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Y&R's Jeanne Cooper Video Interview Chat! Her Memoir, Maria Bell's Exit from Y&R & Your Questions Answered!
Courtesy/Harper Collins
Yesterday on the official release date of The Young and the Restless’ Jeanne Cooper’s (Katherine Chancellor) new tell-all memoir, Not Young Still Restless, On-Air On-Soaps Michael Fairman chatted with the legendary actress via a special Skype chat while Jeanne was in New York City promoting the release of her book and Fairman was in Los Angeles! During the video interview, an emotional Cooper discussed many parts of her turbulent life with heartfelt honesty, while at the same time laughing about the roller coaster ride of a life she has had off-screen and on-screen as the Grand Dame of Genoa City for over 39 years.
On-Air On-Soaps previously asked fans via our Facebook, Twitter, and posts here at our website, to submit questions for Jeanne and during the mid-way point in the interview she answers many of them that were chosen!
Courtesy/Harper Collins
Of course, the hot question on everyone’s mind and ours was how did Jeanne feel about the firing of Maria Arena Bell as the executive producer and head writer of The Young and the Restless, and the hiring of Jill Farren Phelps and Josh Griffith as her successor’s in each of the key roles. Here are some excerpts from the video interview of what Jeanne had to say about that, and what she would do to fix the the enormous population of new characters that have invaded Genoa City!
Jeanne on Maria Bell’s exit: “I was out of town thank God, when it happened. I was honored that both Maria Bell and Steve Kent (Senior Executive Producer, SONY) called me. And, I was honored that both people wanted to tell me their side of the story. I have to say in Maria’s defense, she was serving two hats, one with MOCA (The Museum of Modern Arts) and one with The Young and the Restless. She had a great sense of Y&R having Bill Bell as a father-in-law and learning and writing under his umbrella. But within the art world, it was going down. And Maria as the chairwoman was very beneficial in turning that around. Now that is a very important position. Now put that on top of writing a number one show and what she was trying to do, which kept her from the show a great deal of time. Maria was thinking she had the right people at her back at every turn, and she had laid out storylines assuming her writing team is taking care of that. She was trying to make it blend and teach this way of working to a show, if the storylines had been correctly done. We talked about how it is to handle two major things without paying attention to one without the other. Maria was trying to blend the two and consequently Y&R suffered for it.
Sometimes you would receive a script where you would see something that the characters would never do or say. The writers would shoot an idea rather than a storyline. For instance, you have to make Katherine do something that is very Katherine, not just saying, “Hello? You shouldn’t do that.” Maria thought everything was being taken care of and it just failed at one point. You cannot takeaway characters people have grown up with and say, “You can’t have your aunt or your uncle or your grandma or grandpa.” You cannot rob a person of their emotions, and the fans who have supported the show for years and years. I think had Maria really listened to the audience that was already there for many years, it may have helped her.”
Jeanne on her thoughts on Jill Farren Phelps and Josh Griffith: “Josh Griffith is a lovely and talented man, and I don’t know if Jill will like me. I don’t know her. I don’t know if I will like her. I have nothing against her except if she doesn’t do a great job, she will go the way of everybody else. I hate to see we have become “Birth of a Nation”! Sometimes you go to work and you see a strange face and you go, “Who are you?” This whole switching immediately on the audience … it takes a long time for them and the characters to bond, which is like real life.”
Jeanne on what she would to do fix Y&R: “Everybody is so excited when the core people come back, and none of them are old and decrepit. The point is root families! Eliminate the “Birth of a Nation” and of course there are so many! So I would say what one should do is Genoa City adopts a sister city and the sister city is going to have a tremendous charity fundraiser. And the people going to the sister city climb on board a plane to head toward the sister city and it crashes. That way, you don’t have to explain how anybody died. (Laughs) There would be one big funeral. Then, let’s go back to family dysfunction or functional drama, and it will no longer be “Birth of a Nation”. I wish Jill Farren Phelps all the success in the world, but it cannot be all about cell phones and sex! “Pardon me I am finishing up on Sharon here, I will be with you in a minute.” (Laughs)
Now below watch the entire video interview with Jeanne Cooper, and let us know your thoughts and favorite parts of our chat! NOTE: Due to the Skype chat application used to record this interview, you may need to adjust your volume levels on your computer.
Birth of a Nation???
That just means she’s been around since 1776.
Amen Jeanne Cooper!!!! Thanks so much for this Michael Kuddos!!! JFP you have been warned by us fans sit down for hours with this woman and get this show back on track. Everything she said about bringing characters over from other shows is true. I will be waiting for September to see if everybody can leave their egos at the door and get to work!!!! Oh first thing get on the horn and beg for the original Mac to come home Ashley Bauisoum was the only Mac.
So now the excuse is that MAB wasn’t around to supervise? Hello, you are the HW and EP of the #1 soap. It is up to you that the quality continues. Forget your volunteer post. This is your family legacy that is being diminished.
Jeanne, you are a class act – can’t wait to read your book!!
Amen keep core, and keep the Chancellors especially.
I can do without the Anita’s, Jeff, and the periphery but not Katherine, her son, Jill.
If its going to be just the 20 something set, I can say good bye now. They are the weakest links on Y&R. Kyle, Noah just bore me.
VERY well said, Jeanne. What a class act! Unfortunately, MAB was trusted with the task of safekeeping her family’s and the fans’ legacy, and she failed abysmally. She was arrogant, dismissive and indifferent to the fans, who have been around for decades. Now, we are stuck with JFP, and I fear that her (JFP’s) continued path of destruction through daytime will continue unabated.
Thanks A Million, Jeanne & Michael. We Love You In NW Illinois! 😀
Jeanne, I have watched since 1973 when I was in grade school. You are my favorite actress of all time and I mean that from the bottom of my heart! God bless you and be gracious to you always. I cannot wait to read your book.
i love jeanne cooper. what a classy sassy woman. michael fairman i loved your interview with jeanne cooper. jeanne is a wonderful actress. i hope that her husband rex turns out to alive. you never know. i am so happy that maria arena bell got fired. it was about time that she got the boot. let’s see what jill can do. i mean the producer. keep jeanne cooper melody thomas scott eric braeden michelle stafford, christian leblanc, tracy bregman., peter bergman, joshua morrow. fire jacks son kyle eden michael sister. hopefully jess walton comes back after 6 months. i have a feeling she won’t be back. hopefully i am wrong. maybe the new writers can bring back actors from the past. if jess walton doesn’t come back. bring back brenda dickson the origional jill foster abbott. i know she was a diva, a lot of actors had a hard time working with her. but jeanne cooper addored brenda dickson. in the beginning brenda and jeanne never got along. but they made up and were very good friends.
Thank you for this incredible interview, Jeanne and Michael! Thanks also for asking my question to Jeanne about the notorious cake fight, Michael! So fun to watch this!! Brava to you both; can’t wait to read “Not Young, Still Restless!” Every fan of the show should own it!
I love Jeanne, the actress, but I think she is getting too old to do interviews. So much of what she said was difficult to understand…rambling without making a point. She needs to stick to scripted dialog and not speak “off the cuff.”
It sounds like she is giving MAB a pass for her terrible work. “Wearing two hats” is no excuse for what she did to the show. MAB obviously can’t do two things at once and should have picked one and stuck with it.
Sorry, but your comment is the most ridiculous thing I’ve read all week. If you want scripted dialogue, then perhaps you shouldn’t be watching an interview. And, talk about rambling without a point! Wow.
Um, talk about ridiculous, your comment is the dumb one. Whether you agree or not, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Patrick replied June 7th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
I agree… help me out here… why the fixation… all the time… victor and jack? heck victor and his brood… same old, same old. Jack is once again.. on his own… with Ashley and Traci gone… THIS IS THE TRUE CRIME COMMITTED.
By bringing back Ronin… it gives Y&R – Katherine the Great… scheming nymph Jill… busy body Esther – wanna belong chloe, understated Ms. America Nina (i must be better then cricket)… The Chancellors to regain their 1st place… in geneo city.
help out, Phillip 4th… Chance. Chancellors reign supreme.
re=post
Thanks, Michael, for conducting the interview and posting it. I am flattered that you included one of my questions. I appreciate and agree with Cooper’s answer to it. I really enjoyed the interview. Cooper is more honest than a lot of employed actors would be about their current work environment. The only remark by her with which I don’t entirely agree were her comments about Maria Arena Bell. I clearly can understand Cooper having strong loyalty to a member of the Bell family and wanting to defend/explain the missteps under MAB’s reign. However, I don’t entirely accept Cooper’s explanation that MAB was busy juggling tasks from multiple positions and that the writers let MAB down. Cooper’s take may offer some insight into the reasons for the failure but doesn’t really excuse it. If MAB overextended herself by working in the arts while also helming Y&R, any problems arising from that really were MAB’s fault and not the fault of the writing staff. Other than that, I agreed with almost everything Cooper said.
In particular, I thought her comment about scenes involving “cell phones and sex” was hilarious and dead on!! I’m still chuckling about her crack that the character would answer the cell phone call and remark that he would be over as soon as he finished having sex with Sharon!!!!
I’m not getting the “ally” thing with MAB. An allegiance to your craft… and Yes, I know Jeanne Cooper is proud to herald her Career, in “soaps”. So, let bygones be bygones…. I don’t agree with “nepotism”. when it’s not working… fix it. LOL. Oye! Who are we to step off our soap box.
She’s that “spitfire” who “hell be damned” is known for her truth. I mean, Sharon, can’t tell us… she’s the busy one…. LOL.
I really liked Brenda Dickson, as well… as the orig. Jill…. God Love Jess Walton… she’s consummate. Real Old Camp Serial Classic, would be bringing Brenda back, as a tribute… and down memory lane. if JW is happier, at home.
it’s like, how can we not miss…. the Abbotts dining…. Jack, Tracy, Ashley, John, Mamie. The Abbotts over the Newmans… were my ideal.
I realize that I forgot something important in my comment: Thank you, Jeanne Cooper, for granting this interview. I appreciate the time that you made for it and your candid and insightful responses to the questions.
Thank you Jeanne. I love watching you on Y&R. I love when a show is balanced with people of all ages. Unfortunately, some in charge don’t. They are more interested in getting the Kardashian or Jersey Shore audience in this day and age. Sad and pathetic. I think it’s possible for a show to change without wiping everything out to do so. I guarantee it if they come in and get rid of everything that has been beloved and watched for years on Y&R, the show will crash and burn or stay on the bottom of the ratings for now on. Best of luck Jeanne.
I never watched Y&R .. But I wish her god luck with her book and I hope she sells a lot of books !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It looks like the current run of Lucas Adams (Noah) and Tamara Braun (Sienna) on The Young and the Restless is coming to an end, after the Monday, August 3 edition of the CBS daytime drama revealed that Noah and Sienna are leaving Genoa City and heading back to Los Angeles.
In the storyline, Noah informed his mother, Sharon (Sharon Case) and half-sister Mariah (Camryn Grimes) that he and Sienna made the decision to move back to the West Coast to put distance between themselves and Matt Clark (Roger Howarth). Although Noah did not say it was a permanent move, he did assure his mom that once Matt is hopefully gone from Genoa City they could return.
However, as previewed already on the video teaser for this week’s episodes of Y&R (see below), it appears Noah left Genoa City’s The Shadow Room to be run by a returning Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian). So with that, coupled with today’s episode, it would appear the move could wind up being more permanent.
Photo: JPI
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Adams made his Y&R debut on November 4, 2025 as the successor to Rory Gibson who last played Noah on-screen in April of 2023. Earlier in 2025, Gibson took over the role of Michael Corinthos on Genera Hospital replacing Chad Duell, who stepped away from the part after 15 years.
Braun who played Adam’s mother on Days of Our Lives when she was Ava Vitali and he was Tripp Dalton, first appeared on Y&R back on October 14, 2025, where we soon learned she had become Noah’s lover as the new character, Sienna Bacall. It should be noted, Adams was on contract with the number #1 soap, while Braun has been on recurring status.
With Josh Griffith now exited as head writer of The Young and the Restless, and the newly announced co-head writing team of Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor having taken his place and starting their new tenure this week, it will be interesting to see how the duo resets the show, and if a Noah and Sienna return is in the cards for the future or not.
So, what do you think about the seeming departures of Lucas Adams and Tamara Braun from The Young and the Restless? Weigh-in via the comment section. But first, check out our recent live chat with Tamara and Lucas on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Rosie O’Donnell revealed that she plans to head back to a seat at the table of ABC’s morning talk show The View.
The announcement came during Monday’s episode of The Tangle Podcast where she shared she will participate in “in whatever way they want” her or “just as a guest” for its upcoming 30th season.
The View’s season 30 will kick-off this fall in September. O’Donnell explained, “They’re bringing back all the hosts, I think. And, you know, I’m pretty proud of that show, what it’s become and how it really speaks to the people and to politics.”
Photo: ABC
ROSIE ON HER PREVIOUS GO-ROUNDS ON THE VIEW
As fans of The View know, O’Donnell famously had two different one-year stints on the talk show in 2007 and again in 2014- 2015. She often feuded with then co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck.
However, during her discussion with host, Kyle Ridley on The Tangle Podcast, O’Donnell also noted she often had tense moments with longtime moderator and anchor, Whoopi Goldberg.
O’Donnell also expressed, “Many, many people got the short end of the stick there. It was, you know, it was a factory where people were being churned in and out and their tenuous security, nobody got to be calm. It also was a show at the time that was run by a man. A show created by a woman, for women, about women, and the man was deciding what we should talk about. And that didn’t sit right with me, you know.”
Back in 2023, Brooke Shields had asked Rosie on her podcast, Now What? with Brooke Shields, about how she felt on her two stints at The View and all the controversy that surrounded it. Rosie at that time, stated, “I know this, it’s not the best use of my talent to get in a show where I have to argue and defend basic principles of humanity and kindness. It was not something I’d ever do again.”
You can check out the clip with Rosie and Kyle Ridley discussing her return to The View in some form for its upcoming 30th season below.
Then weigh-in: Would you be excited to see Rosie, even for a one-day or a week guest stint on the upcoming celebratory season of The View, or not so much? Let us know via the comment section.
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General Hospital Fan Club Weekend brought out many of your favorites to the four day event; with the main cast gathering on Saturday, August 1. Fans near and far attended the weekend held this year at the Burbank Marriott Hotel. Whether it be the main cast event or the smaller more intimate events featuring two or three cast members a great time was had by all.
Some of the cast participating in the main cast event included: Cyrus Hobbi (Yuri), Gary James Fuller (James), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Viron Weaver (Wiley), Paige Herschell (Jacinda), Chris McKenna (Brennan), Josh Kelly (Cody), Kayden Brenna Tokarsi (Scout), Cassandra James (Terry), Laura Wright (Carly), Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), Rick Hearst (Ric), Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco), and Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle).
In addition to, Van Hansis (Lucas), Cameron Mathison (Drew), Ryan Paevey (ex-Cassius), Easton Rocket Sweda (Leo), Maurice Benard (Sonny), Kristen Vaganos (Molly), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Kate Mansi (ex-Kristina), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Cynthia Watros (Nina), Kristina Wagner (Felicia) and more.
Take a look at some of the snaps from the main event arrivals below:
Photo: HutchinsPhoroi
GH’s Rick Hearst with on-screen daughter, Kristen Vaganos, plus Nancy Lee Grahn, and Kate Mansi.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Maurice Benard on-hand to meet the fans.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto.com
Jack Brennan in the house … Chris McKenna.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Adrian Anchondo, Van Hansis and Anchondo’s boyfriend, Days of Our Lives, Colton Little.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Josh Kelly and his gal, the former Nelle Benson of Port Charles, Chloe Lanier.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Who is James’ father? Not Cassius or Spinelli, actually. Actors Gary James Fuller, Ryan Paevey and Bradford Anderson!
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
One of General Hospital’s newest cast members, Kayden Brenna Tokarski attends her first GHFCW event.
Check out some more arrival images featuring: Laura Wright (Carly), Cassandra James (Terry), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) and more in the gallery below.
Michael Fairman TV will be adding more images to this post in the day ahead.
So, were you glad to see so many of your GH favorites attending this year’s General Hospital Fan Club Weekend? Let us know via the comment section.
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