THE BILLY MILLER INTERVIEW – THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Published

18 years ago

November 24, 2008

Michael

MICHAEL:

Did you know that you were originally reading for the pivotal role of Billy Abbott on “Y&R” when you auditioned? How do you feel about this new guy you are inhabiting?

BILLY:

It was not quite clear what I was reading for. The jist of the role was definitely someone I know, and definitely a lot of fun. It’s obviously a little less devious than the character I played on “AMC”, Richie. But this guy definitely has got an edge, and he is a bit of a bad boy. It’s fun, but he is a bad boy you might want to take home, but he is not the kind that will slit your throat before you get there. (He laughs)

MICHAEL:

Billy did show some signs of humanity when his grandmother Katherine had died. He seemed genuinely upset.

BILLY:

It was more than that. It was his grandmother and the one person he can’t BS. Even though he had spent years away from his grandmother, you know he really doesn’t know who he is. He is stuck between two powerful families, and she was really a rock to him and a best friend to his father, and known what he is all about. So it was tough loss for Billy. It was awkward to be in that family home with the family he is about to double cross, and he is conflicted. Which side does he really belong on? With tragedies like ‘Katherine’s’ death, that wakes you up to where you are supposed to be.

MICHAEL:

How has it been working with your new on-screen mom, Jess Walton (Jill)?

BILLY:

She is great. I had researched who I would be working with before I came on the show. Jess is a lot of fun and very helpful. We joke a lot, and Jerry Douglas, who plays my father John, has different sides and different back-stories of who actually was a better parent…Jill or John. He would say in jest, “She did not know anything about you. She is a schemer. I raised you. I loved you,” and it’s a real broken marriage. I love it. It’s great.

MICHAEL:

Elizabeth Hendrickson plays Chloe, and you had both worked on “AMC”. Did you know each other at all from back east?

BILLY:

She had left New York before I got there, and we have become good friends. All my friends that are still there are friends of hers. She is great. Elizabeth is a wonderful actress and she can turn it on and off. She is a lot of fun to hang out with here. Daniel Goddard (Cane) had a quote and I will steal it: “It’s easier to be jerks to each other than acting like that in real life,” otherwise, you don’t know how far you are going to take it. It’s fun, and also, Christel Khalil as Lily, is gorgeous and fun to work with.

MICHAEL:

So, is Billy trying to woo Lily?

BILLY:

Billy not only came back for this Jabot deal, but he is one of those guys when he sees something he is a go-getter. He decides to go chasing and he does. His brother is the object of Billy’s spite. Billy’s last relationship was with his cousin Mackenzie did not work. So he had fun with Chloe, and she is a hot girl! Chloe was a little nutty and Billy is a little nutty, too. He is not a callous guy; he does not kick girls out of bed. He is like, “I am what I am and you are what you are. We pleasantly collided once in awhile with no strings.” But as you get older, those aren’t the rules you can live by.

MICHAEL:

Do you think Billy will soon have a revelation that Chloe is pregnant with his child?

BILLY:

Oh, he will have a revelation and I am not sure which way it will go. There are a lot of problems here. Billy is being pulled in a lot of different directions. He might always not make the best choices. He is in the dark about being the father. It could throw a wrench in all his plans. It certainly would throw a wrench in mine in real life. (He laughs)

MICHAEL:

Peter Bergman (Jack) and you certainly have some smug scenes together as the conniving Abbott men. How is working with Peter?

BILLY:

Peter was a big reason I got this job. I tested with him. He called me in New York to make sure I was being taken care of, because he moved from New York and “AMC” to LA. I also screen-tested with Elizabeth Hendrickson. Peter is like an older brother, and it’s interesting because Jack is more of a father figure to Billy than a brother. And since John is gone, and Jack is so much older, and the two of them are so much alike it’s difficult. Billy could be scummy where he could go down the road, but Jack can be really scummy. However, Jack would never do anything to intentionally hurt his family. Billy knows Jack is holding stuff over his head, and he has to help justify it for himself and carry on.

MICHAEL:

Did you know in advance from “AMC” that they were killing off your character, Richie; therefore, you could go after other roles?

BILLY:

Executive Producer Julie Carruthers at “AMC” explained to me in advance that they were killing off the character, but they wanted to keep him around for awhile and weren’t sure for how long. So I went on about auditioning, and put myself on tape when the “Y&R” role came about. I flew out to LA to test and I was still working on “AMC”. Then I found out I got it, and everyone at the set in New York was happy for the good news! So I went back to “AMC” to finish the role. I think I finished work five days before I had to start work out here. So, I had to move everything back to LA, and I got off the plane and came straight to the studio. I am getting used to these quick moves.

MICHAEL:

How was working with Melissa Claire Egan, who is now doing a fabulous job as your former whacked-out sister, Annie, on “AMC”?

BILLY:

Melissa was great, and that was my freshman year, you know what I mean. We would tease the hell out of each other, as would Alicia Minshew (Kendall), Rebecca Budig

(Greenlee), Thorsten Kaye (Zach), and Cameron Mathison (Ryan).

MICHAEL:

Do you have any favorite “Richie” moments?

BILLY:

There are days when you go to work, and I take everything personally, not only in my work but in everyday life. There are days I am very competitive and more competitive with myself than anybody else. And there are days when I beat myself because that is not what I wanted to do. And there are days when I feel slightly satisfied, and those are the good days. I am not at the caliber that I am trying to get to. I am very lucky to have a job, but it’s also like a scholarship to learn to hang out with Jess Walton, Jeanne Cooper (Kay) and Peter Bergman (Jack). You should bring your notes and put your study hat on to be a better actor. That’s what I did in New York, and that’s what I am doing here. There are some good moments when I am believable, and there are times when I am bad and it’s not worth watching.

MICHAEL:

Looking back on “AMC”, was Richie a tough role-playing that evil?

BILLY:

People who are bad don’t believe they are bad. There is a lot of vulnerability to Richie, too. Richie was messed up. He was locked up for seven years as a kid.

MICHAEL:

Richie also fell for Babe Chandler, originally played by Alexa Havins. How was working with Alexa?

BILLY:

She was great! As soon as I got on the scene, she and her husband Justin Bruening (Ex-Jamie) showed me around, and I screen-tested with her, too. I have yet to see them since I have been out here in LA. Justin is so busy working right now, and he is such a nice guy.

MICHAEL:

How would you compare working at “Y&R” to “AMC”? Are they completely different?

BILLY:

I think there is just an overall difference in energy in New York. LA is a more laid back town, and so much traffic, too. In New York, its go, go, go. I don’t know how that translates. Maybe because I was at “AMC” it was kind of rushed. I thrive on that. I like that. When they give me a call time that was suppose to be an hour earlier, that is the fun stuff. I hate sitting around. The storylines and the pace have more of a rhythm here at “Y&R”, and the storylines are simpler here, more family oriented. You don’t have an outlet here with a character like Richie, although, it was fun to play that. I look at it as; I wish I were less worried about how long I was going to be there. I loved playing Richie’s ghost, and then there was the writer’s strike and how that affected things. When it came to a definitive end, and you knew who the guy was, it takes about a year for all that to materialize. It became fun! Richie, the ghost, was more entertaining then Richie. He was scary, and downright evil, and did not try to hide it. Ritchie’s ghost was actually the alter ego of his sister’s character, Annie, because there was no ghost.

MICHAEL:

Now at “Y&R”, what would you love to see happen to Billy?

BILLY:

I don’t know yet. I am enjoying what they are doing. I would like to play more with Chloe, because the actress is great, and it’s a great character. She is good, and it’s an interesting character. I like this Billy with an edge.

MICHAEL:

How has it been to work with Jeanne Cooper (Katherine), who just celebrated her 80th birthday?

BILLY:

She is brilliant, man! Jeanne comes from an era where she had to be really theatrically trained. You see a lot of actors who cut corners in their training. She is so funny and she has earned the right to say whatever comes out of her mouth. Whenever there is a cracked joke, it breaks the ice. She is brilliant, and she knows what she is doing. Jeanne knows what she wants from somebody else. It’s good to have support, not that fluff, going, “That’s great kid.” Jeanne will say much more than that, which is so wonderful.

MICHAEL:

Would you venture off to do primetime, or is daytime a comfortable home for you right now?

BILLY:

The money is always better in primetime. Sometimes you want to build a career, because you never know when it’s going to end. But, there is something about daytime work that is immediate. You get to work everyday. You have a lot of dialog to say, and sometimes in a way other people wouldn’t say it. There is a rhythm and a challenge in soaps, and you don’t get that anywhere else. On primetime sets, you sit around for a few weeks and say a couple of pages. I like daytime because you work all the time. I am a workaholic, and I need to be doing something. If “Y&R” wants to work me everyday, I am here. I have nothing else I would be doing. I am learning everyday.

MICHAEL:

You are taking on the role as a recast of a once popular character on “Y&R”. At least now, enough time has past since David Tom made his mark in the role of Billy Abbott. Does this type of situation cause any hurdles for you as an actor?

BILLY:

This role is a big role. It’s not something to sneeze at! It’s tied into major families and major characters and it’s difficult. I am filling the shoes of several people, including David Tom, who was a fan favorite as Billy. At times, fans can be difficult, but you can understand why. They don’t want to let go of something they had back in the old days. I saw it with Sabine Singh as Greenlee on “AMC”, trying to replace Rebecca Budig. I have been lucky with the feedback. The fans have been nice, so we will see. They are entitled to their opinion. They have watched the show for thirty some years and over 9,000 episodes. So come on, they get to pick what they like, and it’s your job to try and deliver.

MICHAEL:

Did you study or watch the other Billy’s work?

BILLY:

I watched it on You Tube because I needed to research the role for the job. I saw David Tom, who did a great job and is a great actor. I just thought being cast off out of your home and being exiled, does put an edge to a person. I wanted Billy’s return to be a more formidable guy, not somebody who would be afraid of Cane.

MICHAEL:

What are your holiday plans?

BILLY:

I am going back to Texas for a bit to see my family. I am staying in LA for Christmas, and get reacquainted with the city, and finish unpacking. I have a dog, Jones, who I will spend time with. My dog is a mix of English American Bulldog and Bull Mastiff… my type of dog. I love big dogs, being from Texas.

MICHAEL:

What do your parents say about your soap opera success?

BILLY:

They are very happy, and it’s paying off, and it’s fun. I am very lucky, and persistence can pay off. My dad is a huge 260 lbs Texas guy. He has “Soap Opera Digest” in his briefcase for work and he goes, “Looky here! This is my son. He is on TV, kissing all those pretty girls!”

Related Topics:billy miller Interview The Young and the Restless

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3 Comments

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natalie

16 years ago

does billy have a girlfriend!!?? LOL

bmfan

16 years ago

I think he said before that he was dating somebody, but I could be wrong. He is so hot.

Julie

15 years ago

Oh man Billy you are HOT HOT HOT and SEXY SEXY SEXY

‘The Young and the Restless’ Eric Braeden Talks Daytime Emmy Nomination, State of Nikki and Victor’s Marriage, and His Co-Stars (Exclusive)

Published

4 days ago

July 30, 2026

Michael

Eric Braeden has been playing Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless for 46 years. The iconic star of the #1 rated daytime drama series has thus far won once for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series back in 1998 in a ceremony he did not attend. Fast-forward to 2026 and the 85-year-old Braeden is once again nominated in the category for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

Earlier this month, Eric, along with 4 other actors learned they were going for gold at the ceremonies on October 30. In a twist of fate, fellow co-star and also Lead Actor nominee, Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R) and Braeden submitted the same scenes which centered around Victor firing his longtime attorney and friend, Michael Baldwin.

In a new interview, now on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Braeden shares: his thoughts on the nomination, if he will attend daytime’s biggest night of the year, what he thinks will happen with the current cracks within the relationship of Y&R’s Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victor, his reaction to the heartbreaking scene where Nick (Joshua Morrow) admits to Victor that he has a drug addiction, and much more.

Photo: JPI

VICTOR NEWMAN AND MICHAEL BALDWIN EMMY SCENES

On his Lead Actor Emmy-nominated reel, Eric recalled, “The show submitted it for me and I said, ‘Yeah, go ahead.’ Had I known Christian was part of it, I would’ve said, ‘No!’ I’m kidding. It’s difficult to do a scene with Christian without beginning to laugh in the middle of it. Anyway, he’s wonderful to work with and he did a wonderful job, and I’m grateful for the nomination.”

Braeden also shared plans for attending this year’s Daytime Emmys with his granddaughter making it all the more special, “I will go this year. You know why? It’s an honor first of all, and secondly, my granddaughter, when she heard about it, she says, ‘Opa, can I go? I already know what dress I would buy.’ I mean, it was so sweet. But you bet. Now, I’ll really go to the Emmys!”

Photo: JPI

CAN NIKKI AND VICTOR’S MARRIAGE SURVIVE?

Over the past year, Nikki and Victor’s marriage has been on shaky ground, especially after Victor caught his nemesis, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) alone in a hotel room with his wife. Nikki went on a bender and Jack was her AA sponsor, but in order to help her, he almost OD’d himself. Victor believes the two hit the sheets.

Now in 2026, Victor was there after Nikki woke up after surgery to save her eyesight, and she has yet to see post-procedure. However, Braeden notes ‘not so fast’ on a reconciliation.

“I would say it will be a rocky road, because you don’t get over these things so quickly. You don’t,” teased Eric. “It’s jealousy and it’s a very, very deep emotion, and every time there’s something that reminds Victor of that incident, he will feel that emotion. It’s an emotion that is not taken seriously enough by people. Relationships are very difficult because of that sometimes.”

Photo: CBS

JOSHUA MORROW DOING THE FINEST WORK OF HIS CAREER

Back in March of this year, in one of the most unforgettable in this, or any soap season, Nick Newman accompanied by his brother Adam (Mark Grossman), came to see Victor where Nick admitted he now has a drug addiction to fentanyl and how he is so ashamed of himself. In the scene, Victor goes to comfort his son, calling him, “My boy” while broken-hearted.

Eric recalled the taping of the scene: “It touched me deeply and it was one of those moments that a father and son don’t want. They’re horrified by that. I think Joshua made an enormous leap in acting in that scene. He showed what he is capable of. It was a very, very touching scene. We had some scenes after that, again, about the same thing. Now, there’s a whole deeper connection between father and son. Any father would almost have a breakdown knowing that his son is on drugs or his daughter. It was a very well-written scene.”

Photo: JPI

ERIC BRAEDEN AND MICHELLE STAFFORD MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY

The Young and the Restless led the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Nominations with 18, more than any other series or programs. One of the nominations belongs to Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) who nabbed another Lead Actress nod.

Recently, Eric and Michelle have shared much screen-time since Phyllis took Victor’s company from him. During the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live!, Stafford she loved working opposite Eric in the storyline, to which Eric has now responded.

“It’s mutual because I love watching her work,” exclaimed the TV icon. “I just don’t know what she’s going to do in a scene and I love spontaneous moments. I don’t like it to be set and adhered to. I like it to be improvised as much as possible. Michelle is just so facile, so quick, so smart as an actress. She’s wonderful.”

Check out the full conversation with Eric below.

Now weigh-in: are you happy to see Eric receive a Lead Actor nomination? Do you think Nikki and Victor will continue to have issues in their marriage? Did you like the scenes with Michelle Stafford and Eric, and of course the hankie-inducing moment between Joshua Morrow and his TV dad? Weigh-in via the comment section.

Interviews

‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Scott Clifton Talks His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, and the Omission of His Scene Partner, Annika Noelle (Exclusive)

Published

1 week ago

July 25, 2026

Michael

Less than two weeks ago, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer) received the news he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actor category at the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

Clifton delivered what may have been the best work of his career in 2025; in a heartbreaking story arc where a believed-to-be-dying Liam tries to come to terms with his fate, and what his exit from the land of the living means, and what it would do to the daughters he leaves behind, the women he’s loved, and his father.

Going into this year’s Emmy race, Scott is already a three-time Daytime Emmy winner and a record holder for being the only actor to have won in the three acting categories throughout his career: the now defunct Younger Actor, Supporting Actor and Lead Actor.

Shortly after receiving the news of his latest nomination, Scott shared his reaction and what scenes he decided to include on his now Emmy-nominated reel when he participated in the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live!

During the conversation with Scott, it was very apparent that he feels his on-screen partnership with Annika Noelle (Hope) was a key to his success in 2025, and one of the reason for a key scene he chose. However, Annika’s name was left off the nomination list which disappointed Clifton as he shared below.

Photo: JPI

HOW SCOTT CLIFTON WENT ABOUT CRAFTING HIS LEAD ACTOR REEL

“They got a lot of reels to watch. So, I just picked three scenes. It’s important to create a context so that people aren’t completely lost,” explains Clifton on his best practices strategy. “I picked the scene where Liam found out the diagnosis (about his inoperable brain mass), where Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) tell him which sets the stage. And then, there is a scene where Liam is saying “don’t tell anyone.”

Next, there’s the scene at Il Giardino between myself and Don Diamont (Bill) where Liam is telling his father without telling him, by saying, ‘I just want you to know how much I love you, and how grateful I am to you.'”

Then, the final scene, and I owe it all to Annika, was between Liam and Hope. This is where Hope kind of says, ‘I know,’ and then they just have a conversation about their lives and their daughter. Liam also talks about his mom. It just seemed real to me and the best way to close it out. That was it. That was the whole reel about 11 minutes long.”

Photo: JPI

ANNIKA AND SCOTT’S BITTERSWEET EMMY MOMENT

When Scott connected with his on-screen wife, Annika Noelle, following the news of his nomination, which actually came on the Monday before the full nominations were revealed on Tuesday via Extra, there were a rollercoaster of emotions.

Scott detailed, “Annika sent the most beautiful congratulations, and I was trying to figure out if they had announced her category. However, it was in the middle of that conversation that she said. ‘no.’ And then, the conversation turned into my rage for her not being recognized because that whole story was just as much hers as it was mine.”

“My, God,” Clifton continued. “The way that she had to downplay so many things and keep the secret that she knew, that I knew, that she knew. The end of that scene, I couldn’t not include it. It’s more a scene about her and how hard this is for her than it was about Liam. It blew me away that she wasn’t recognized for it this year, but she will next year.”

You can check out Scott’s segment on the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live! below at roughly the 25:46 mark into the show.

So, were you happy to hear what scenes Scott submitted that earned him a Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination? Do you think he’s one of the frontrunners to take home the gold when the Daytime Emmys are handed out on October 30? Do you feel as Scott does that Annika Noelle should have been a nominee for her work in 2025? Let us know via the comment section.

Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of Our Lives’ Christopher Sean Opens Up About His Daytime Emmy Nomination to Honor His Late TV Father, Drake Hogestyn (Exclusive)

Published

2 weeks ago

July 18, 2026

Michael

There was not a dry eye in the house when in June of 2025, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean) gets up to eulogize his father, John Black (Drake Hogestyn), after the iconic character passed away and his funeral brought Salem together for one last goodbye.

In real life, Drake Hogestyn had passed away of pancreatic cancer at the age of 70 back on September 28, 2024. When DAYS taped the funeral episode, Drake was still alive and had given his blessing to the series longtime executive producer, Ken Corday, that it was OK with him to kill off his character and to have a memorial. Sadly, shortly after the cast filmed the scenes, Drake died leaving a lasting legacy on DAYS that will never be matched.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, Christopher Sean received the bittersweet news that he had received a Daytime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Guest Performer category for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards for his performances. Christopher appeared shortly after the news of his nomination on the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 were he shared his emotional reaction. Here’s part of what he expressed below.

Photo: JPI

WHAT DID CHRISTOPHER SEAN SUBMIT?

“I submitted Paul’s lowest moments in his life, and Paul’s highest moments, meaning the eulogy with John Black, his father, and for my hero, Drake Hogestyn, and Paul getting married to Andrew (Colton Little). So it was two very opposite ends of his life. But what a great culmination of 12 years of being on Days of Our Lives it was.”

ALWAYS BEING GRATEFUL TO DRAKE HOGESTYN

“Even talking about it now, I have so much love for Drake. I’ve got him here on my wall and I wake up every day and I try to make him proud. It’s hard to talk about it, but I feel that my life is on the path that I am because of him, because of him being my role model, because of him loving and guiding me, because of everything that he has taught me on and off the set.”

Photo: JPI

THE EARLY STRUGGLES WITH PAUL’S EULOGY AND HEARTFELT ADDITIONS TO THE DIALOG

“I had been texting back and forth with Drake and I was actually pretty angry, because I felt that we shouldn’t exploit this, but Drake was so attached to the fan base that when Ken Corday spoke with him and gave him the permission to allow the fans to grieve with us, that’s when I said, ‘OK, if that’s what he wants, then I’m going to go full throttle with it.’ In Paul’s eulogy and monologue I’d read it and without asking the writers, I added a few lines and they allowed me to keep them.”

Christopher continued, “One of the lines was, ‘anytime I see a rainbow in the sky’ and I said, ‘and a baseball up high, or a rainbow in the sky,’ because I wanted to attribute it to baseball and to Drake. It was already perfect the way it was written, but that was my nod to Drake. We all loved him and there’s not a person I know who didn’t love him. Drake lit up any room he was a part of. I would not be here, again, without Drake.”

You can catch Christopher’s conversation on the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special at the 2:14:25 mark below.

The 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed in a ceremony on October 30 from the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood California. Current plans are for the event to stream live on the National Academy Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), watch.theemmys.tv and associated apps.

So, will you be rooting for Christopher to take home the gold for his heartbreaking performance of Paul’s grief over losing John and then marrying Andrew? Were you touched by how much Drake Hogestyn had meant to his life and career? Let us know via the comment section below.