The Young and the Restless’ Michelle Stafford Shares What Her Daughter Calls a ‘Cringey Post’: ‘I Don’t Give One Damn Bit What Anyone Thinks… Anymore’
Tuesday, December 8th, 2020
The Emmy winner embodied the saying, “Dance like no one’s watching”; her 10-year-old was unimpressed.
Among the new portraits that Michelle Stafford shared on Instagram on December 7 was a memorable shot in which she looks like she’s doing interpretive dance. It’s lovely. It’s fun. It all but demands that its caption be “freedom.” And it’s arguably most memorable because there’s no missing the joy radiating from the actress’ beautiful face.
Not everyone thought so, however. “My daughter says this is a cringey post,” shared the Emmy winner, who plays The Young and the Restless’ Phyllis. “That I’m cringey, and my form is bad.”
More: Young & Restless star’s sexy pic breaks Internet
Stafford tried to sway Natalia, 10. “‘But isn’t it Fosse?’” asked Mom. “She said no. ‘Maybe more like Elaine [from Seinfeld]?’ She didn’t understand the reference.”
As George put it… “Sweet fancy Moses!”
Credit: Columbia Tristar Television/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
Nonetheless, Stafford was going to make no apologies for her inspiring act of self-expression. “Well, what I lack in form I make up in personality,” she wrote, “and more importantly, I don’t give one damn bit what anyone thinks… anymore… about anything… about me.
“So seriously, dance like everyone is watching,” she continued. “Everyone! You have got nothin’ to lose.”
Hopefully, it wasn’t lost on the little girl how fantastically her mother was demonstrating how we should all seize happiness anytime, anywhere, any way that we can. “This,” Stafford concluded, “is for you, babygirl.”
Come to think of it, the soap vet is always setting a good example. Only recently, she and castmate Christian Jules LeBlanc (Michael), with the help of their Young & Restless family, pulled off what has to qualify as a Christmas miracle. (Find out what they did, and how, here.)
Of course, on screen, it’s long been a whole other story for the fan fave. In fact, Stafford recently joined Lauralee Bell (Christine) for a video one-on-one in which they reminisced about their characters’ epic clash over Michael Damian’s Danny Romalotti, aka the Rick Springfield of Genoa City.
More: Radical plan to save Young and Restless’ Theo
Though homewrecking Phyllis managed to get the pop star away from his wife, her portrayer didn’t see it as a victory for the conniver. On the contrary, in her mind, “Cricket was always the winner of the war,” she said. Nonetheless, it was a precious time in her life and career, one that even now can bring out the “projectile crier” in her. (You can watch the whole video below.)
Cricket and Phyllis are an iconic #YR duo! 🙌 Although their characters may not always get along, @LauraleeB4real and @TheRealStafford have an amazing friendship. ❤️ Check out their exclusive one-on-one interview in honor of our 12,000th episode celebration! pic.twitter.com/zBMCNBugqr
— Young and Restless (@YandR_CBS) December 7, 2020
More: Plot to return Michael and Lauren to the frontburner
While you’re here, check out the below photo gallery of some of soaps’ most striking leading ladies. We’d mention that Stafford is among them, but we have a hunch we don’t need to.
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Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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8/61
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Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
9/61
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10/61
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11/61
<p>“Red hair, sir, in my opinion, is dangerous,” said P.G. Wodehouse in <em>Very Good, Jeeves!</em> And we couldn’t agree more, not after worshipping for so many years at the altar of the Emmy winner who plays <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Lauren Fenmore.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
12/61
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13/61
<p>Upside-down, sideways… It doesn’t matter which way you gaze upon the soap-hopper — last seen as Claudette Beaulieu on <em>General Hospital</em> — she defines and redefines the word “stunning.”</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
14/61
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15/61
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Image: John Paschal/JPI
16/61
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17/61
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Image: John Paschal/JPI
18/61
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Image: John Paschal/JPI
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20/61
<p>The magical thing about this soap-hopper, who’s gone from <em>All My Children</em> to <em>The Young and the Restless</em> to <em>Days of Our Lives</em> (as Kristen DiMera), is that no matter what show she’s on, no matter what role she’s playing, we can’t take our eyes off of her.</p>
Image: Courtesy of the Everett Collection
21/61
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22/61
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23/61
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27/61
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28/61
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<p>No wonder<em> General Hospital</em>’s Nina Reeves was so eager to claim Sasha Gilmore as her daughter — who <em>wouldn’t</em> want to say that this beauty was at least partly the result of their DNA’s involvement?</p>
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<p>Her expression says, “What? Who? Me?” But of course, anyone blessed with a face as expressive and lovely as that of Amanda Sinclair on <em>The Young and the Restless</em> has to be at least a <em>little</em> bit used to jaws dropping in her presence.</p>
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39/61
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40/61
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41/61
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Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
42/61
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43/61
<p>If ever an image epitomized the beauty of this Emmy winner, this one is it. Neither <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Phyllis Summers nor her portrayer can be constrained or restrained; they’re forces of nature, and they’re comin’ your way, ready or not.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
44/61
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45/61
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46/61
<p>Despite her rep as a recast queen — she succeeded Wendy Moniz as Dinah Marler on<em> Guiding Light</em> and Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Summers on <em>The Young and the Restless</em> — this Emmy winner is a true original.</p>
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47/61
<p>Go ahead and laugh. It <em>is</em> hysterical that<em> The Bold and the Beautiful</em> picked <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ original Victoria Newman — a card-carrying fox — to play Katie, the so-called “ugly duckling” of the Logan family.</p>
Image: Stephen J. Cannell Prods./Courtesy of the Everett Collection
48/61
<p>When you look at a photo as peaceful as this one, it’s not hard to figure out how the Emmy winner wound up playing a <em>Santa Barbara</em> character named Eden — Eden Capwell, specifically.</p>
Image: ABC
49/61
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Image: Howard Wise/JPI (3)
50/61
