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If there are two young stars that break the mold from your standardized soap opera acting  style, the names Greg Rikaart and Elizabeth Hendrickson of The Young and the Restless are at the very top of the list.  As Genoa City’s unconventional, at times eccentric and flawed duo, Kevin Fisher and Chloe Mitchell, they make this on-screen duo endearing to our hearts, and yet they have the ability to break them at the same time.  Not an easy feat, but the accomplished Rikaart and Hendrickson can pull all the strings making us laugh, cry, or leaving us plain surprised on what their alter-egos reactions and behavior might be in their growing complex relationship.

Greg and Liz, who are great friends in real life, translated that chemistry on screen to Kevin and Chloe becoming great buds and roommates on the Genoa City canvas. However, fans of Y&R this past week saw pivotal episodes where their relationship took a turn, when Kevin gets up the courage and admits to Chloe that he has deep feelings for her that are more than friendship.  In another of Rikaart’s moving performances, Kevin announces to Chloe, “I’m a really good guy.  And you should want to be with me the way I want to be with you.”  He goes on to tell Chloe, “You’re smart, beautiful, my best friend…”  I mean what girl wouldn’t just melt?  Well, not exactly, Chloe.  Her reaction included walking out on him!  So, what’s a guy to do?  Have sex with your ex!  Enter crazy Jana.

On-Air On-Soaps caught up with the two Y&R scene stealers to discuss Kevin and Chloe’s burgeoning romance, how it is being good friends while having to play
high emotional stakes, and to take a look back and look ahead for their characters
as the year comes to a close.  Here’s our chat with Greg and Elizabeth!

MICHAEL:

The two of you are very good friends off camera.  How did you come to get acquainted with each other, which in turn blossomed into this great dynamic between you and has manifested itself into an on-screen relationship between Kevin and Chloe?

LIZ:

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We knew about each other.  I remember meeting Greg through my friend Emily.  I remember saying “Hi” to you at a soap event in New York.  It might even have been the Emmys years ago, when I was on All My Children.

GREG:

I guess we knew of each other, but we did not become chummy until she started working on Y&R. We did a stage reading of a one act together for a friend and we worked together a little bit in that. Then, Barbara Bloom (CBS Sr. VP Daytime Programming) had been a really big fan of Liz’s.  So when she came in to read, I remember them wanting us to read together, which is kind of funny in a roundabout way, that here we are three years later and we are finally working together.  But it was a chemistry read.

LIZ:

Yes. It was a chemistry read.  I thought you were the one they were going to put me with.   I recall I had met Barbara when I first moved to L.A.  I had a meeting with her and nothing came of it ever again.  Then two years later, I was doing this stage reading with a friend, and that is when I officially met Greg.  Barbara came to see the show and a week or so later I got a phone call that she wanted to do a chemistry reading with me at the studio, and that was with Greg. And prior to that, I was driving with AMC’s Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) and Bob Guiney, and they were looking for a house. We were coming from the dog park with our dogs and Greg was standing outside. They saw a for sale sign, and they went, “Oh look! This house is for sale.” And I went, “Oh, that’s that kid from The Young and the Restless.”  They rolled down the window and went in and bought the house!  That was the other time, except times throughout the soap world, that I met Greg.  So I am kind of responsible for your house being sold, Greg!

GREG:

Well thanks, I owe you.  It’s funny. We have been kindredly connected before we were friends, so it’s kind of nice.

MICHAEL:

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Liz, what makes Greg a great friend?

LIZ:

Let’s see…Greg stealing my phone and hacking into my facebook page! (Laughs)

GREG:

I think what she means to say is…. that she loves me so much that she sub-consciously leaves her phone on the set, and then I will hack her status update and make up something… and I post it for the world to see. (Laughs)

LIZ:

From the very beginning, Greg and I have had an awesome time with each other. I think that is why you enjoy watching us on television, and thank you very much to the fans for enjoying us, but we are really comfortable with each other.  We have a very similar sense of humor and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. When I work with Greg, I tend to be more myself.  So it’s always a safe supportive place to be.  I have a lot of fun with it because I feel I can fully trust it.  And so whatever I do, I know he will always be there to catch me if I fall, or make fun of me.  And, we have an awesome banter with each other!

GREG:

That is a good way of putting it.  Liz is a great dance partner and I feel the same way around her.  The level of comfort is so easy, certainly for portraying the friendship part of the Kevin/Chloe relationship, that is a no-brainer.  So it was like, when are we going to have to start acting?  I think there was a lot of material that was scripted not too dissimilar to the way we would goof around in real life, even when the relationship starts to change a little bit.  For instance, there is something coming up next week where she does something physical to me. It was as simple as her saying to me, “Hey, this is what I am thinking of doing. What are your parameters?”  I think there is that trust and comfort.  And off-camera, I love palling around with her, whether it’s at work or hanging out outside of work.  It’s a fun relationship.

MICHAEL:

So was it your personal relationship that influenced Y&R executive producer and head writer Maria Bell and her creative team, to pair you on screen as Kevin and Chloe?  Because as you know, many times in soaps, writers will tell you that in watching the actors on set, they see something that strikes a chord for them and they run with it.

LIZ:

We were gunning for it and planted a seed a long time ago. (To Greg) Should we let him in on our little secret?  Ok, remember the holiday party…

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GREG:

I will never forget.  I was at the Y&R holiday party and I said to Liz, Maria Bell is having a cocktail, so this would be a good time to be subtle and casually mention that we would be interested in working together, which Liz interpreted as walking right up to Maria and saying, “We want to work together!” (Laughs).

LIZ:

Any chance we could get, we would have fun with it.  And whether that be that I would shamelessly flirt with him in front of Maria, or make sure to hop in front of the camera so they can see us being really cute together.

GREG:

But also, my interest in working with Liz was less about that I love her as a person and more about that I think she is fantastic on the show. And from day one, I always thought she is really like a Fisher/Baldwin.

LIZ:

That is what I wanted to be when I came on the show!  All I wanted to be was a Fisher/Baldwin. (Laughs)

GREG:

You know, I think our on-screen family has all very solid actors who are all a bit off and quirky, and I think she kind of fits in perfectly.

MICHAEL:

What do the two of you think of the repositioning and retooling of Jana being the bad girl in the mix?  And, how is Emily O’Brien (Jana) to work with in this new beat of story?

GREG:

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I think it’s the most genius thing she has gotten to do. She has always been amazing, but Emily playing crazy with a lid on it, with sort of a Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction vibe, or Rebecca De Mornay in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, is so genius. And, I think it’s amazing.  I also like that it created such obstacles within our story.  I love it and I think it’s great.

LIZ:

I love it, too. This is the first chance I have gotten to work with Emily.  I have wanted to work with her for a long time, just like I was waiting to work with Greg, because I have always enjoyed their work together.  She just takes us by surprise every time.  It is so far from who she is as a person, and so when you are with Emily on stage, you are so in it. Sometimes I find myself watching her rather than being in the scene with her, which works because it’s kind of the way you look at a crazy person. You think, “Is this real or is it not?”  Sometimes it even cracks me up, and we have laughed at the end of some tapings.  It wasn’t funny when Greg and I would later watch it back, and then I don’t remember why it was so funny in the first place.

GREG:

You know what I think?  I think sometimes the laughter comes from how uncomfortable she makes you feel.  And you think, “Ok, I am going to nervously laugh now, because I wonder if Emily is legitimately crazy?”

MICHAEL:

How are we justifying this evil turn of Jana?  Was it the countless brain surgeries that have damaged her, or do you think its kind of the more extreme version of the original Jana that was a bit of whack-job?

GREG:

I think the character of Jana, and like the character of Kevin and other characters on the show, is a rather loose canon.  I don’t think she has ever been completely rational and normal.  Even before the brain tumor, she killed Carmen Mesta… (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

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Greg, Kevin is so great with Chloe’s little girl Delia, and he has also come to the aid and defense of Daisy, wanting to make sure her baby is loved and has a father.  Does Kevin want to be a dad?  Why does he want to help Daisy so bad, after all the things she has done to his loved ones?

GREG:

I don’t know he necessarily wants be a dad just yet, but he wants to sort of protect that innocence that he sees in Daisy’s baby, and protect her from the horror that he and Ryder and Daisy went through. I think that is more motivated about him wanting to protect her then him wanting to raise a kid.  Kevin loves Delia, too.

MICHAEL:

This past week we saw some game-changing moments in the relationship between Kevin and Chloe, especially, when Kevin bares his soul and feelings to Chloe.  I feel bad for Kevin!

LIZ:

I felt so bad for Kevin.

GREG:

I do remember Liz telling me that she did feel bad for me.

LIZ:

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I felt horrible almost in the way that I played it.

GREG:

It came out of that sort of build of emotions that have been happening within him, that whether he realized it or not, has been going on for a long time already.  It all came to a head when he needed to step up in some way with the whole incident with Child Protective Services. Then he really lays into Jana after that and accuses her of masterminding that, and in the midst of that, getting shot down with Chloe when she says something while Billy is there that sort of diminishes their relationship.  I think that made something in him snap and he thought, “Alright, I can’t keep this to myself anymore.”   I think at that moment he had no choice.  He thought either I am going to go crazy, or I am just going to tell her how I feel.

MICHAEL:

Liz, so Chloe really had no clue that Kevin could possibly have deep romantic feelings for her? How did you decide to play those beats of the story that just aired?

LIZ:

I think she had been through so much with guys, and even if she had feelings for Kevin, it was so deep down that it wasn’t even something she was willing to recognize.  I think that what happened between her two great loves had damaged her so much, that I don’t think she was willing to accept the fact that this is possibly what love could be like.  Having it come from a friendship and think, why would you ruin something that is so great? Anything with Chloe that started on the right foot got ruined.  Even Chance started on the right foot and got ruined. With Kevin, that is something you keep in a safe place and it’s not even something you go near because, God forbid, if I lost that person, I would have nothing.  And so, she finally finds someone she can trust and be with, and it’s not how she associates love, or how she would even think about it.  I think that begins to change the minute she sees him with someone else, and it’s like daggers to the heart.  I am trying to play the fine line because I know Chloe is getting jealous of Jana.  She was originally thinking, “Well, she is not good enough for you.”  But she wasn’t taking it as, “Well, I want to be that girl.”  I think until she sees him with someone else, it is then she realizes it is a different feeling.  I mean your heart should not sink into your stomach if you walk in and see a guy with another girl.  If she didn’t have feelings for him, she would have been able to walk in and go, “Eww! That’s disgusting. I just saw my best friend half-naked.”  And not be repulsed by the fact that his tongue is down her throat.  I think just the thought of her having to disappoint her daughter again and have another man come in and out of her life is a major issue for her. Chloe thought Kevin was there with her and Delia for a reason.  So she thinks we are going to keep Kevin in that place because this is safe. I think it appears to be almost too good to be true. When Kevin shows her the Christmas photos, it is the life that she pictures, but I just don’t think she really knows how to get it and hold on to it. I think she gets that from the last screw-up she had with Ronan.  I don’t think Chloe thinks she deserves to be treated well.

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MICHAEL:

By the way, I like the Chloe/Kevin Christmas card! So cute!

GREG:

(Laughs)  I was not at the Y&R Christmas Party, but I heard they had that picture blown up.

LIZ:

They did?

MICHAEL:

Greg, be honest, was it revenge sex for Kevin with Jana? (Laughs)

GREG:

Yeah, basically. (Laughs)  The thing is, no matter what Jana has put Kevin through, he doesn’t hate her, and certainly, he’s not trying to cause her any grief.  It was totally revenge sex.  Kevin was in a pretty vulnerable place where he was feeling pretty bad about himself, and here Jana comes along and she feels for him the way he wishes Chloe did.

MICHAEL:

Why are you able to tap into Kevin’s vulnerability so well?

GREG:

I think for me, it’s not trying to manipulate the audience, but saying he is doing some bad stuff.  Having sex with a woman he has no interest in, is one of them.  If you do that it’s too black and white, and he looks like an asshole.  So you say, this is what he is going to do, so how do I make this real for me?  He is really hurt.  I think showing vulnerability gets me through the tough stuff that comes his way sometimes, where it’s like me as an ethical person might judge Kevin’s motives.

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MICHAEL:

Liz, looking back as 2010 comes to a close, what was your favorite Chloe moment?

LIZ:

This has been the most fun material I have gotten to play since when I first started on Y&R.  That was fun when I was kind of being bitchy, manipulative, and taking advantage of people. The first thing that came to mind when you asked, is anytime I get to play a little comedy.  I can’t just pick one.  I just know this is the most comfortable I have been since being on the show and being able to do everything I wanted to do in daytime.  I have been able to explore them over the last few months, and that is just having those moments and just letting things pop up and happen. On the flipside as my other favorite Chloe moment, would be the reveal of Chance cheating on her. That for me was the first time I was able to connect and feel the pain of being heartbroken.  It was actually the most heartbreaking thing for me to let myself go there.

MICHAEL:

Greg, your turn. What was your favorite Kevin moment of 2010?

GREG:

One thing that comes to mind is, whatever I am getting to do, I always like getting a break from that.  So, if I have been in a heavy storyline, it’s always nice to have a comedic break or vice versa. That was what was nice about the scenes that aired this week.  Kevin and Chloe’s relationship for the last few months has been light, fresh and fun. I think my favorite moment was our first real scenes together. That is when Kevin gets really drunk at the bar and they are commiserating and he is complaining about Jana and Ryder, and it was right at the same time that Chloe was dealing with her Chance issues.  I remember those being inherently funny because Kevin was getting really drunk, but there were serious moments, too.  It was the first time Liz and I got to play around together. And I think there were scenes where Kevin walks in on Jana and Ryder at the Athletic Club.  I think while he had been suspicious and confused by her attachment to Ryder, I think that was the moment where she tells him where her priorities lie, and it was devastating for Kevin, and are some my favorite scenes, too.

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LIZ:

Wait… that just took me back to when we had those first scenes together, because I am just so proud of us for that!  We used to not be able to look at each other, because we would break out in laughter and non-stop giggles.  We were getting really nervous on set, and we thought, what are we going to do?  Even those scenes Greg is talking about that he did such an excellent job with.  I think the first time we did it, I laughed at him and we had to do the scene over again.  Greg, we have come so far!  (Laughs)

GREG:

Yeah, I know.  It was like if we were even in a group scene and I looked at her and she looked at me, we would giggle.  Liz still makes me laugh all the time and Emily, too.  I have gotten quite giggly of late on set. I am sure I am going to get a talking to soon.  I have been having a lot of fun lately with Liz; it’s not the worst thing. (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

I assume you may have shared a romantic kiss on-screen, or that it may be coming at some point soon.  Is there any trepidation knowing that you’re dear friends in real life and now the time has come where you have to, or had to, have your lips locked?  Any apprehension about it?

GREG:

No, not for me.

LIZ:

You know, it’s really funny because I thought I was going to, after I got what I asked for! All of a sudden when the time was near it was, “Oh, wait. Ok. Hmmm.” And the minute it happened, Greg went, “You’re a good kisser,” and I went, “So are you!”  And you know what it totally goes back to, is the whole trust safety thing. The fact that I know that if there was ever a time I did something and I looked at him and I was not comfortable with something, I know he would go, “Ok. We will never do that ever again.”

MICHAEL:

So would you say, Liz, that Greg rates as a one of the best kissers of all your Y&R leading men?

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LIZ:

Definitely!

GREG:

I would tease her though, and say, “I am going to stick my tongue as far down your throat as I can! (Laughs)

LIZ:

I know! (Laughs)

GREG:

I would be reviewing the scenes we have to do the night before taping, and I will send Liz a text and say, “Get ready!”

MICHAEL:

As had been announced in the soap magazines for this coming week, Jana is going to try to capitalize on an invitation to Christmas dinner at Katherine’s house.  That is bound to be an uncomfortable situation for Chloe and Kevin.  As we head into the holidays, can we expect any happiness, or more sadness and conflicted feelings, for your on-screen alter-egos?

GREG:

Kevin and Chloe’s Christmas and New Year’s will be sort of affected by what you just saw happen on air this past week.  I think things go from bad to worse.

MICHAEL:

Are the two of you checking out the message boards and getting fan reaction and feedback to see if the fans want Kevin and Chloe as a “love” couple, or if they want them to just stay best friends?

LIZ:

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We are.  Look, I never pay attention to the bad press, because it makes me upset.  I have definitely paid attention and heard people at the studio say, “I like you two together.” And the fact that someone even had an opinion about it is good enough for me.  If you like it or don’t like it, that means you’re involved.  And if they are involved, that means we have you thinking about something and you are kind of waiting to see what happens next.

GREG:

The stuff I have seen and heard is mixed.  I think fans like us as friends, but I don’t know if everyone is sold on wanting us to be anything more.  If I have something big that happens in a storyline, and if and when I have time, I will go and see what the fan reaction is.  I don’t look to see if they say it’s good or bad.  I just look to see if they are talking about it. You are better off having people disagree and chatting about it versus people who don’t really care.

LIZ:

It’s the same thing of, if you hate me, that’s good.  Love to hate me; at least you’re having an opinion about something.

GREG:

The worse thing to be on a soap is boring, and I always say that. With thirty some actors on our show, it’s one of the most challenging part of the job, and that is figuring out what your niche is supposed to be, and what am I going to do that nobody else is doing. That is the other thing I like about our relationship.  There is that quirkiness factor …

LIZ:

There are no other characters on our show that are like us.

GREG:

Sometimes I wonder what came first, the chicken or the egg?  Did they have the idea to do awkward family photos for Christmas first?  Or was it, what are we going to do for Kevin and Chloe?  I think no matter what, when the idea came up of who is going to do the awkward photo, the powers-that-be thought, “Oh yeah, Kevin and Chloe.”  No one else fits that other than us.

MICHAEL:

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Do you think Kevin and Chloe could still be friends, if they embarked on a romance and it fell apart?

GREG:

It’s tricky, because you build up to this point and the whole thing is now, will they or won’t they?  My ideal situation for us would be if we can keep some sort of obstacle in our way for as long as we can, because who wants to be a happy couple?

LIZ:

I don’t want to be a happy couple! (Laughs)  I love the fact of Kevin still having a pull towards Jana. There is some sort of push and pull going on with them. I hope this goes on all year round, and we got to keep things moving, or we all are going to get boring.

GREG:

Kevin wants to get Chloe in the sack a couple of times, but living happily ever after?  I am sure Kevin would like that, but I would not like that.

MICHAEL:

In closing, Greg, what is your New Year’s wish for Kevin? What would you like to see him get involved with in 2011?

GREG:

What I like most about Kevin is the push/pull that happens in his brain, where he is like, “I want to be a better person. I want to be a good guy.”  Then it’s really easy for him to get lured into some sort of underhanded stuff.  I would like to see more of that in the New Year, and for him to continue to battle himself.  I would like to see him find some luck in love, but not too much.  And, I would love to see more integration of the fun family stuff as was in the past with Judith Chapman (Gloria) and Ted Shackelford (Jeffrey) and the Fisher/Baldwin gang.

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MICHAEL:

Liz, what is your New Year’s wish for Chloe?

LIZ:

I would love to see Chloe get back to her passion of styling and fashion, and start to take over some jobs (Laughs).  I want to take someone down and replace someone, and go toe to toe with a really strong female.

GREG:

On that note, I would like to have Kevin and Chloe become allies on a caper to take somebody down… now that sounds like fun for the New Year!