing about working in a bar; all the characters seem to, at one point or another, come in and out of the bar, and when you're a bartender you're privy to a lot of the conversations and comings and goings, and you register and stockpile information. [This] puts my character in a position to have story with almost anybody." Hmm.

So, who is Deacon going to be in scenes with? When asked if the interaction between Deacon and Nikki at Victoria's wedding was a precursor for things to come, Sean conceded that there is story with Nikki, and there is definitely a connection between the two characters. He added, "So far, it's been great because Melody [Thomas Scott, Nikki] is obviously one of the core members of the cast, and I've wanted to work with Melody and with Eric Braeden [Victor] for a long time. I'm getting what I asked for - it's terrific working with her."

Of course, Deacon's name has been bandied about on The Bold and the Beautiful lately, what with Hope [Kim Matula] alluding to her real father. Sean mused, "The character of Deacon was conceptualized by Brad Bell over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and I spent five years of my life there working with a group of people…I have a real place in my heart for those people and would love to work with them again." He acknowledged that there are a lot of loose ends for Deacon on B&B, and joked, "For me, the ideal situation is to be in Genoa City in the morning and Los Angeles in the afternoon - and it's really only about a thirty foot trip!" Sean also noted that Deacon's parentage hasn't been explored, saying viewers know about his stepfather, but it would be interesting to find out who his parents are and where he comes from.

Outside of Y&R, busy Sean has done two independent films in the past year, "Abracadabra," a short directed by Julie Pacino, which went to Cannes and the Hollywood Film Festival, and "My Trip To the Dark Side," which was directed by Sean's friend, Shane Stanley. Sean will begin filming on the mockumentary "Rock Barnes" in November. He will play the title character, a motivational speaker touring around on a bus teaching a course, who Sean describes as a, "complete train wreck on wheels!" Also getting off the ground is Sean's literary project, "21st Century Gentleman." He hopes the book will be out in the next 12 - 18 months, and pre-faced it with a blog by the same name, which is all about helping guys get in touch with their authentic selves. For the details on Sean's blog, read Sean Kanan is a 21st Century Gentleman.


SEAN KANAN 21ST CENTURY GENTLEMAN INTERVIEW AT AE LUNCHEON
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After talking with Sean, we watched his fan Q&A, and then he handed the mic over to castmate, Daniel Goddard, who plays dashing Aussie, Cane Ashby. Daniel also answered questions, and kept the eager fans in stitches much of the time. We definitely heard one story where Daniel admitted to using a peashooter on castmate Kristoff St. John (Neil Winters), hitting him in the eye, and receiving retaliation from Darius McCrary (Malcolm Winters) - sounds like they have a lot of fun on set!

When Soaps.com got Daniel alone for some scoop, it was time to ask the questions foremost in everyone's mind: Who is watching Lily through the window? What was Humphrey barking at?! Daniel confided, "Humphrey is barking at a really good storyline!" Smiling, he added, "There's a storyline standing outside that door, and it wants to come in, and I can't wait until it comes in. Actually, it's in; we've already filmed it." So, what's it all about? Daniel told us that once again, Cane's history is dug up. He laughingly said that he turned up at a fan event that Maria [Arena Bell] was at and he hadn't shaved for a week or two. She reacted by saying, "Oh, I like it! I have to write you a dangerous, bad storyline!" Daniel marveled, "It's that simple?" In any case, once again, Cane's history will come back to bite him in the butt.

Is it just the cattle rustlers, or will there be an unexpected twist? Daniel said he can usually figure out what is going to happen due to foreshadowing, but admitted, "I, personally, didn't see this one coming." And what about keeping the truth from Lily to protect her (which hasn't worked out so well in the past)? Daniel concedes that it's hard, because Lily has asked Cane if there are any more secrets, and he's promised there aren't, but what's different this time around is that Lily has grown [from the cancer] and is more mature in how she reacts, and she catches on quicker now. This, he says, puts Cane in the position of doing the wrong thing for the right reason. Should he tell Lily the truth? Daniel doesn't know, but notes that although some viewers may want to see him tell her, and the pair work through things as a team, from a writing standpoint, there is more drama and conflict [if he doesn't tell her].

The main focus in the storyline won't be on conflict between Lily and Cane, however. Daniel elaborates, "It will be more about Cane and what he's going through, and this time it permeates through a lot more people. Who he is, what he's done, and what he has to do to fix it without letting anyone [he knows and loves] know what's happened, because if this one gets out, really, he would be…but it's gotta' come out." [laughs] He went on to tell about a scene he just shot with Jeanne [Cooper, Katherine] the other day, in which Kay tells Cane she loves him as a grandson, and in spite of his secrets, he proved himself to be a good person. Daniel laughs that [knowing another secret is going to come out] he wonders how the writers will fix it this time.

What's Daniel's feeling about tackling such a storyline again? He confided, "I'm really jazzed about it," adding that out of fairness to fans who have stood by Cane and Lily, and in the interests of respecting who Cane is as a human being, he intends to play it true to the character, even though, from an acting standpoint, it would be great to just go crazy. Daniel acknowledged the writers' loyalty to Cane and Lily, which led to a discussion about whether or not couples could be allowed to be happy on soap operas. Daniel pointed to Michael [Christian LeBlanc] and Lauren [Tracey Bregman] as a pair who stay together while stretching their limits, even as other couples experience conflict and split up. Daniel commented, "At the end of the day, soaps are romance in the afternoon, and once a show loses that, what do people tune in for? Yes, they love conflict, but in a world that's full of recession and unemployment, and people losing their homes, people want to escape to a world where there's love, there's sex, there's romance, and there's boardroom drama…"

Immediately in Cane's future, there's an issue with a surveillance tape. Daniel explains, "In the surveillance tape, the footage is being shot by the person you see looking at us. The footage rears its head, and as a result, Cane has to take a very strong action to protect his family. We go away, leave town, so Cane can try to make sure his family is safe, and that's where everything happens." He is excited about the upcoming story where a tornado hits, saying, "Cane and Lily end up at the cottage with the kids, and the storm hits, and we had rain machines and wind machines - I spent two days soaking wet. [There were] a lot of fight scenes, a lot of violence; I end up covered in blood." Daniel went on to say it's a solid catalyst that gives Cane a male adversary, which allows him to be outside his relationship with Lily for a while. He assures us that Cane truly does love Lily, saying she gives him what he was always looking for, but explains that the change of scenery gives him a chance to play the complete antithesis [of settled domesticity].

The popular, and witty, Daniel Goddard will be in London, Ontario for a meet 'n' greet on October 24, and in Oklahoma for the same type of event on October 2! Soaps.com will bring you all the details on these events as they become available. Soaps.com encourages everyone to come out and meet the actors when the opportunity arises!

- Candace Young

For more photos of the Toronto Y&R Fan Event, click here.

Check out what Shaun Proulx had to say about covering the Y&R event!

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