Courtesy/HeraldSunAU

Currently on The Young and the Restless, Paul Williams (Doug Davidson) is fighting for his life, and on today’s episode his brother, Father Todd (Corbin Bernsen), even comes to the hospital!  Things are not looking good!  And then there is the matter of Dylan (Steve Burton) … will Paul survive to learn he has another son?  Looks like that material could give Doug Davidson some Emmy fodder for next year.

But let’s talk about this year!  Davidson is nominated again the Outstanding Lead Actor category and going for his second win in a row in the category!  Can he do the two-peat?  In his nominated work, Doug chose the scenes where Paul tries to talk Jamie (Daniel Polo) down from the roof and committing suicide, and then next going to see the parents of the teens responsible for almost driving the down-on-his-luck kid to the brink of death.  Davidson was again at his best.

On-Air On-Soaps caught up with Doug to get his thoughts leading in to Daytime Emmy night this Sunday.  The awards will be live-streamed at www.daytimeemmys.net beginning at 5PMPST/8PMEST.  Read on to find out his thoughts are on his competition, his choice of scenes, some suggested Emmy category reform, and more!

You are going for your second straight Lead Actor Emmy win, why did you choose the scenes you submitted?

Courtesy/CBS

DOUG:  The truth of the matter is – this past year I had one show to submit in my estimation.  The rest just wasn’t Emmy appropriate.  I even considered changing categories, because it was not about my story, but about the story of Jamie (Daniel Polo) and the Baldwins (Christian LeBlanc and Tracey E. Bregman) and Phyllis (then, Michelle Stafford), etc.  I was definitely a supporting player in this, but after conferring with the academy and my producers, they thought it’s not measured by the story, but measured by your tenure on the show.   So I kept it in the “Lead” category.  But the scenes were about keeping Jamie from jumping off the roof and committing suicide.  I go over and talk to Phyllis in harsh terms about that she has got to keep tabs on her daughter and not let her bully. And when Jamie confessed to Paul that he wasn’t pushed by Fen (Max Ehrich), then Paul also went to the Baldwins and told them their son is not guilty of that, but that in Paul’s judgment Fen is not innocent at all in this.

It’s a touching performance, and in it you get to play tender, tough, remorseful, etc!

DOUG:  I was playing a guilty parent giving advice to Phyllis. There was frustration and hurt.  I was pleading because as Paul.  He was pleading about the death of his own son (Ricky) and that he did not want to see another useless death by Jamie jumping off the roof.

Courtesy/HLN

Were you surprised that you got recognized in the category again this year by your peers?

DOUG:  I will be very surprised if I go home this year with another trophy, but I felt there was honesty to the work that I was hoping would be appealing to the Emmy judges.  The nature of the contest is structured as such that although it represents a year of work sometimes even more, that what they are really judging is a three or four minute clip of scenes for the pre-noms, and then judging if you get pre-nominated …one episode.  For everything to work out right there is a convergence of writing and commitment on the shows part, and then as an actor when you are given the material to perform it.  That is why I think the thing I am most proud of this year is the people I am grouped with in my category who are the nominees, and even in the pre-noms.  There are some very, very fine actors in there.  I will not be disappointing if anyone one of them wins.

And one again it’s all the men from The Young and the Restless competing against each other and General Hospital’s Jason Thompson!  Why do you think the Leading Actor category, for the most part, is always dominated by performances from your show?

DOUG:  We have wonderful actors on our show.  I don’t think anybody takes it for granted, and the fact that they work so hard is a testament to our producers and our CBS executives.   We want to put the best show on possible.  I always thought in the last couple of years that we have had some very fine performances from storyline guest performers too!

Courtesy/IMDB

So you think like many others that have suggested that there should be added to the mix a “Guest Star” performance category … like they have at the Primetime Emmys?

DOUG: I think there should be!  I have a bit of an issue with the label of the “Younger” performers’ category, because I don’t necessarily know if you are going to be getting an Emmy-winning performance from a 12 year old, and if you do, then they should be able to handle it with the rest of the “Supporting” group.   And I am not slamming the younger kids by any means, but if it’s that touching and moving … you are giving them a handicap for being young.  And at the Oscars, young or old, they go into a Supporting category if there work is lauded.

What did you think of the performances of Younger Actor nominees Daniel Polo and Max Ehrich (Fen), since you had the opportunity to work with both in the bullying storyline?

DOUG:  I think Daniel is a marvelous young actor and Max is too! They are both so deserving of their Younger Actor nomination, for sure.

Were you an Emmy judge this year?  If so, what category?  And how did you feel the competition stacked up?

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

DOUG:  I judged Supporting Actress. I will say, without naming names, without a doubt I picked two effortlessly for the first two spots, and even for the third.  I did have trouble with spot five. Also when I looked at the pre-nom tapes/reels; there are some really unheralded performances when people are in for six weeks or six months on a show.  I think if there is some way we could phrase a new category for them, I think that would be great.  For example when Ray Wise (Ian,) first came to our show, he was not scheduled to be on as long as he is now, so he would have been considered perhaps then a “guest star”!  His expertise, his finesse, his colors, his depth, is not easy to do ladies and gentlemen!  To make all of that fly is not an easy feat.  There is no handicap there.  He either makes it work or he doesn’t make it work.  So to honor some of those “guest stars” would be interesting.

Watch Doug’s nominated reel below! Then, let us know what you thought of it and his chances on Emmy night?  What did you think of Doug’s thoughts on the Younger acting categories and a move to bring a Guest Star performance category?  Share your comments below!