Posted on: HollywoodLife
The Young and the RestlessComings & Goings
If you want to know more about which actors are coming and which actors are on their way out, and which have changed their contract status, we've got you covered for all soap operas including Young and Restless. For dayplayers and under five players, visit our Y&R news room.
Prepare for a sighting of “the Locke Ness Monster.” Much-discussed on The Young and the Restless, big, bad Ashland Locke now has a face, the handsome one that belongs to soap vet Richard Burgi, most recently serial killer Paul Hornsby on General Hospital.
According to our sister site Deadline, the actor will make his debut as Tara’s (cough) better half — and Kyle Abbott’s worst nightmare — in the episode airing Thursday, March 11, in which the tycoon arrives in Genoa City to savor the bidding war that’s being waged between the Newman and Abbott dynasties. It was only today, March 1, that Elizabeth Leiner made her debut as Mrs. Locke, whose onetime boy toy Kyle she confirmed is the actual father of Ashland’s son, Harrison, before hightailing it out of town as fast as she arrived.
Yeah, something tells us that secret won’t remain a secret for very much longer!
Besides his, ahem, killer run as Dillon’s dad and Ava’s lover on General Hospital, Burgi also played Karl Mayer on Desperate Housewives, pimp Chad Rollo on Another World and Kimberly Brady’s onetime love Philip Collier on Days of Our Lives. He also boasts a list of guest appearances that’s so long, the Internet can barely fit it.
The guy is prolific!
On General Hospital, Burgi’s Paul had a way with the ladies. Not a good way, mind you…
Though we certainly had our own ideas about who should play the Lockes, we don’t think Young & Restless could have done any better, do you? Before you bop off to comment away, check out a photo gallery of other actors like Burgi who have scored big on more than one soap.
Monday, March 1st, 2021
While it was previously reported that Rebekah Graf had been cast as Tara Locke, the woman from Kyle’s past in New York, we can confirm that due to a scheduling conflict it led to the part being recast last minute. Actress Elizabeth Leiner has since been hired to play the recurring role of Tara and will first appear on Monday, March 1.
On Friday, February 5, Theo returned to Genoa City with a bombshell of a secret that could ruin Kyle’s life. He told Sally of all people, who in turn accompanied Theo to visit Kyle and let him know she was aware that he’d had an affair with a married woman named Tara Locke, while in the Hamptons, and that they had a child together.
Kyle was stunned — and worried as hell — and ended up going to Summer with the confession before Sally and Theo could use it against him. For once, it was the smart thing for Kyle to do!
There’s no telling what will happen when Tara turns up on the scene, or what will become of Kyle should her husband, a ruthless business mogul named Ashland Locke, appear as well. One thing is for sure, this will definitely put a damper on Kyle and Summer’s ongoing quest for a bright future.
Take a look through our photo gallery featuring Kyle and Summer’s romance over the years.
– Amy Mistretta
Tuesday, February 16th, 2021
In a twist nobody saw coming, The Young and the Restless‘ Donny Boaz (Chance) announced via Instagram that he is no longer with the soap. Even more shocking, his January 31 Instagram post revealed that his final airdate would be on Monday, February 1!
“I’d love to say that this was my choice, that I’ve booked the next big project and [am] leaving of my own accord… but that wouldn’t be the truth,” he lamented.
“Here’s what I know. I was told that Chance is not being replaced or killed off, he just disappeared,” the actor said. This is especially surprising given that Chance and new wife Abby have been front and center thanks to the storyline in which they’ve asked Mariah to help make their baby dreams come true by serving as their surrogate.
“I am not angry or bitter,” Boaz continued. “I am sad. I invested a year of my life into a storyline and didn’t get to see it through. Overall, I am grateful and thankful for this amazing opportunity.”
View this post on Instagram
Putting things in perspective, he pointed out that “a lot of people lost their jobs in 2020. I feel blessed to have had a job during the craziest time of our lives. I know that I’m walking away from this better at my craft than before I started.”
More: Elena chooses between Nate and Devon!
Despite the seemingly unusual circumstances, Boaz thanked the show for “this amazing opportunity” as well as the fans before giving a special shout-out to his TV wife, Melissa Ordway (Abby).
“I know I said I wanted us to be the greatest daytime-TV couple ever,” he said. “I aimed high. I’m sorry we didn’t get to see it through. Working with you has been my absolute pleasure, and I can easily say that you are one of the greatest actresses I’ve ever had the privilege to work with. You deserve an Emmy this year.”
After declaring, “That’s a wrap,” the actor finished his post with “I am now a free agent. Time to get to work.”
As we let this unexpected news sink in — your fellow fans are already reacting in a big way (read their comments here) — why not take a moment to reflect on some of the other actors who’ve left The Young and the Restless in recent months.
Sunday, January 31st, 2021
We last saw fan favorite Tricia Cast return to The Young and the Restless in December 2020 following Chance and Abby’s wedding. Prior to that, Chance had been shot and had taken a bullet meant for Adam. Before Nina left Genoa City, she gave Chance and his new bride a very special Christmas present — an angel that Katherine had given to Nina and Chance when he was a little boy. In return, the newlyweds gave Nina a framed wedding photo of the three of them before she was on her way out of town again.
Good news, fans… the actress is heading back to Genoa City for another brief appearance beginning on Thursday, February 4, as first reported by Soap Opera Digest.
As we all have watched, this is an exciting — as well as stressful — time right now for Chance and Abby. It’s no secret that they haven’t had any luck trying to conceive a child, and given Abby’s past miscarriage, they’ve decided to use a surrogate. Both approached Mariah hoping that she would be their special angel in their quest to have a child and knowing how much Mariah cares for them, we wouldn’t be surprised if she agrees to it. Even though this would be amazing news for Chance and Abby, this could very well spell disaster for Mariah and Tessa, given the stress a pregnancy might add to their relationship.
More: Our Editors debate, should Mariah carry Abby’s baby?
As we await Nina’s latest visit and witness the baby storyline unfold, take a look back at Chance and Abby’s wedding album, which was taken during the time when Melissa Ordway’s real-life husband Justin Gaston temporarily filled in for Donny Boaz as Chance.
– Amy Mistretta
Friday, January 29th, 2021
Theo Vanderway will be taking some time out from his travels to make an appearance in Genoa City, which means actor Tyler Johnson will be reviving his role after leaving Young & Restless not so long ago. Johnson exited in December 2020 when Theo left town to run a fashion business in Paris that once belonged to his grandmother, the late Dina Mergeron. Theo was given the business by the Abbotts after a failed attempt to sue them and take Dina’s entire fortune.
The exit story left fans of Theo and Johnson bewildered and dismayed at the lost potential, particularly given that Theo was revealed to be a descendant of one of the original Young & Restless families, the Brooks. (It turned out that Theo’s dad, Eric Vanderway, was the result of an affair Dina’d had with Stuart Brooks decades earlier.) For that reason, many will be pleased about his return, however brief, as it may be a sign that the character will continue to play a role in upcoming storylines, or even make a more permanent comeback in the future.
No details on exactly what Theo gets up to during the appearance, although it’s fair to assume he’ll stir up trouble for best-friend-turned-rival/cousin Kyle Abbott and his girlfriend, Summer Newman. Just before leaving Genoa City, Theo had reconnected with Sally Spectra, who’s made herself an enemy of Summer.
Sally could definitely use a defender in her corner given that Summer’s recent trip out to Los Angeles gave her all kinds of ammunition to use against the redhead. Might Theo help level the battlefield so that Sally doesn’t have to worry quite so much about the ramifications should it come to light that during her time in L.A (and on sister soap Bold & Beautiful) she faked a fatal illness in order to try and keep Wyatt Spencer by her side?
Watch for Johnson — and Theo — to turn up onscreen during the week of February 8. In the meantime, take a look at photos of other Young & Restless characters we miss and want to see return.
– Candace Young
Thursday, January 28th, 2021
It looks like Don Diamont is about to return to his old stomping grounds as his Bold & Beautiful alter ego Bill Spencer crosses over to The Young and the Restless, where he formerly played Brad Carlton. No one was more surprised by the news than Diamont,
“I had not ever considered that I would be part of a crossover, just because my character was so well-defined at Young & Restless,” he told Soap Opera Digest. “It wasn’t like I was on for three months.”
In fact, Diamont had two rather lengthy stints in Genoa City. He first appeared as gardner-turned-businessman Brad in 1985 and remained a central player until 1996. After taking a two-year break, both the actor and his alter ego returned in 1998, sticking around this time until 2009.
More: Is B&B saying it’s OK to dislike Zoe?
Brad would ultimately meet a heroic but tragic end, diving into a frozen lake to save young Noah Newman, who had fallen through the ice. Although Noah survived, Brad wound up sinking beneath the frigid waters and freezing to death. A few months later, Diamont would make one final appearance when Brad’s daughter Colleen Carlton, attempting to escape the clutches of madwoman Patty Williams, drowned in the same lake which had claimed her father’s life.
No sooner had Diamont been fired by Young & Restless than Bold & Beautiful‘s executive producer and headwriter, Bradley Bell, created a dynamic new character specifically for the actor. “I had a lot of emotion tied to Young & Restless,” Diamont told Soaps in Depth at the time. “My entire adult life had been there, including so many relationships.
“Little did I know,” he added, “that such a great character and work situation was literally around the corner.”
More: The next Bold & Beautiful character who should cross over
To the credit of both Diamont and Bell, the character of Bill quickly established himself as distinctly different from Brad… so much so that it will be interesting to see how the residents of Genoa City react to the doppelgänger’s arrival. Despite Brad having died more than a decade ago, many of the characters with whom he interacted remain, including ex-wives Traci Abbott and Victoria Newman, former brother-in-law/foe Jack Abbott and ex-lover Lauren Fenmore, among others.
More: Why Katie absolutely can’t take Bill back
When Young & Restless’ Summer Newman recently met with Bill, he mentioned having paid several visits to Genoa City and his passing familiarity with her parents, Nick Newman and his ex-wife/current girlfriend, Phyllis Summers. Of course, fans know that at one point, Phyllis even tried convincing Brad — who’d once been involved with Sharon Newman — that he should try and seduce the blonde back into his bed in order to keep him away from Nick!
Look for Diamont’s crossover episodes to air the week of February 15, barring preemptions. Meanwhile, join us in reflecting on the actor’s time in Genoa City as well as highlights from his years as Bill via this photo-filled gallery.
Tuesday, January 26th, 2021
The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless crossover begin this week on CBS daytime and we’ve got all the who, what, where, and when information for viewers as Summer’s plan to find out more about Sally Spectra’s history plays out. Keep reading to find out which actors and characters will feature on which day… and on which soap opera. Please note episode dates are subject to change due to breaking news coverage.
It all kicks off on Tuesday, January 12 on The Young and the Restless. As fans know, Summer Newman (Hunter King) and Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) are on the Jabot jet headed to Los Angeles, and the first person they make contact with upon arrival will be none other than Sally’s ex-fiance, the man she led to believe she had a terminal disease, Wyatt Spencer (Darin Brooks).
The crossover continues on Young and Restless on Friday, January 15, and will again involve Summer, Kyle, and Wyatt, who will presumably meet in person. Will Sally’s name come up? That remains to be seen, but things will definitely get much more interesting when Bill Spencer Jr. (Don Diamont) enters the picture. That takes place on Bold & Beautiful on Monday, January 18, when Wyatt makes the introductions in the Spencer Publication office. Wyatt’s girlfriend Flo Fulton (Katrina Bowden), who was held captive by Sally when her plan went awry, will join the crossover event in that episode as well.
The digging continues on Bold & Beautiful on Tuesday, January 19 with Summer and Flo breaking off from the group meeting. Will Flo have some choice words to say about her former nemesis, Sally, or will she let bygones be bygones? Tune in to find out!
On Thursday, January 21, Flo makes a trip to The Young and the Restless. Whether she joins Kyle and Summer on the Jabot jet for the return trip or takes the Spencer jet is, well, up in the air, but we do know she will join her new friends in Genoa City and even though Sally’s aware that Summer’s snooping. This doesn’t bode well for the ambitious redhead!
See a gallery of daytime characters who have crossed over to other shows.
– Candace Young
Monday, January 11th, 2021
Actress Evelina Martinez has been cast in the role of Chelsea’s nurse on The Young and the Restless. The news was shared on social media by none other than Melissa Claire Egan, who revealed Martinez is a close friend of hers and shared a photo of the pair on set together. She captioned it, “How lucky am I that my dear friend Evelina Martinez was cast as my nurse! She’s fantastic!”
Martinez, who is playing Nurse Meredith, a caregiver on site at Adam and Chelsea’s penthouse, also shared the happy casting update on her Instagram and enthused, “Chelsea is well taken care of!!! Nurse Meredith is on her side.” She was first seen on January 6 and 7, and will appear again on January 11. The actress previously appeared as a medical technician on The Bold and the Beautiful in 2015.
This casting news seems to be something of a trend as Melissa Claire Egan’s husband has twice been cast in roles on The Young and the Restless when there was a need for a character to be close to her alter-ego, Chelsea. Matt Katrosar first appeared on Young & Restless as Chelsea’s kidnapper in November, when she was taken from the Chancellor Estate, and held in a small room as Adam endeavored to keep her from spoiling his plans to blow up Newman Towers.
More recently, Katrosar returned to Young & Restless as a paramedic in the scenes where Chelsea was rushed to the hospital after her aneurysm burst and she collapsed in the penthouse.
Between her husband and her friends, it seems those close to Melissa Claire Egan are ensuring that Chelsea’s well taken care of, and that fans can enjoy some realistic closeness in the scenes amid social distancing. If you missed it previously, take a look back on Chelsea Lawson Newman‘s history in Genoa City through our photo gallery.
– Candace Young
Monday, January 11th, 2021
Actress Dana Sparks has landed a new role on The Young and the Restless as Dr. Lena Cavett, a specialist who deals with stroke patients. Presumably that will see her working at Genoa City Memorial hospital alongside the likes of Dr. Elena Dawson and Dr. Nate Hastings.
Dr. Cavett will be brought to town by Adam, as he seeks help for Chelsea, who recently wound up paralyzed on her right side and unable to speak following a stroke that took place after the aneurysm in her brain burst just hours before she was scheduled to undergo surgery. Sparks described her character to Soap Opera Digest as “Direct but kind,” and added, “I play her as doing the best she can to help the situation, whether it’s being honest or encouraging. She’s very grounded and in a very understanding, compassionate way.”
As Elena explained to Adam, Chelsea will have to learn to speak again and to regain mobility on her right side, so after reaching out to Victor for help enabling him to bring in the best specialists, Dr. Cavett will become a part of that rehabilitation team.
Dana Sparks will be well known to soap opera viewers who were fans of Passions, where she played Grace Bennett, wife of Sam Bennett, as well as her twin sister, Faith, who later died in a fire. Sparks appeared on the now-defunct campy soap from 1999 – 2007, and also did a stint on primetime sudser, Melrose Place, in 1995, where she played Carol Graham.
Watch for Sparks’ first scenes on Young & Restless to air on Thursday, January 7. In the meantime, check out our photos of Adam through the years.
– Candace Young
Tuesday, January 5th, 2021
As many viewers have hoped, Judith Chapman will once again return to The Young and the Restless as the inimitable Gloria Fisher. She took to her Facebook page to tease, “It’s a New Year, time for a new attitude. Glo and I are Hollywood bound. Time to kick a** in 2021. Just do it!!” Fans can expect the actress to first appear beginning on Friday, January 22.
It's a New Year
Time for a New Attitude
GLO & I are HOLLYWOOD Bound
Time to Kick A..
In 2021
Just Do It!!Posted by Judith Chapman on Sunday, January 3, 2021
In a separate post, Chapman revealed she was scheduled to undergo testing on Monday, January 4, in preparation to film at Young & Restless that same week. Given that Gloria’s son, Kevin, recently unearthed the flashdrive she hid at the Chancellor Estate during her last visit to see her new grandson, Miles, fans have been speculating that she might turn up in Genoa City again.
Chapman’s last return took place in October 2020, and Gloria purportedly returned to Hollywood, though her sons were skeptical about her story. It took until December for more of the story related to the flashdrive to come out, which appears to place perpetual schemer Gloria in the middle of a mystery involving money being siphoned from Newman Enterprises and stashed in an offshore account.
Not only are Kevin and Chloe on the case, but Phyllis, having overheard Kevin’s urgent voicemail to Michael on the matter, sensed a way to get back at Newman’s CEO, Victoria, and began fishing for information as well. Bottom line: it’s all about to go down and no doubt Gloria’s boys will be looking to her for answers on what kind of hot water she’s got herself into this time. We can’t wait!
Check out photos of Gloria’s history on Young & Restless in our gallery.
– Candace Young
Tuesday, January 5th, 2021
