After five years, and a Daytime Emmy for her performance in the role of Phyllis Summer, Gina Tognoni completes her run on The Young and the Restless. Over the past few days, Tognoni has been sharing a countdown on her social media as she wraps her time in Genoa City.
As fans know, Tognoni is exiting as Michelle Stafford is set to reprise the role on the CBS Daytime drama series.
Yesterday, fans saw on social media several emotional and sweet moments from Tognoni’s wrap party which was thrown in her honor. Peter Bergman (Jack) made a speech on his departing co-star as did others.
Tognoni has been a dynamo on daytime from the moment she stepped foot on to the screens on One Life to Live, then to Guiding Light (where she took home two Emmys for her work as Dinah Marler), and then back to CBS and on to The Young and the Restless.
Share your well-wishes and congrats on a job well-done to Gina in the comment section below!
And always in daytime, we won’t say goodbye, we will say, “see you soon” as we know this lady will appear in another great role in the future, and any series daytime or primetime would be lucky to have her as part of their cast.
YR made a humongous mistake. It’s mind-boggling.
Just so wrong!
I definitely agree with you Denise.
A giant thank you to Gina for her outstanding work. I wish you the very best in the future.
Agree 100%. Absolutely love Gina as Phyllis, she has done an excellent job and really made it her own. She also has great chemistry with Josh (Nick). She will be missed. Would love to see her on another show soon.
Maybe some show will offer a job on a night time show.
Agreed.
Agree!
I agree with you Denise. In the beginning, she kind of annoyed me. Not her personally, I just hate recasts. Then when they paired her with Jason Thompson as Billy, I was really loving it, because I thought they had wonderful chemistry together. Even after their final breakup, I was still loving her. She plays bitchy beautifully. Now it’s going to be like getting use to a new recast all over again. I just hope the rumors about Jason Thompson aren’t true. I like the pairing of him and Amelia as well. My theory is, that the powers that be should read these comments and listen to the fans. Because without the fans watching, they wouldn’t have jobs. Thanks for listening and happy viewing!!
I guess it depends on which fans they are supposed to listen too. Many fans never liked her in the role or JT as Billy–so they are thrilled to have MS back and would be even happier to see Billy Miller back.
I fall somewhere in between, like you I don’t like recasts. I get at times they are required, — if GT wanted to leave and MS was available to take the role back that was different otherwise it is unnecessary. The same with Jason, if he wants to leave and they can get BM back that is one thing, but to fire him, to give the role back to BM is a bit cold if the rumors are true.
Recasts always disrupts the flow of the show, so they should only do it when it is unavoidable but these cases seem personal to something going on behind the scenes and not needed.
Very well said, Mary—-you target every essential point.
As you say, we all have our faves. Gina Tognoni ( gorgeous picture of her—her eyes are beautiful-luminous) is a seasoned, well-versed, well controlled actress—-she’s tops.
Nonetheless, she cannot compare to Stafford in my eyes.
Michelle created the role; she gave Phyllis the nuances and that “refined” bellicose behavior that made fans, such as myself, love her and dislike her at the same time.
The problem for me was that Gina changed Phyllis’ personality—-while that transformation was accepted and worked for some; the steadfast followers of Stafford remained faithful with, sort of, a bitter taste in our mouths, as it were.
I never accepted Tognoni as Phyllis–yet, I cannot blame those fans who praise her role as Phyllis. This is what makes us individuals, with independent thought.
As far as Miller? Yes, I would love to have him back as Billy A. No other counterpart to Victoria made that chemistry believable—- a well-oiled machine.
Furthermore, he exposed all sides of Billy Abbott which made him who he is—the good and the bad. Heathcliff; the tortured, anti- hero….unsung. Thompson , simply, does not have IT!!
Victoria is not a sexy-kind of carnal character; however, BM educed that innate, latent element which makes her come alive. I didn’t even see that with JT ( Luckinbill) –isn’t that weird? LOL.
Billy M played her strings like a fine-tuned Stradivari. I have yet to see Victoria’s dormant sexiness break through with Thompson. It’s there, but it takes chemistry, that certain je ne sais quoi, to make it work.
Good luck to Gina. As I said, she’s one of the best. Inasmuch as I am so happy to see MS back as Phyllis, I do hope that behind-the-scenes-politics had nothing to do with this “change”.
I agree about the chemistry that Gina and Jason had, but it’s jarring to think of Phyllis and Billy together if they were still being played by Michelle Stafford and Billy Miller. The actors were great, but Gina never embodied Phyllis the way Michelle Stafford created her, and the same goes for Jason Thompson.
Phyllis can have any man on that show and make it work. She is brilliant! Amazing and just what any show needs.
I wish she could come to DOOL.
She’d make a great Teresa… just saying
Hey, Phil,
Gina is too old to play Teresa, who is supposed to be in her early thirties…..much, much younger than her sister Eve.
However, it’s a soap and the impossible becomes a reality.
I had never thought of Gina as Teresa but you are right. Gina would be perfect.
Gina did a wonderful job making this role her own.
I’m disappointed she was “kicked to the curb”.
I’m certain she’ll find something worthy of her acting chops soon enough.
I’d love to see her in a role on The Good Fight It’s one of my fave shows.
I could swear that is her on the commercial 4 The Good Fight..
She’s a class act and will be missed. I hope one of the other shows grabs her quickly.
Gina is a great actress, but she was always too young to play Phyllis, especially because of the age of the character of Daniel, even though he is not currently on the show. Having said that, it’s difficult to imagine how Y&R is going to basically press the rewind button to change Phyllis back to the way she was five years ago when Michelle last played her. Time will tell if the show successfully erases five years of the character’s history.
Absolutely—the irony is, fanmale, Phyllis was chaperone in a few events which Billy Abbott ( who is about the same age as Daniel, her son) attended…..along with the rest of the gang at the time David Tom played Billy.
Therefore, her affair with him never made any sense to me. I completely felt strangely removed from both Gina and Jason as a couple…..never hit the spot!!
She will be so missed. She did a phenomenal job as Phyllis. I wish her nothing but the best in future endeavors. Cannot wait to see her in the future she is a class act.
Karen,
I agree with you. She’s so good, that all I have wanted to do lately, is slap the hell out of her, and I love her, and will miss her, especially with Ms.Stafford returning along with M.S Egen and Elizabeth Hendrickson.
This is total carp what they did to her
Totally agree and I was a Michelle Stafford fan. I think they made a big mistake.
Just Castor as Avery phyllis’s sister for Christ sakes
I somewhat agree. In hindsight, this was a really missed opportunity. Tognoni would have been excellent as Avery.
What a great idea, Randy….never thought of it. But, yeah….that would work!!
Gina, I have so enjoyed every scene you have been in on Y&R! I will miss you greatly as Phyllis!!! You are such a superb actress and I know you will have a continuously fabulous career!! I hope to see you soon on another great project!! I know everyone, especially me, were so surprised and saddened by you leaving the show!!!! Have a wonderful life beautiful lady!!!!
Sending happiness and hugs. Looking forward to cheering you on, wherever the road takes you.
She became Phyllis and made the show better. This will go down as one of the dumbest moves in daytime TV history.
Y n r should ve been classy and rested the Phyliss character for a minute. Then return her with Michelle Stafford. To fire one amazing talented actress to replace her with the original who quit under suspicious circumstances is simply insensitive and careless. Instead of spending $$$ to accomadate Michelle and bring back Chelsea, I would ve prefered that $$ go to keeping Mia and Arturo around atleast to wrap up the story properly insteading of rushing it aswell to bring back Mishael Morgan who was done dirty by killing off her character. I hate when upperbrass treat popular actors who leave in a huff only to go on competing soaps only to roll out the red carpet for their return. First Mishael, then Gina, then Noemi…if they let Jason go as Billy to bring back Billy Miller its been nice knowing you Genoa city!
I don’t know why she have to leave for. They could find her another part to play on the show.
I’m gonna get creamed for this but………………….
Tognoni was very good as a fill-in for the original Phyllis. I wish her well. However, I’m very glad that Stafford is coming “home.” If it hadn’t been for Stafford, Phyllis would have never been the great character she became on the show. Something really was missing in Phyllis without Stafford around. Tognoni did a very admirable job in the role. I commend her for it. However, she definitely could never replace Stafford in the part.
Tognoni really needs to focus on finding work on a nighttime show, playing a character that she originates. She is talented and seems to be very professional. However, taking over a prime part on a soap that was successfully played by a single actress for many years is an impossible task.
I’ve got nothing against Tognoni. I feel the same way about Jess Walton and Peter Bergman. Both of them are great and I’ve appreciated their devotion to the show. However, if we were in a position where the originators of Jack (the deceased Terry Lester) and Jill (Brenda Dickson) currently were serious candidates to take their roles back, I would readily welcome them. Jack and (especially) Jill really lost some of them edge/appeal when the characters were recast.
Gina’s acting ability is far superior to that of Michelle’s. Gina made Phyllis someone to actually admire. As for Brenda Dickson returning as Jill, you cannot possibly be serious. My mother showed me an old episode of Y&R with Brenda Dickson. How she got a copy I don’t know. But watching that episode all I could think of was to thank God that Brenda Dickson is no longer Jill. Watching Brenda Dickson was as exciting as watching paint dry.
Brenda had a real screen presence that I thought made her hold her own fairly well in scenes with powerhouses like Jeanne Cooper and Julianna McCarthy, but I found her quite limited as an actress; she did “bitch goddess” really convincingly (which, I’ve been told, is because it wasn’t much of a stretch for her) and not much else, and consequently, she was OK in small doses but it was very easy to get tired of her, and her amusement value wore off easily. Jess Walton is a far better actress and on the whole I have found her far more interesting to watch in the role; since she’s got a range that’s so much wider than Miss Dickson’s, Jill and Katherine became much better matched as sparring partners, I thought, and the show could do a whole lot more with their relationship (which is not to say that all of the storyline choices for the two were wise: Katherine as Jill’s mother? Puleeze). I sort of agree with Barbara from Atlanta about Terry Lester; I admire Peter Bergman as an actor but I’ve always thought he was a strange choice for the role, and though he’s won me over, his Jack is a very different Jack; for that reason, although I found his version of Jack more engaging, I doubt Mr. Lester, if he were still with us, could come back and play Jack.
I think Michelle Stafford is a terrific actress, and I enjoyed her for a while on GH (which I stopped watching when it went back to being the Sonny and Carly Show a few years ago), but I think Gina Tognoni has made the role hers, and I’m not as sure as the Y&R PTB seem to be that Stafford can step back into the role so easily just because she originated it. (I have grave misgivings about the way the whole switcheroo came about, too, but that’s a separate matter.)
That said, Ms. Tognoni is fantastically talented and has proven that time and time again through the years on different shows; she’ll land somewhere else, and perhaps that somewhere else will be more appreciative of her talents.
If I were Y&R, I would be wary of getting a reputation for treating top talent in such crappy ways. This is a particularly egregious case, but if you go back over the last five to ten years, there have been any number of very talented people who have basically been shafted by this show (Maura West, Genie Francis, Stephen Nichols, Debbi Morgan, Eden Riegel, and that’s just off the top of my head), and that kind of thing can come back to bite you if people sense you don’t care about your employees.
This goes WAY BACK, but wasnt Deborah Adair the first Jill, I loved her potrayal of Jill. Manipulative, kinda like an early day Phyliss!
She was actually the third Jill, Marlene. Brenda Dickson originated the role in 1973 when the show premiered; when she left (in the late 70s or early 80s), she was replaced briefly by an actress named Bond Gideon, and then Deborah Adair stepped into the role for a few years, until she left for a nighttime TV career. When Adair left, Dickson came back for a while, and then when she and Bill Bell clashed (as I understand it), she was replaced with Jess Walton.
She would make a great Teresa recast on DAYS
Wishing Gina all the very best! She certainly made “Phyllis” her own and what a great job she did. I also hated recasts but she certainly changed my mind big time. Gina you are fabulous and can’t wait to see you in your next role.
I’m finished with YR precisely because of this horrible, disrespectful move. Gina Tognoni has been successful on three different shows with three different characters on two different networks. She’s won three Emmys and the respect of the writers, producers, and cast members with whom she worked. To treat an actress of this caliber so callously is inexcusable. I will follow Gina wherever she goes. Any show and cast would be lucky to have her and they’ll inherit her fans as well.
MS said she was done with the role ! The story is they did a survey and supposedly viewers disliked Gina thought she was too young who knows I gave up a long time ago understanding daytime I taped KSJ memorial but have no desire to be a regular viewer again just been thru too many HW over there.
It has got too be so awkward have a cake after you fire somebody !! Would you not want to sneak out the back door?
The folks at CBS are stupid besides those running Y&R – how could you let go this awesome actress go, she’s the best of the best in daytime for our generation. I am sad of her departure, I tuned in to see her daily, her acting is totally awesome! CBS wake up! how dare you do this to her.
Another CBS mistake! I wish we could bring back Guiding Light and cast Gina as one of the leads. Otherwise, Gina could go to GH and make that show an acting powerhouse.
You don’t do this to an actress of her caliber. Just wrong!
I am certain – that her 5 year run – cached
she in no way took over , her recast assignment
I could never get past her stymied cold demeanor… ???? Phyllis never once smiled, laughed, shrieked, had laugh out loud un momento ?
I don’t know that Michelle Stafford WILL RING ‘it” IN with Jason Thompson… AND will the past SURGE as RED ring UP any thing AGAIN with just Jack. JUST, what ?
Phyllis “maturity” DID RING over and over again… @GH w/Jason Patrick Stuart
true to art : Michelle Stafford has all the trappings of ; Phyllis … just dig in that closet; TRIM
here’s hoping the writing is better than @GH
WHICH : I’M certain is !!!!!
so run with it
I SAY : for FUN … eye Paul Williams
I have mixed feelings about this. While watching Y&R and characters like Victor, Jack, Nick, Victoria and other long-term characters come on screen, I always identify them by their character name. I’d never think “oh Eric Braeden is on,” or “oh there’s Peter Bergman.” It’s always by character, because that’s how I associate them, by putting their character name to their face. But ever since Phyllis was recast, I have always identified her as “oh, Gina Tognoni is on now,” not “hey, there’s Phyllis!” Same goes with Jason Thompson as Billy. It’s been difficult for me to accept these actors in their roles because of how I associate the character with previous actors who played them. In other words, Michelle Stafford will always be Phyllis to me, and Billy Miller will always be Billy, even though they’re both currently playing different characters on GH. While Gina and Jason are great actors, watching them interact on screen made me think of OLTL’s Kelly and GH’s Patrick being together.
That’s why I’m not too sad to see Gina go. Yes, she’s a great actress and has done well in the role, but she’s not THE Phyllis Summers. The role belongs to Michelle Stafford, and I think seeing her back in the role that made her famous again will be great. Just like it would be awesome to see Billy Miller back as Billy, while Jason Thompson can return to GH so they can bring Patrick, Robin, Emma and baby Noah back to Port Charles. The hospital could always another doctor now that Griffin (who, ironically, was Patrick’s replacement) is gone too.
I totally agree with this.
Good-
I need a change..
Phyllis has Not smiled nor laughed in 6 months or more it seems..
I tired of Phyllis’s snottiness months ago.
this Phyillis can make yah grind your teeth..
Watching her is like a never-ending Groundhog Day- same ol’ bitchen, a total daily rerun personality. ..
Hopefully, a new/different Phyillis will bring something different.
Gina is a fantastic actress she will be into something new quite soon.
00ohh dear lawdy she could land in GH ..
I wish they had kept her dyed her blond and recast her as Phyllis’ sister Avery!!!! Way to talented to just let go of.
Gina Tognoni. I wish you the best in your future endeavors. I also feel that the Y&R execs made a huge mistake. Gina, you will be missed!
I will miss you so, so much. Hope to see you soon on TV or in a movie.
Thanks for your performances. I’m sorry Y&R decided to treat you this way. Good luck!!!
I no longer care what Y&R does from now on. Firing Gina is the final straw.
She would fit well on Days, I think
you are awesome! Best of wishes to you as you conquer another show! Will miss you and your brilliant antics!
gonna miss you and your brilliant antics!
It’s one thing to replace an actor when you have too. It’s another thing when you just do it because you can. Once Stafford is back, I will fast forward through her scenes. Never liked her as an actor and especially not as Phyllis.
When is her last airdate?
i thought know one could replace the original phyllis i was totally wrong i grew to like GINA very very much she put her heart and soul into the character i am sad to see GINA leave i dont approve what y&r did they totally threw GINA under the bus i have been watching y&r since i was 9 YEARS OLD will continue to watch however i will always remember the injustice that GINA received on the y&r ALL THE BEST TO YOU GINA YOU DID A FANTASTIC JOB AS PHYLLIS JOSEPH M. OTT, A.S.,B.A.,M.A.,C.C.H.
When Michelle Stafford left Y&R, I didn’t think anyone could fill her shoes. Boy was I wrong!! Gina Tognoni did an OUTSTANDING job playing Phyllis. I’m so sorry to see her go. I loved her in the role. Best of luck to you Gina! Really going to miss you. Y&R’s loss will definitely be someone else’s gain.
Three of the four network soaps received nominations in the category of Daytime Drama for the upcoming 72nd annual Writers Guild Awards. Nominations in television categories were announced on Thursday.
The annual scribe-fest is based on voting by 15,000 WGA members, and awards will be handed out in coinciding ceremonies in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton and in New York at the Edison Ballroom on February 1st, 2020.
The eligibility are shows within the 2019 calendar year.
The nominated writing teams competing in the Daytime Drama category are as follows:
Days of Our Lives, Writers: Lorraine Broderick, Ron Carlivati, Joanna Cohen, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Dave Kreizman, Rebecca McCarty, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Betsy Snyder, Katie Schock; NBC Universal
General Hospital, Head Writers: Shelly Altman, Christopher Van Etten Associate Head Writers: Anna T. Cascio, Dan O’Connor Writers: Barbara Bloom, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Donny Sheldon, Scott Sickles; ABC
The Young and the Restless, Writers: Amanda L. Beall, Jeff Beldner, Sara Bibel, Matt Clifford, Annie Compton, Christopher Dunn, Sara Endsley, Janice Ferri Esser, Mellinda Hensley, Lynn Martin, Anne Schoettle, Natalie Minardi Slater, Teresa Zimmerman CBS
So, which soap do you think should receive the WGA Award for the best writing on a daytime drama series in 2019? Share your picks in the comment section below.
In shocking news to so many, This Is Us star Justin Hartley (Kevin Pearson) has filed for divorce after two years of marriage from former Days of our Lives’and Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause (Jordan Ridgeway).
According to court documents on Friday via TMZ, Justin is citing irreconcilable differences as the cause of the split.
The date of their separation is listed as July 8, 2019, which has perplexed those in the media when the pair have been seen together in recent months at Hollywood events and sharing posts of one another on their social media accounts.
Justin and Chrishell were last seen together in public last week on November 14th at a Hollywood Reporter-sponsored pre-Golden Globes party. Reps for both actors have you to share statements or make a comment.
Hartley and Stause tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at Malibu’s Calamigos Ranch back in October 28th, 201, which was four years to the day after they met.
As daytime fans know, Justin and Chrishell met when they were both part of the soap opera community. Justin was last on daytime as Adam Newman on The Young and the Restless. Hartley has one child, Isabella, from a previous marriage to another soap actress, Lindsay Korman, who he met when they both were on the defunct NBC soap Passions. Justin and Lindsay were married for 8 years.
We will update you as they warrant in this developing story. And on personal note: we wish nothing but the best for both Justin and Chrishell.
Share your thoughts on the news of Justin’s divorce filing via the comment section below.
Fantastic news General Hospital fans! Daytime Emmy winner and longtime fan favorite, Jane Elliot is reprising her signature soap role as Tracy Quartermaine just in time for the holidays.
According to EW.com who broke the news, Eliot will make her appearances beginning in December, when Tracy comes home to Port Charles, and is embroiled in the ELQ family business.
Elliot’s last episode on GH aired May 4, 2017 when Jane made the decision to to exit.
Her character left Port Charles by telling her family she was ready to have her own life, away from the shadow of her father. A later episode revealed that Tracy settled in Amsterdam after meeting up with Luke (Tony Geary).
Jane began playing the role of Tracy back in 1978.
So excited to hear Tracy Q will be home for a visit and to stir up some trouble? Comment below.
Stephen Nichols On His DAYS Return As Stefano: “I Knew I Didn’t Want To Be A Cheap Imitation.”
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Wally Kurth & Chandler Massey Deliver Poignant Scenes As Justin Tells Will ‘Don’t Give Up On Life’
WATCH: Steve Burton & Bradford Anderson Take On Grammy-Nominated Hit ‘Old Town Road’ With A GH Twist
DAYS Head Writer Ron Carlivati Talks On: Ben Weston, Soap Amnesia, Doppelgängers, and the Time Jump
A Friz Holiday Miracle On GH?
Noted Soap Opera Producer Lisa de Cazotte Has Died; Daytime Community Mourns Her Passing
DYNASTY’s Rafael de La Fuente Reflects On Being Out and Proud After Conquering His Fears
Paging Dr. Griffin Munro! Matt Cohen Makes A Return Visit To GH
