Time flies when you’re busy switching babies, raiding corporations, being held prisoner in a cage by your lover, boozing up a storm, and oh yeah, searching for Jewish reliquaries. The aforementioned hijinks are just a few of the storyline hits and misses from the past three and a half decades of daytime’s undisputed No. 1 soap opera, The Young and the Restless. Celebrating its 35th anniversary on March 26, it’s hard to fathom that the William Bell masterpiece was once daytime’s newest kid on the block. Seven Daytime Emmys as outstanding drama series and an unprecedented 1000 weeks at the top of the food chain as soap’s highest-rated soap opera later, Y&R shows no signs of slowing down.
In honour of the historic milestone, TVGuide.ca spoke with two-time Daytime Emmy winner, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) to dish about vulnerable vixens, cleavage and fashion, and for single-handedly infusing Joshua Morrow (Nick) with an influx of sex appeal!
TVGuide.ca: Happy 35th! You look fabulous… [laughs]
Michelle Stafford: [laughs] It’s so wild, man! I’m so happy! Can you believe it? It’s insane.
TVG: You debuted in 1994 — what’s been your favourite storyline thus far?
MS: The storyline with Dr. Tim when I was seducing the shrink. I loved the whole relationship between them because they were polar opposites. And then, the Phyllis-Nick affair, of course. Both Josh and I loved playing that. The way it was told was very real; it was fun to play a secret.
TVG: Do you have any inclinations to write for a soap opera?
MS: I don’t know. I’m not sure.
TVG: We picked Joshua as Sexiest “Dude” Alive 2008!
MS: [roars with laughter] That’s funny.
TVG: He credited you for…
MS: … his emerging sexuality? That’s funny. Well, he is a very sexy and beautiful man.
TVG: He calls you “The Stafford.”
MS: Yes, he does. A few people call me “The Stafford.”
TVG: Are you surprised at how popular Nick and Phyllis are as a couple?
MS: Are we popular? I have to be honest, I don’t read blogs or anything online because I think artists don’t benefit from hearing criticisms or even the accolades, for that matter. I try to stay away from it all. It’s not good for me.
TVG: Well, take it from me, you won’t be facing the unemployment line any time soon! Do you feel like the Nick affair brought out Phyllis’s vulnerable side?
MS: Yes. I know Joshua concurs with that assessment. However, I must point out that throughout the years, Phyllis has shown her vulnerability. She’s wounded, which is why she lashes out. That’s how I view her anyway.
TVG: I like that she’s the underdog, and always manages to pick herself up by her…
MS: Yeah, I like that, too. I think we’ve lost that a little. She’s no longer the underdog. She’s a winner now instead of losing everything she wants.
TVG: When Phyllis was on trial and ultimately sentenced to jail for blackmailing Brad for his affair with Sharon, those courtroom scenes were very painful to watch — especially considering most of Genoa City has gotten away with murder!
MS: Phyllis has gotten away with murder! [laughs] Yeah, everyone was pissing on Phyllis at that time. It was pretty hard to watch for me, as well. And it was hard to play. I said to Lynn, “Are you trying to make her sympathetic?” Remember that was also the same time Nick didn’t remember who Phyllis was! The audience felt bad for Phyllis. I didn’t even have to play the sympathy card because it was all there. I couldn’t be all ‘woe is me,’ because then it’d be like gilding the lily. Lynn [Marie Latham, Y&R’s former head writer] was like, “No, that’s not my intent.” For viewers who cared about Phyllis, I would have been infuriated that she went down for extortion!
TVG: Y&R/B&B crossovers are all the rage. Would you ever consider jumping over to Forrester Land and wreaking some havoc.
MS: If they pay me, yes! [laughs] You know, it is what it is.
TVG: You gotta show “The Stafford” the cash! It wasn’t too long ago you played the dual role of Phyllis and Sheila for one salary! What about Phyllis’s fashion sense? It’s been “evolving” over the past year, non?
MS: Her fashion sense is rather tame now. When Lynn came in she didn’t want the cleave, especially in the workplace. And I agreed with her. There was a lot of stuff she didn’t like, and I’m not trying to pin this on her, but she wanted a different look for the soap, so our wardrobe person pulled back on everyone. It was a bummer because fashion is a huge component in my character’s life. So when Phyllis wears jeans and T-shirts, I try to make it work.
TVG: Tim Gunn would be proud! For a while, I was worried that we’d lose you to prime time and film because you’re crazy talented. Thankfully, you came back to the suds in 2000 after leaving in 1997.
MS: I love working every day, exploring this character and, of course, working with my crew. Whenever a recurring actor comes on, they always remark, “Wow, this is a great place to work.” Sometimes you forget that when you’re on set every day. It would be funny if they aired our screen debuts during the 35th anniversary episode. I asked to see our blooper reel the other day.
TVG: What are your thoughts regarding the Emmy pre-nomination limit being raised to three candidates per category?
MS: It’s a lot of material for voters to view. And we’re doing this on the Internet now. That’s three pre-nominees to watch per show per category! Omigod, that means you can’t fast-forward any of it because it’s online! Oh, no. It’s like watching a TV series online — you can’t fast-forward. I hate that, don’t you? Aren’t I awful? [laughs]
TVG: Just horrible! [laughs] I feel your pain because I watch the Emmy reels, too. Do you miss Phyllis and Drucilla’s dynamic and relationship now that Victoria Rowell is no longer on the show?
MS: I totally miss her. We had so much fun acting together. The reason why Dru and Phyllis sparred was because they are very much alike, especially in their not-so-great qualities. And that caused a lot of explosions. A lot of what was going on between Victoria and I was not on that page, I’ll tell you that much! It was very, very funny to tape those scenes.
TVG: Are you moonlighting these days?
MS: I just finished a great little indie film called Three Days Gone, which is making the rounds in the festival circuit. It’s about a guy who lost three days of his life. He’s played by Chris Backus, who’s married to Mira Sorvino. I get to play a detective, which is a type of role I’m never cast as. It was fun and great at the same time because it was different.
TVG: And no cleavage exposing!
Nelson Branco is a Toronto freelance entertainment journalist, who regularly contributes to Hello! Canada, The National Post, The Los Angeles Times' theenvelope.com, TV Guide USA, tvguide.com, Inside Entertainment, OUT, and In Touch Weekly, along with covering soaps for TVGuide.ca. He got his professional start in 1997 as Senior News Editor at Soap Opera Update, and has freelanced for Soap Opera Weekly, where he interned in 1994, and Soaps In Depth.
