Young & Restless’ Mark Grossman Reveals Why Sharon Case ‘Probably Wanted to Strangle’ Him During Stressful Period

“It was a sink-or-swim kind of thing!” 

Mark Grossman admits that when he first joined The Young and the Restless, he didn’t quite know what he’d gotten himself into. But in the month between when he was hired to play Adam and his first day on the set, the reality began to sink in. “I was terrified,” he admits on the Soap Opera Digest podcast. “Absolutely terrified. Especially looking at all the people who’d played Adam previously and the great work they did, and realizing how important the character was to the show.”

The closer the day of his debut got, the more the self-doubt crept in. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,” he shares.

Thankfully, there were a whole lot of people on hand to help the nervous actor find his footing, including one co-star in particular. “I had some rapport with Sharon [Case],” he recalls of Sharon’s portrayer. “We went to lunch and I asked her every question. I just asked her thousands of questions. She probably wanted to strangle me, but she was great. She was so helpful, especially in the beginning.”

Above: “Come on,” said Adam. “You have to admit Spider’s a pretty cool name!”

Credit: Howard Wise/JPI

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Viewers will recall that when Grossman first stepped into Adam’s shoes, Victor’s son was suffering from amnesia and living in Las Vegas, calling himself “Spider.” At the concerned father’s request, Sharon headed to Sin City to try and convince her ex that he should come home. But Adam was reluctant to do so, especially after being caught up on some of his past behavior.

Grossman says that Case helped him “try to figure out Adam… and obviously, Shadam,” he adds, referring to the Sharon/Adam pairing which is as popular as it is controversial in some circles. “What she and [Michael] Muhney created was beautiful.”

Once Grossman began taping episodes, he was thrown into the proverbial deep end of the pool, with Adam quickly embroiled in several unfolding plots. It was, he reflects, “a sink or swim kind of thing. I just had so much material! I feel like I almost had a couple of nervous breakdowns just trying to retain that much dialogue.”

But as happens to most daytimers, “it got easier” over time. Having been playing Adam for over two years it’s safe to say that Grossman has made the part his own. One thing that has not gotten any less complicated, however, is Adam’s personal life. And while he’s as in the dark as viewers as to what’s ahead, he suspects that Chelsea’s upcoming return will only muddy the waters, especially since they share a son in Connor.

And then there’s Adam’s budding relationship with Courtney Hope’s Sally. “She’s a rockstar,” raves Grossman, who likes that the redhead has brought out Adam’s lighter side. “I haven’t really had a lot of chances to play that.”

Above: Adam figures the only way to find out if blondes really have more fun is by making out with not only fair-haired maidens but redheads and brunettes, too.

Credit: CBS screenshot

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So many women, only one Adam! What do you think, gentle readers… does the brooding hunk belong with Sharon, Chelsea or perhaps you have someone completely different in mind. Play matchmaker in the comments, and then peruse the gallery below in which we revisit Adam’s complicated romantic past to see if what came before might clue us in to what will happen next.