Interviews

Y&R’s Mark Grossman Chats On His First Daytime Emmy Nomination As Adam Newman

By Michael Fairman

Published

6 years ago

June 15, 2020

Michael

Photo: CBS

Stepping into the shoes of a major character on a soap opera, when it has been played previously by wildly popular actors is a daunting task for any performer. And when it comes to the role of the black sheep of Genoa City’s Newman clan, you better be ready to bring your A-game, because you will land under a microscope from longtime fans of the series.

Over the past year, The Young and the Restless’ Mark Grossman has done just that – brought his A-game -and has run with the role of Adam and made it his own. So much so, that he has been recognized for his work in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category at this year’s upcoming 47th annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

Grossman is in a good company where he will vie for the gold against: his castmate, Bryton James (Devon), DAYS’ trio of Wally Kurth (Justin), Chandler Massey (Will) and Paul Telfer (Xander), plus GH’s James Patrick Stuart (Valentin). So, can this newbie to soaps best the vets? Stay tuned!

Michael Fairman TV chatted with Mark about: his Emmy nod accomplishment, reflecting back on his first few months on the CBS Daytime drama series, and when the story picks back up, (when production begins again following the shutdown from the coronavirus pandemic), just what will Adam do now that Victor (Eric Braeden) is telling him he has proof that his son, killed another man? Hmm. Here’s what Mark had to say about it all.

Photo: JPI

Congratulations on your nomination, and it’s so well-deserved. Were you surprised that you name was called, or did you think you had a good shot?

MARK: It was definitely surprising. Obviously, it’s my first year doing daytime and taking on this big role, so I submitted. But then when I found out that I got nominated, I was like, “Wow, that’s incredible. I’m honored.”

It is really great though; because it is rare that a performer comes onto a soap and in their first year gets nominated. It’s very hard to kind of crack that glass ceiling of the often perennial nominees. Sometimes, the same people get in year after year. You and B&B’s Annika Noelle, who took over the role of Hope, both landed nods and you were recasts in wildly popular soap roles.

MARK: Yes, I saw that. That’s so awesome.

So, what did you end up submitting, and how did you decide what you were going to throw your hat in the ring with?

MARK: I submitted two scenes with Eric Braeden (Victor) and then one scene with Sharon Case (Sharon). I just picked some scenes that I thought had some weight to them and were honest. My reel is kind of short. I later found out that a lot of people submit reels that are closer to ten minutes, but I think mine in the mid-four minute range. Then I thought, “Man, maybe I should have put some more scenes in there?” One of the scenes is where Adam thought that Victor tried to run him over, and then they had a confrontation at the ranch. Another scene was before Adam left town to go to Vegas after he thought he killed Victor. Then, there was a scene with Sharon in the penthouse before Adam went to Vegas. Those are three I used.

Photo: JPI

It was a reel that was short and sweet, and you were trying to show kind of the bad and the good of Adam Newman?

MARK: Yeah, it was kind of hard to decide. Fortunately, I’ve worked a lot since I started, so I had a lot to choose from. I always love working with Eric, and I think I do some of my best work when I am with him. That dynamic of father and son, the push and the pull, those scenes always seem to have some weight to them, so I used those. I picked some with Sharon because there is so much history (obviously) with those two characters. I remember when Adam proposed to her and wanted to get married, and we had some big moments in the penthouse, and then a few weeks later, I think we had some more big scenes. I picked that because I wanted to show a little contrast, so it’s not all just Adam with Victor.

Did Eric Braeden or Sharon Case congratulate you when you received the nomination?

MARK: Eric said something on Twitter, congratulating me, which was extremely kind of him, and Sharon congratulated me too, which was also very nice.

Photo: CBS

What about your family? Was everybody like, “What? You’re nominated? Yippee!”

MARK: Yeah, they were super excited. I’ve said it before, but my father is still thrilled that I am on the show, so to get nominated; he’s just over the moon. He watches pretty much daily. I think he might have watched Y&R years ago, but when I got cast on the show, he started watching every day, and he loves it.

Does your dad think you’re okay in the role? He approves?

MARK: I don’t know what he really thinks, (laughs) but he seems excited for me. He’s a proud father, so I’m grateful that he supports me being an actor.

You’re in a loaded category along with your castmate, Bryton James (Devon). Do you know the other gents nominated along with you?

MARK: I just know Bryton, obviously. I haven’t gotten a chance to meet the other guys. I hope I do. It’s an honor to be nominated with them. Obviously, our schedule is pretty non-stop when we are taping, so I haven’t gotten an opportunity to meet them at any events, or anything like that, but I really hope to.

Photo: JPI

So, now that you have gone through a full year of being front and center as Adam, and then all of the sudden, obviously, everything was cut short with the coronavirus pandemic, while you were working every day was there a time when you were like, “Oh, my God! This is so much more than I thought I was going to have to do?” Did you kind of know what you were getting yourself into taking on a major role on a soap?

MARK: I’ll always hear about soaps that they are kind of in their own category as far as the volume, and they’re their own animal because they are on five days a week, and we have an hour-long show. So, I had an idea of what it was going to be like, but it was still hard to get used to when I first started. I got all of these scripts, and putting the pages together, and I was like, “I don’t know how you people do this!” I think I probably almost had a nervous breakdown three times in the first month. Then it got easier, and the ability to retain that much material got easier. But, I remember when I started; I was trying to memorize three episodes in advance, because I was so nervous about forgetting or being unprepared. It was pretty scary at first.

If they were to say, “The winner is Mark Grossman,” what would you wear on the virtual Daytime Emmys?

MARK: I know, what do you wear? Do you go casual? Do you wear a suit? Like… tuxedo on top and sweatpants on the bottom with some sandals? (Laughs) I don’t know, man. I’m going to have to talk to some people and see what everybody else is going to wear so I don’t look like an idiot on there. However, I think people should wear a suit. I think you should wear what you would wear if they were not having it as a virtual ceremony. That seems most appropriate, right?

Photo: JPI

How did you find out about the nomination?

MARK: I knew they were going to announce it on The Talk, and then our publicist Matt Kane called and told me. I was like, “That’s crazy.”

It’s such an emotional time now for everyone too, right?

MARK: I’m honored to be nominated. It’s just hard to celebrate with so much going on in the world right now.

Photo: JPI

When Y&R last aired some of its original episodes, Victor had told Adam that he was responsible for the death of AJ Montalvo. Was that a shocker to you? Did you think that would be the reveal? At the time, Adam was saying that Victor did it, and then Victor turned the tables on Adam and told him that he killed the guy.

MARK: Victor is always working an angle, and I think Adam would not put it past him to make all of this stuff up, but I think at the same time, Victor did have a lot of answers to kind of cover all of the bases here. So, it makes Adam wonder, “Is this actually true, but how can that be true? How do you not remember doing something like that?” So, we haven’t found out the truth yet about that, but it’s going to be nice and juicy to play, for sure, whichever way it goes.

So, will you be rooting for Mark to take home the gold on Friday night, June 26th during the 47th annual Daytime Emmy Awards? When Y&R does begin to air new episodes again, do you think Adam will ultimately be the one who truly murdered AJ Montalvo? Comment below.

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5 Comments

oldest

newest

DesylvaNewman

6 years ago

Definately rooting for Mark ♥️♥️♥️♥️
He has been awesome since his first scene.
He is perfect as Adam!!!!!

Dottie Mitchell

6 years ago

He plays a wonderfully wicked role and I love to watch. Hope he wins¡

Andrea

6 years ago

No, it was Victor!

Jennifer W

6 years ago

Quit watching Y&R awhile back. The writing got to be inane and insulting. How old is Adam supossed to be now? This guy looks like a kid. Does he even shave? Muhney & Hartley are in their 40’s, he looks like he could be their son. Such silly nonsense.

Andrea

6 years ago

I love Mark!!! He is doing a fantastic job with no daytime experience.

GO MARK, bring home the gold!!!!

Interviews

‘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.