Sydney Mikayla is featured in the latest edition of Eclair Magazine. The former General Hospital star, where she played the first Trina Robinson became very popular during her run from 2019-2022.  In the spring of 2022, Mikayla decided to step away from the soap to focus on her education and attend UCLA full time.

The actress was replaced by Tabyana Ali, who has continued the life and times of Trina Robinson on-screen since March of 2022. Now in this new interview, Sydney reflects on her time on the ABC soap.

“Playing Trina Robinson on General Hospital has been incredibly gratifying and deeply meaningful to me. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the role actually began as a day player/co-star situation, so just being invited into that space felt like a huge opportunity. I was especially excited to be working alongside such talented actors like Eden McCoy (Josslyn) and William Lipton (ex-Cameron Webber)—people who were already doing such strong, Emmy-recognized work. Being on set with them pushed me and inspired me every single day.”

Photo: JPI

EMMY NOMINATONS AND GRATITUDE

It was back in 2021 and 2022, that Mikayla also landed Emmy nominations in the now defunct Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series.”To then be brought on as a contract player for two years, and to receive two Daytime Emmy nominations, was honestly surreal. It wasn’t something I expected, so I approached it all with a lot of gratitude and a sense of awe.”

However, Mikayla who had her own way of playing Trina, shared what was so important to her to represent to the audience. “On a personal level, Trina means a great deal to me. I see her as a reflection of Black excellence—she’s driven, intelligent, and constantly rising to the occasion. Whether she’s navigating complex family dynamics or stepping into leadership roles like helping run an art gallery, she does it with strength and integrity. She’s also an incredibly loyal and compassionate friend, and that balance is something I really admire.”

TRINA IS DRIVEN AND INTELLIGENT

Summing it all up, Mikayla added, “As an actress, playing Trina reinforced the importance of grounding a character in truth. No matter how heightened the circumstances, what resonates with people is honesty and humanity. Trina taught me to lean into that—to keep characters layered, relatable, and real.”

Now the world is Mikayla’s oyster as she enters a new phase of her life and acting career, she shared, “I am really excited about stepping into more physical comedy—I think that would be so much fun and a great way to bring together my background in movement and performance. I’d also love to explore stunt work and action-comedy, just pushing myself in new, more physical directions as an actress. On the storytelling side, I’m really drawn to creating and being part of projects that genuinely move people—especially in television.”

So, what did you think about Sydney’s comment on how she played the role of Trina Robinson on General Hospital? Let us know via the comment section below.

Last week. the stars of The Bold and the Beautiful were in Monte-Carlo at their 65th annual TV Festival. With a full plate of: meeting the fans, attending the parties, talking with the press, and then shooting some remote scenes to air late this summer on the CBS soap, the cast had their dance cards full.

Kimberlin Brown (Sheila) sat down with the The Upcoming to give some insight into the life and times of Sheila Carter; acting on a soap for more than three decades, and a tease of what’s to come in the next few months for her character.

Brown previewed: “My producer last night shared some tidbits with me and there’s some really good stuff coming up for Sheila. It’s going to involve a little drama, a little bit of romance, and a lot of comedy.”

Photo: JPI

As B&B viewers know, Sheila wants Deacon (Sean Kanan) and Taylor (Rebecca Budig) to guarantee that she can be part of her son, Finn (Tanner Novlan) and her grandchild’s life in return for signing the divorce papers. Ultimately, will Sheila ever truly sign them? Stay tuned.

The popular star, who has made playing bad so good also added, “I mean where else can I do things that you should be in prison for? There are people at home going, ‘go, go get ’em.’ It is like they’re rooting for me, because I’m doing what maybe they want to do and would never get away with. So it’s an escape. Daytime is truly an escape.”

Speaking of the fun of playing all the plots she has involved with on daytime from her early years on The Young and the Restless to The Bold and the Beautiful, Brown noted “I think that the real joy to playing Sheila is I do things that nobody else does. And I was told when I got this part, don’t play it safe. There is no wrong. And as an actress to get a note like it just means that I can do things that nobody else can and smile about it and, you know, get away with it. Do I pay consequences? Yes, I do, but she always comes back. I’m the character that people love to hate and I’m the character that people sympathize with because all she wants is love.”

You can check out the full conversation with Kimberlin Brown below.

So, what do you hope Sheila does next? Do you think she will keep Deacon and Taylor apart? Will she get involved with someone else? Share your predictions via the comment section below.

The Young and the Restless fan favorite, Christel Khalil (Lily Winters) is the special guest on this week’s edition of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart which dropped today on Tuesday, June 23rd.

During the interview with Rebecca and Greg, Khalil who had played Lily Winters on-screen since August of 2002, nearly 24 years with the CBS soap, shared how early on her teenage acting career, she was ready to call it quits in show business, after a heartbreaking audition for the lead of a new Disney Channel sitcom, which later turned out to be the hit seres, That’s So Raven, starring Raven-Symoné which ran for four seasons from 2003-2007.

Christel recalled what happened. “I was 14 and I had always auditioned for all these Disney projects. So I auditioned for That’s So Raven, it was between me and Raven-Symoné and it was called at the time Absolutely Psychic,” explained Khalil. “The character was this girl who had psychic ability, but then when Raven got the role, they named the title of the show after her.”

Photo: CBS

HOW A BROTHERLY TALK CHANGED THE COURSE OF CHRISTEL’S CAREER

Reliving the disappointment to Greg and Rebecca, Christel explained, “I lost that part and I was just so devastated, because for the network call there were 20 people in the room watching me, and I just have always had such performance anxiety. I just completely bombed the audition and it was terrible. So, I was just devastated. I was actually going to quit acting and then I got the final call for The Young and The Restless and I wasn’t going to go.”

It was Khalil’s brother, who actually got her to reconsider, and if he hadn’t, we would not have our Lily Winters in Genoa City! Christel recounted, “I was like, ‘You know what? I’m done. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m just going to hang out with my friends.’ I was just devastated. My brother, who is seven years older than me, and he had quit acting at the same age that I was at that time. He said to me, ‘I promise you, I actually really regret quitting. Just go on this audition and if you don’t get it, you can quit.'”

Christel’s screen-test for the role of Lily was actually with the late, great, Kristoff St. John who would play her father Neil (Later it was revealed to Lily, that Neil’s brother, Malcolm Winters was her bio-dad).

Photo: CBS

ACTING WAS EASY WITH THE LATE KRISTOFF ST. JOHN

“So, I went (to test for Lily) and I remember the screen-test was with Kristoff St. John. It was just so easy to act with him because he’s just so there. I remember just being on set, and that was my first time there for a screen-test where you were actually on set. I had never experienced that before. It was my first time being with an actor and  having makeup done, which just helps you really be able to do your best work.”

Recalling the screen-test with the St. John, Khalil, “It was where I had to be emotional ( in the scene) and I always had issues being emotional at auditions. But I was there with him, it just came, and it happened. It was natural and I felt so good and it was amazing. It stands out in my mind a lot.”

You can check out the full Soapy conversation with Christel Khalil where she also discusses juggling motherhood, marital life, and the demands of soap operas.

Fan can listen to weekly episodes of Soapy on Audacy or wherever podcasts are available, and can watch full video episodes weekly on the CBS =Brand YouTube Channel. Whether a lifelong fan or discovering the genre for the first time, SOAPY offers a fresh, fun behind-the-scenes look at the stories – and storytellers – that define daytime drama.

Now let us know, over the years what had been your favorite Lily Winters story on Y&R as played by Christel Khalil? What did you think of of Christell’s recollection where she was up for the lead of “That’s So Raven” as a teenager, before it was even titled that? Let us know via the comment section.