This week on “Y&R”: Nick sleeps with Sharon again, Phyllis loses it and Sharon winds up in trouble with the law,

and Nick walks out on Phyllis. Just another week in the lives of three of Genoa City’s most notable citizens! With so many “Phick” and “Shick” fans defending the partnership they believe should win out and what woman should ultimately own Nick, I decided it’s time to chat with the man at the epicenter of the controversial story, actor Joshua Morrow.

This leading man certainly had his hands full these days playing opposite heavy hitters Michelle Stafford and Sharon Case. In this revealing interview: Joshua talks about his feelings about the storyline, working with his leading ladies, and how playing the not-so-upstanding Nicholas Newman these days, may come with a price from the fans. However he clarifies that that he is relishing this hot storyline.
Joshua also offers up some insight as
to who Nick should and will ultimately
end up with, this time.

One of the most underrated actors in daytime, who delivers real and honest performances day after day, no matter what the material… here is Joshua!

Listen to the audio:

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MICHAEL:

This week Nick sleeps with Sharon again, and they went to the cabin, again and did it there, again! What is going on in Nick’s mind? I have so many “Phick” and “Shick” fans that want me to talk to the guy at the center of all of this.

JOSHUA:

Well honestly, he goes to the cabin just to find his son. I don’t think he had ulterior motives as far as sleeping with Sharon. Sharon calls to tell him that Noah went up to the Abbott cabin with Eden. They are trying to keep those two apart right now, and he literally goes up there just to find his son. When he doesn’t find his son there, then the two of them decide not to leave, which I am sure is very shocking to soap fans everywhere! (He laughs)

MICHAEL:

Is he feeling that Sharon is just falling apart and he has to save her? Or, does he really love her and knows it, and is conflicted?

JOSHUA:

I think there is story that was not finished with Sharon. Nick feels very responsible for the death of Cassie that led to the break-up of their marriage. Nick feels it’s entirely his fault. Then he helped break up the marriage by being with Phyllis, and he is really putting it all on his shoulders. It’s hard for him to let her go because he feels, “I am the one who messed this up.” Sharon has revealed to him that she is still in love with him and can’t really move on, and Nick can’t seem to let her go. With that said, he is very much in love with Phyllis. He is not like, “I have to get rid of this one to be with this one.” No, this is a sucker who is in love with two hot women, and I do not envy him.

MICHAEL:

He really is in love with two women at this point?

JOSHUA:

Yes. He is genuinely in love with two women and he can’t make a decision. That is causing problems for both women and it’s hurting everybody. Nick is not going into this with malicious intent to hurt these women. He does not know what to do. He can’t let go of Sharon, but he started this beautiful new family with Phyllis and he is crazy about her. He feels an allegiance to Phyllis. Nick was in a bad place and Phyllis helped him find his smile again, and let him know that life was great and
you can have a good time
again. He can’t just let her go.
Of course, there is his child,
Summer, and if he leaves
Phyllis then Summer pays
for it.

MICHAEL:

In a recent On-Air On-Soaps interview, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) defended Phyllis’s point of view, because if you look at it, Nick cheated on her. Do you and Michelle have talks off screen about what the two of you really think of this story, and does the story make sense?

JOSHUA:

At times, we think it makes sense. I mean Phyllis is not making it easy for Nick to stay because she is doing all these stupid things that drive him crazy, which kind of is a testament to their relationship because he keeps going back to her. First, there was the Brad situation and these capers she has pulled to set Sharon up. He really does not approve of that. This story gets a little unbelievable at that point, but it’s what we do. We have to tell the stories to the best of our abilities. We don’t write it.

MICHAEL:

This week on-air Nick walks out on Phyllis!

JOSHUA:

I do walk out on her and I do leave, and there are a lot of things left unsaid. They kind of get to the point where they are, “We don’t know what we are going to do, and until Nick figures out who he wants to be with, we are just going to keep having this problem.” But they don’t ever have this conversation, where he
says, “I’m leaving,” till now.
He has just had it with what
Phyllis is doing. She is kind
of pushing him into Sharon’s
arms and Sharon is still
crazy! So who knows?

MICHAEL:

Um, Sharon’s a clepto!

JOSHUA:

She is crazy! Nick is genuinely concerned about Sharon’s well being. Yes, he is still attracted to her, but a lot of this stems from Nicks’ need to protect her, because he sees her unraveling.

MICHAEL:

So, when Phyllis says “Sharon is a slut,” does it not register to him?

JOSHUA:

It registers to him in a bad way. He does not like that Phyllis is attacking Sharon in the state she is in. She seems kind of vulnerable and susceptible to people saying things about her. So, Nick feels he has to protect her, and how many times has Nick told Phyllis to back away from Sharon? It can’t be easy for Phyllis to hear. I totally understand why Phyllis would feel this way, because Nick is not making it easy for her to accept, because what he is saying to her is that he is totally with her. But then, he is always on the phone with Sharon and always wondering about how she is. It’s really difficult. Nick is caught in the middle and it’s really hard to play him where he doesn’t seem like a total jerk. He says all of these amazing beautiful things to Phyllis, and then he turns around and is sniffing around Sharon. It’s really hard to do.

MICHAEL:

When you are faced with this as an actor, how do you not make Nick look like a complete jerk?

JOSHUA:

It’s almost darn near impossible. Michelle told me, “You have the toughest job in this one, because it’s hard to get any sympathy from the viewers if you are going about it in this way.” It’s not very believable to have people seeing him saying, “I am committed to you Phyllis,” and on the other hand he is with Sharon. It’s not easy to do.

MICHAEL:

Are you concerned about viewer’s backlash towards Nick because of the predicament he finds himself in?

JOSHUA:

I am not concerned, because my job is not to be palatable to the audience. I want to tell a convincing story. I have never been a man in love with two women. I can only imagine what that must be like.

MICHAEL:

It’s difficult enough being in love with one woman!

JOSHUA:

I agree. But if I need to look like an ass and a bad guy, so be it. If that’s what it takes to keep people interested and to tell a good story, then I will do it. I’ve got big shoulders.

MICHAEL:

I don’t think its coming off that way. I think it’s coming off as he is confused.

JOSHUA:

Michelle said, “It’s impossible for people to hate you. All you have to do is smile.” So now I smile a lot and I am going with Michelle on this one. I am going to keep smiling, even in non-smiling situations. (He laughs)

MICHAEL:

Are you aware of the great debate between the “Phick” and “Shick” fans?

JOSHUA:

Yes I am. They are rabid!

MICHAEL:

Many fans feel Phyllis should have walked out on Nick before he walked out on her. Do you agree?

JOSHUA:

I do. I can’t see a scenario in real life where a woman would put up with this much crap from a donkey, like Nick has been. I am totally sympathetic to the Phyllis case. She has been through the ringer. She has put up with much more than any woman should ever have to. But Nick’s got something special that Phyllis just can’t get out of her system. (He laughs)

MICHAEL:

I see! Speaking of something special… let’s talk about sex! Nick and Phyllis are sex-personified. That is what I always see from Nick and Phyllis. Isn’t that the main basis of their relationship?

JOSHUA:

It is, and it’s probably not the best basis to have. Michelle and I constantly say, “These two people cannot keep their hands off of each other and at the end of the day they go back to that.” We play back-story all the time, where they just come into a scene where they’ve finished having sex or they are getting ready to have sex. That’s what these characters do. It’s all about sex with these two. I think the audience responds to that, and I think it’s a great story. I don’t think they show it enough.

MICHAEL:

So, you think they have should have more sex scenes?

JOSHUA:

I do. I think they should have more sex scenes. I think it’s a cool quality that these characters have; that they are so totally turned on by each other.

MICHAEL:

What do you think is the basis of Sharon and Nick’s relationship?

JOSHUA:

Sharon and Nick are each other’s first loves. It’s Romeo and Juliet. They are star-crossed lovers who literally were meant to be together. Their story was interrupted by a tragic event and that led to other events with Phyllis, and it’s just an unfinished story. They were kids when they met and they fell in love. No one wanted them together, and no one thought they should be together. They beat all the odds, and then
it fell apart. So they will
never get each other out
of their systems.

MICHAEL:

Sharon gets in trouble with the law when they find all her stolen items in her hotel room, thanks to Phyllis. Does Sharon go to jail?

JOSHUA:

Sharon wants to turn herself in and confess and Nick does not want her to do that. He is telling her, “Going to jail is not good for anyone and you are not going there. We are getting you a lawyer.”

MICHAEL:

Phyllis told Nick that Sharon slept with Billy. You kind of did not react in the scene to that. Is Nick not jealous of that fact?

JOSHUA:

As an actor, I wanted it to kind of wash over me. I did not want it to become a big deal, because that wasn’t what that scene was about. That hurt him, and I think they should have gone into it, and never addressed it with any other character. I think that would have been cool to tell, but I just wanted to color him for a second and then move on. Right now, Nick’s purpose is to keep Sharon out of trouble and to help get her healthy. What she did on her own time, even though I pretend it’s none of my business, it is. But, I am not going to let anybody else see that.

MICHAEL:

Working with Michelle, what do you think she brings as an actress to your story?

JOSHUA:

She is one of the best actors I have ever seen in my life, and that includes any theater and any movie. I love her unpredictability.
I never know what she is going to do.

MICHAEL:

Does it ever bother you, that perhaps, you can’t ‘ping- pong’ back with her
in a scene?

JOSHUA:

I relish that opportunity. I look forward to that moment where I have no idea what she is going to do. Michelle is a whirling dervish of energy and spunk that is unmatched around here. Now, I have had very few acting jobs. I have done some theater and a couple small movies and “Y&R”, so my experience in working with actors is just with a small pool of them to draw from. Michelle is so incredible! The moments that take my breath away are when she says nothing. She does not have to say anything to convey the most impactful thing I have ever seen or witnessed. The scenes I have played where Nick has hurt Phyllis, are crushing to me as a human being. I see how it consumes her, like no other actor I have been around, and she is amazing. I could never say this to her face because I would get embarrassed and run away, but she has taught me more about acting than anyone in the world.

MICHAEL:

Michelle told me that you are not over-rehearsed and you are very real, and that is what is so unique about your performances.

JOSHUA:

I don’t want to run lines with people and have the material so perfect that I am delivering each line and being too locked in. People who have their lines down forward and back, and spot on, tend to give a similar performance. So, I really want to know my material when I go out there and hit the set, because nowadays you get one take, maybe two, and it’s not like the old days. I want it to be real, where in normal relationships maybe you don’t always know what the right thing to say is at the moment. It’s the way I approach it, and it’s free and easy and relaxed, which is how I live my life.

MICHAEL:

What about working with Sharon Case (Sharon)? Were you happy about this turn of events, possibly reuniting with Sharon from a story perspective? Or, do you prefer Nick with one woman or the other?

JOSHUA:

It’s kind of difficult for me to do. I had ten years with Sharon. They were ten solid great years, but I felt I was ready for a change, or I am going to fall into a pit here. I need some movement. So they broke us up at a great time and did it in a good way. Now, I am kind of ambivalent about it because I love working with Michelle Stafford. I laugh with her all the time, and laughing is one of my favorite things in the world. Look, they are going to break us up. It’s going to happen, so I feel very sad about that. The alternative is I am going to go back with Sharon. I have said this many times, and unfortunately Sharon Case has taken this the wrong way, “I don’t want to get rushed back into another ten year romance with someone, whether it be Sharon or Farah Fawcett. It doesn’t matter who it is.” That being said, I look forward to working with Sharon again. We have told some great stories. Sharon has taken this the wrong way because I had said that in the press, so to clarify: “I am absolutely looking forward to working with Sharon. I just did not want to go to a happy marriage in the tack house where we are talking about what we are going to have for dinner and some cute things the baby did.” Happy sucks! I don’t want to go back and be happy now. Now, I will go back with Sharon in a heartbeat, where there is a messy, drawn out story where there are problems. That I will look forward to.

MICHAEL:

We talked about working with Michelle; now for equal time, tell me about working with Sharon?

JOSHUA:

I have invested a large part of my real life with Sharon. The thing I take from Sharon is she gives me the most honest performance of anyone. It’s everyday, and it’s honest, and it’s from her heart. It’s totally believable, and I want to protect her and care for her in real life, and watch out for her. She is just that honest. I never see her on-screen and go “that’s acting”. For me, I see this beautiful person saying beautiful things.

MICHAEL:

I think there have been a lot of fans unhappy about Sharon’s breakdown and her actions and her sleeping around. Some are backlashing the character right now.

JOSHUA:

I think that’s unfair. I am speaking of the character of Sharon in real time. For somebody who would go through something like she has, they would tend to act irrationally. So, it does not make sense to me why people would attack this character that way.

MICHAEL:

How far ahead do you know what’s going to happen in this story?

JOSHUA:

We are three weeks ahead of shooting, and I have scripts a week in advance. So all I know is one month ahead. My role on the show is clearly defined. I show up, I generally take my shirt off and say my lines.

MICHAEL:

What did you think about your on-air parents, Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) and Eric Braeden (Victor), not receiving pre-Emmy nominations?

JOSHUA:

They are legends. I am not a fan of the Emmy process now. I don’t know what the solution is, but I don’t know how Melody Thomas Scott and Eric Braeden don’t just have a permanent Emmy nomination stamp.

MICHAEL:

If we were to tease the audience, what’s coming up for Phyllis/Nick/Sharon?

JOSHUA:

Lots of problems! These three don’t mesh well together. It’s some crazy times ahead. The “Phick” fans are not going to be happy, and the “Shick” fans are not going to be happy. As far as who he chooses, Nick does not have a decision yet. At some point, the guy has to make a decision. I mean the story is gold, but how long can we keep telling it? I don’t want to sound ego-centric, but it’s so much fun telling it, and I know its working on TV. It’s been a blast and the most fun you could ever have.

MICHAEL:

The show is so on track right now. There was a year there under Lynn Latham (ex-head writer and executive producer, “Y&R”) where it felt derailed. Now it’s got its footing back. Did you notice a difference in the scripts with the dream writing team of Maria Arena Bell, Hogan Sheffer, et al?

JOSHUA:

Of course! The way we tell the story now fits what we did in the past. Our formula has worked for 36 years, and there is no sense to rewrite that. And Maria Arena Bell came in, cleaned it up and it’s back to telling stories like we normally do.

MICHAEL:

Is your wife, Tobe, rooting with you to be with Phyllis or Sharon?

JOSHUA:

Tobe does not care. She just wants me home by dinnertime to do bath time with the kids and read them books. If I can do that, it helps her with her day.

MICHAEL:

Just a final thought: What did you think about Guiding Light’s cancellation and the future of soaps?

JOSHUA:

I am not surprised. It’s a changing business and the model for some of
these lower rated shows is not like the
old days. People are kidding themselves
if they think all of them are going to last
forever. I would bet 3 or 4 might also
be gone soon.