Y & R's Surprising Cast Shake-ups This Summer
A Summary of Comings, Goings, and Other Casting News
Jul 7, 2009
From the untimely exit of veteran Don Diamont (Brad) to the controversial quitting of Chris Engen (Adam) to the startling return of Thom Bierdz (Phillip Chancellor III), the first half of 2009 has brought a number of changes to the talented cast of CBS’s top-soap The Young and The Restless. This summer will certainly be no different – and promises some memorable returns, a dramatic “exit” (or is it?), a few mysterious new characters, and the possibility of a surprise recast.
B&B’s Sean Kanan Reprises Role on Y&R
Sean Kanan debuts on July 10th as Deacon Sharpe, a role which originated on Y&R’s sister soap The Bold and The Beautiful. Kanan will be united with Adrienne Frantz, who also plays her B&B role Amber Moore on Y&R. Deacon and Amber had a flirtatious relationship while on B&B together.
Viewers of the show should not be surprised to see one of Amber’s exes joining the show. Last year, Kanan told Daytime Confidential, “I would absolutely love to do Y&R. I loved working with [Frantz]. She is an amazingly-talented person. It would be great to have Amber and Deacon mixing it up again.” Furthermore, Amber has been speculating for weeks that she fears someone from her past may be behind her Y&R boyfriend Daniel being framed for murder and for organizing an art scam. It is believed that Deacon will somehow be involved in this storyline.
Phillip IV Returns as an Adult, Iraq War Veteran
John Driscoll debuts on July 16th as Phillip “Chance” Chancellor IV, the son of Nina Webster and the recently-returned from the dead Phillip Chancellor III. At some point during his eight years off-screen, Chance served in Iraq.
Daytime Confidential reports that “[Driscoll] was so good during his audition that the casting director actually cried.” Reportedly, Driscoll will share early scenes with Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe Mitchell), Adrienne Frantz (Amber Moore), and Christel Khalil (Lily Winters). Odds are one of these women will be his love interest.
Melody Thomas Scott: Staying or Going?
One of the biggest talking points for the past month has been the status of 30-year Y&R veteran Melody Thomas Scott who portrays Nikki Newman. Scott was asked by show staff to either take a significant pay cut or be dropped to recurring status. She refused both options, and reports immediately surfaced that she was leaving the show.
Initially, Soap Central reported that Nikki would be written out, and that she would leave Genoa City to care for her sister Casey who is undergoing cancer treatments. Nikki had previously left town to visit her ill sister, so this seemed like a plausible story. Michael Logan of TV Guide, however, reported that writers created a dramatic exit for Nikki in case Scott and show executives could not come to an agreement in time. Although Logan reports that they have indeed come to an agreement and Melody Scott has renewed her Y&R contract, the agreement came so late that Nikki’s shocking exit had already been taped. It is expected to air in early August, as part of what Scott teases will be “a week not to be missed.”
A post on Twitter by Kevin Schmidt who plays Scott’s on-screen grandson Noah revealed that “someone very close to [him] has died. On the Soap that is…” This led fans to immediately speculate that Schmidt was referring to Nikki, who would be “killed off” (although in the soap world, being killed hardly ever means a person is really dead). Spoilers suggest that Nikki may be hit by a car and end up in a coma. Scott says that her exit is deliberately being kept ambiguous.
But one thing is for sure, even if Nikki is presumed dead at some point, she is definitely not dying yet. Scott told Michael Logan of TV Guide that although she doesn’t know the exact date of her return, she’ll only be off the air for “a short amount of time. Just a few weeks.”
Heather, Mackenzie, Victoria: Which Woman is Being Recast?
Rumors have been swirling on-line about a young female character being recast. On June 19, Nelson Branco of TV Guide Canada reported that the role description sounded like Mackenzie Browning (portrayed by Clementine Ford). Also last month, Soaps In Depth reported that Eva Marcille (Tyra Hamilton) and Vail Bloom (Heather Stevens) had been downgraded to recurring status. Others speculated that Bloom was the actress being recast. On July 5, Soap Central reported that although Y&R’s casting department has been using some of Bloom’s old scripts to audition new actresses, Bloom is not being replaced, and the intention is to disguise the role that is really being recast.
Clementine Ford (Mackenzie) is one of the few actresses on contract who fit Bloom’s description. The other possibility is that Victoria Newman (portrayed by Amelia Heinle) is being temporarily recast due to the actress’s pregnancy, which was announced on co-star Christian LeBlanc’s Twitter account. TV Guide Canada previously reported that Y&R was one of three soaps actively pursuing Guiding Light actress Gina Tognoni for a mystery role. This lends credence to the rumor of a young woman being recast, although whether it’s Heather, Mackenzie, Victoria, or someone totally unexpected is still up for debate.
Other Casting Spoilers
In May, Thunder Bay Television reported that Shemar Moore (Malcolm Winters) will be returning to Genoa City for a few episodes this summer. Specific details about his return are being kept secret; however, rumors suggest that Malcolm’s return will be due to a tragedy in the Winters family. His first airdate has not yet been announced.
Another newcomer to the soap is Wilson Bethel, 25, who has been cast in a mystery role. No other information is known at this time.
