Young & Restless Exclusive: Richard Burgi On the Secret That Could Destroy Ashland and Victoria — ‘He Has a Savage Side’
“He may not have been entirely honest… ”
From the beginning, we suspected that a man like The Young and the Restless‘ Ashland Locke had more than a few secrets. Heck, given how often the word “ruthless” was used to describe the character even before he arrived on the scene, we’ve been expecting some pretty dark stuff to come to light.
“He definitely has a reputation, doesn’t he?” laughs portrayer Richard Burgi. “It almost makes me want to warn Victoria!”
Despite having only been married a few months, the honeymoon could soon be over for the power couple. In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest, headwriter Josh Griffith teased that things were about to get bumpy. “For Ashland Locke,” said the scribe, “the new year means new secrets when it’s revealed that he may not have been entirely honest with Victoria when he had the chance before the wedding.”
Above: Could a very black soul be lurking behind Ashland’s pearly-white smile?
Credit: CBS screenshot
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This development shouldn’t really surprise anyone given Ashland’s complex nature. “There is a duality to him,” says Burgi. “But it’s not necessarily something that is exclusive to this man or this character. It’s very human, really. Like all of us, he has a gentle, loving side. And like all of us, he has a savage side.”
With Victoria, Ashland has experienced something that’s practically a revelation to him. “She is willing to accept him, foibles, flaws and all,” muses Burgi. “The playing field between the is also much more even that the one he shared with Tara. Theirs was definitely not a marriage of equals.”
The dynamics could shift again should Ashland’s latest secret prove particularly unsavory. In fact, what happens next just might impact not only Victoria’s marriage but another relationship on the canvas. As Griffith told Digest, “Billy’s revenge plot takes an unexpected turn which could potentially backfire.”
Above: “It’s like your ex is always here, Billy, watching, waiting… oh, hi Victoria!”
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
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Already, Victoria not only knows that Billy was faking his latest fall from grace, but has signed on to his plot. And if there’s one thing we know, it’s that no matter how often or loudly Victoria and Billy declare that they are through with one another, they wind up slipping into their tried and true roles as moth and flame, respectively.
As for Lily, while she knows exactly who Billy is and what she signed on for, she’s also a different woman from the one who was betrayed by Cane repeatedly. Should she sense him once again being lured by Victoria’s siren call, she’d have no problem abandoning ship.
Could Ashland’s soon-to-be-revealed secret lead to a seismic romantic shift in Genoa City? And what might the billionaire be hiding that’s so big it could threaten his marriage? Share your theories in the comments section, then join us in gawking at how gorgeous everyone looked during Ashland and Victoria’s wedding.
