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Y&R’s Melissa Claire Egan Chats On Tackling Chelsea’s Depression Storyline, and Being the “SuLu” of The Daytime Emmy Nominations

By Michael Fairman

Published

3 years ago

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Photo: CBS

While the 50th annual Daytime Emmy Awards have currently been put on hold until there is a resolution of the WGA Writers Strike, that doesn’t mean we can’t continue our series of spotlighting the nominees who will be going for gold when the ceremonies are rescheduled.

The Young and the Restless’ Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea) delivered what was one of the most gut-wrenching performances in recent memory, when Chelsea attempted to end her life via suicide, only to be saved at the last minute by an astute Billy (played by Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nominee, Jason Thompson). The conversations and intensity of that moment, and the scenes that followed, had an impact on so many viewers and shed a light on mental illness and people battling with depression. Clearly, something that many in this country have been grappling with, especially during and coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For Egan, this marks her seventh Daytime Emmy nomination, and her second in the Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, in a soap career that started in Pine Valley as All My Children’s troubled Annie Lavery, before coming to Genoa City as grifter, Chelsea Lawson.

Michael Fairman TV caught up with Missy, who is an expectant mom-to-be with her second child, to discuss portraying her harrowing nominated scenes, and being the current ‘Susan Lucci’ of the Daytime Emmy Nominations. However, for Susan, it was 19 tries before her iconic Emmy victory in 1999. Let’s hope it doesn’t have to last that long for the talented Egan!

Courtesy/CBS

Congratulations. I knew this nomination was in the cards for you. What scenes did you end up deciding to go with on your reel? I assume, it would be from Chelsea’s suicide attempt and her battle with depression?

MELISSA: I did. I put in two episodes worth of everything that happened: on the ledge, and the aftermath, the next episode that followed. It was when Chelsea and Billy are in the hotel room and she’s still going through the stages and she’s angry at him for stopping her. She’s like, “You had no right to stop me on that ledge. That was my choice. You had no right. You don’t get to tell me what to do in my life.”  I like that those scenes showed kind of the levels of it. I talked to Dr. Dan Reidenberg (Managing Director at National Council for Suicide Prevention) a lot in preparing for the scenes about what happens after. i.e., “You’re in shock, and then in anger if you get stuck. You had emotionally planned to die and come to terms with that, and then what happens after that, if it doesn’t happen.” So, I really liked that episode as well, so I put in both of those.

Is it hard for you to watch your work, or are you good with it?

MELISSA: You know, it depends. I don’t watch my work all the time. I did watch these episodes because I wanted to see how they turned out. They were so important to the story, and it’s definitely hard to watch yourself with a critical eye. I don’t always watch, but I did watch these.

Courtesy/CBS

You know, this story resonated with so many people. I follow how and what people are reacting to, as part of being a journalist. This was one of those transcendent performances of the nominations. It felt so real, as I’ve told you before. It was really hard to watch, which I think was good. It put people in an uncomfortable place they don’t like to be. Jason Thompson plays the other part of it with the, “Oh, my God” of it all, and the, “What do you do when you’re faced with somebody that’s about to try to end their life?” What reaction did you get from viewers, or people that reached out to you after these performances aired?

MELISSA: Oh, gosh. It was so profound. It was so beyond words. The fans are always supportive, but I couldn’t believe the reaction of just people sharing on Instagram, on Twitter DM’ing me saying, “This was me, ” or saying, “This was my daughter, this was my aunt, this was my mom, this is my son. This was my cousin.”  Some people shared things like, “This happened to my cousin two weeks ago.” I just couldn’t believe how much it resonated with people.  I was so moved and so touched that people were willing to share and that it got a conversation started. It truly meant the world to me. I know for all of us at the show, it’s all you can hope for, is to hopefully help people feel less alone, and feel seen, and feel that it’s hopefully done properly. Like you said, that it is maybe uncomfortable to watch, but maybe in a good way.  It was pretty profound, and I will forever be grateful for that.

Courtesy/CBS

I had talked with Jason Thompson about how the two of you approached the emotional scenes together. What happened to get the two of you to the place you were able to deliver these performances? Did you prepare together before hitting the soundstage to tape?

MELISSA: We didn’t really, Obviously, Jason is such an amazing actor. We rehearsed it the way we always do. You know, we ran the lines and then we did each scene in one take, which is the norm there, too. If in the booth and the director, and Josh Griffith (EP and Head Writer, Y&R) who was watching, weren’t happy, obviously, we would’ve done it again. We did every single one of those scenes one time. We ran lines before and then did it. Actually, because of the director’s schedule, we had to shoot out of order. We shot the scenes in the hotel the day before we shot the ones on the ledge. There were definitely challenges involved.  At first, I remember thinking, “Oh gosh, we can’t do this. We have to shoot it in order.” But then, I was like, “You know what? We can, we can do this.” It just becomes a different challenge. We shot the scene in the hotel on a Thursday. We shot the scenes on the ledge late on a Friday night.  Jason did his research on his own. I did mine, but we came together. Obviously, we talked a lot about the scenes leading up to it for week.

Photo: ABC

Now, I remember when you and I have talked in the past and would kid, that you are the “SuLu” of the Daytime Emmy Nominations. Currently, this is your seventh Daytime Emmy nominations, with yet, a win.

MELISSA: I’m the Sulu!  I’ll take it anytime I can be compared to Susan Lucci. I know it’s wild, right? Number seven.

It is wild. However, I feel like this is the strongest reel you have had to enter into the Emmys.  It’s a game.  It’s being judged by people. It’s a competition. And unfortunately, you have to play the game, which is usually about the strategy of, “How does this reel connect to people, and how can people understand what’s going on it if they don’t know the show?” How do you feel about how this submission stacks up with the six previous ones for you?

MELISSA: I’ve always been proud of my reels and I’m so proud of the seven nominations in 17 years of doing soaps. However, because the material is so important and the material is so relevant, and it’s touched people in such a different way, it’s become the work I’m most proud of, for sure. The truth is: I’m so excited to be nominated again, but the real reward has been being able to affect people and touch people and help people. There’s nothing that can compare or compete with that. So, I feel like no matter what happens, I feel like the real reward is being able to tell the story and help people feel less alone. It really is.

Photos: ABC, CBS,

What a “Lead Actress” group to be nominated with.  Two of your castmates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R) and Sharon Case, (Sharon, Y&R) along with Finola Hughes (Anna, GH) and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B), are all in the category with you.

MELISSA: I know! It’s so exciting. It’s such a great group of women and great group of actors. And of course, having Michelle and Sharon on there is just icing on the cake. It’s so cool and so special.

You know, Finola Hughes, right?

MELISSA: Yes. I got to know Finola for our girl’s nominee luncheon, two years ago. We were both nominated together two years ago along with Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, too.  She won that year. So, three of us were in this together two years ago, which is weird and fun. I was pregnant then, too. There’s like a lot of similarities. It’s all been these very ‘pinch me’ moments. I’m just so excited and so grateful no matter what happens.

Photo: JPI

If you get the opportunity to give an acceptance speech, will you have something written down if your name is called, or will you just wing?

MELISSA: No. I’ve never written anything down. But again, I haven’t had to. I always kind of think about it in my brain, in my thoughts, of what I would say, but I’ve never put a pen to paper, ever, which is probably not smart. I’m sure I would end up forgetting somebody very important. I just never have written it down. It’s just not my way.

Jason Thompson made a comment to me when he was a special guest on my Daytime Emmy nomination special.  He mentioned, like so many actors have to me in the past, that even as a kid, he would practice in the mirror, winning in Oscar and giving an acceptance speech.  Did you ever do that?

MELISSA: I will say the cool thing about the Emmy is … two years ago, we all got to ‘pretend’ win, and walk on that stage and a hold an Emmy and thank our parents, and then of course, four out of five of us did not win.  However, you got to experience what it would kind of feel like.  I’ll always have that in my back pocket if I continue to be the “SuLu” of my generation.

Photo: NATAS

If for some reason you continue to be the ‘Sulu,’ you’ll have to call Susan Lucci for advice!

MELISSA:  The next time I see her, I will definitely tell her. I mean, I can’t compare it to the ‘Queen’, but, you know, I’ll take any kind of comparison, for sure!

Photo: ABC

Will you be rooting for Melissa Claire Egan to win this year’s Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series? Were you affected and touched by Y&R’s suicide prevention storyline which featured Melissa’s performances as Chelsea, front and center? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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I will be rooting for Melissa all the way until Emmy night. Her performance was so emotionally raw, so real and vulnerable. I can’t imagine her not winning. But as she said, no award is more important than what impact her performance had on the viewers. As someone who lost one family member and almost lost a second one to suicide, this is personal for me. There is nothing more important as an actor to give their all to a story. And Melissa certainly did. We need more stories about the importance of mental health and reaching out for help. Because it’s there for everyone, no matter what the circumstances are. Thank you Melissa and break a leg on Emmy night!!

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Melissa definitely deserves to win this year!

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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Tamara Tunie On Bittersweet Emmy Win Without Scott Bryce: ‘I Only Wish He Had Been Here a Little Longer to Share This With Me’

Published

23 hours ago

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November 13, 2026

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Tamara Tunie and Scott Bryce

Just two weeks ago, Beyond the Gates matriarch Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree) took home the Outstanding Lead Actress prize at the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Tunie made an impressive and touching 3-minute speech which gave a special nod to her 92-year-old mother, who was present with her at the October 30 ceremony.

One person who was with Tamara in spirit was her longtime best friend and former co-star, As the World Turns’ Scott Bryce (ex-Craig Montgomery).

In a heartbreaking moment earlier this year, the multi-time Daytime Emmy-nominated actor passed away from his cancer battle,”which began as stage three esophageal cancer eventually spread and became brain tumors that took his life away from him,” shared his son Jackson on an Instagram post following his death.

Bryce died at 68-years-old back on July 12. A day later, Tamara Tunie learned she was in the running for the first time in her career for a Lead Actress Daytime Emmy. She had taken to her Instagram to share the bittersweet moment on the heels of learning of her longtime friend’s passing.

Photo: JPI

MISSING SCOTT BRYCE ON EMMY NIGHT

Fast-forward to November 12 and on a very special livestream chat, celebrating Tamara’s Daytime Emmy win on the Michael Fairman Channel, she opened up about missing Scott on her winning night.

“It was definitely bittersweet,” recalled Tunie after she won Lead Actress. “Our mutual friends who texted me all said, including his wife and widow Jodi, ‘You know Scotty is smiling. You know he’s cheering.’ And I do know that, and I only wish that he had been here a little longer to have shared this with me.”‘

Speaking of their unbroken bond, even in death, Tamara added, “We knew each other for decades. It was just one of those friendships that formed immediately and just lasted. We were brother and sister, you know. I was the sister that he never had in his family, and he was my other brother, for sure.”

BEING A FAN OF AS THE WORLD TURNS BEFORE BEING ON IT

Before Tamara even landed her first soap role as Jessica Griffin, she was watching As the World Turns and knew that Scott Bryce was one of the most gifted actors to grace Oakdale.

“I respected him as an actor before I knew him as a person, because I watched him on As the World Turns before I became a cast member and when he was paired on-screen with Meg Ryan,” recalled Tunie. “He was the first person that I saw on daytime television fake being paralyzed. Craig faked having to be in a wheelchair, and what I loved about him was Scotty was able to play that bad kid with such vulnerability that you rooted for him. You rooted for Craig, even when he was doing terrible things. That’s the kind of complex, interesting and nuanced actor that Scotty was.”

Tamara Tunie and mother

Photos: NATAS

THE BEYOND THE GATES EXPERIENCE

When looking at what winning the gold meant to her and the ride she has been on since the launch of Beyond the Gates in 2024, Tamara concluded, “It’s incredible, particularly because it’s our first year (at the Emmys). It’s really incredible and it is historical. The show has been historical in so many ways. Just its mere existence is historical. I’m often at a loss for words.”

“It’s something I know I’ll look back on at some point and feel the the weight of it will,” feels Tamara. “And the moment will become more apparent to me. Someone asked me yesterday about my legacy. I feel like that’s for other people to describe.”

Speaking on how highly-regarded she is as an actress by her peers and the viewers, Tamara expressed, “I have not moved through this life saying, ‘This will be my legacy,’ because I don’t know. I know what I’m passionate about. I know what drives me. I know what I care about. I know that I do want to have an impact on someone or someones lives, if it helps them in some way. That’s always been what has driven me. A lot of the projects that I’ve chosen to participate in are decided based on that in some degree.”

TAMARA ON THE MAGNITUDE OF FIRST EMMY WIN

In closing, the new Lead Actress winner shared, “It’s incredible. I’m honored. I’m humbled. I’m not pretending or making that up or being falsely modest. I really am. I’m just in a constant state of gratitude.”

You can check out the full conversation with Tamara Tunie from our live chat below.

Then let us know, what did you think of the sentiments shown by Tamara and her wish that her dear friend, Scott Bryce could have been seen her win the Emmy? Happy that Tamara received Emmy gold? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Interviews

B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)

Published

3 days ago

on

November 11, 2026

By

Crew Morrow and Sydney Bullock

It appears that Melissa Dylan (Sydney Bullock) has thus far successfully been able to swing Will Spencer (Crew Morrow) over to her side, and have him actually develop strong romantic feelings for her.

The one problem in her way is Will’s mother, Katie Logan (Heather Tom), and there is always the possibility that Will and Electra (Laneya Grace), who were each others first loves find their way back to one another.

However for now, Dylan’s portrayer, Sydney Bullock is confident that her soap opera alter ego’s got her man and that she can handle anything that can come her way Speaking on the red carpet with Michael Fairman TV at the recently completed 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Bullock explained where Will and Dylan’s relationship is at now on the CBS soap opera.

Crew

Photo: JPI

“Dylan is our lovable anti-hero. She’s messy, but she’s a human,” shares Bullock. Adding about keeping Will Spencer as Dylan’s guy, Sydney commented, “I think she can hold on to him for awhile. I think she’s got it in her.”

When asked how it is sharing the screen with young leading man, Crew Morrow, Sydney joked, “Crew, what a doll! It’s a hard job, my goodness! How do I do it?”

Kelly Sullivan

Photo: JPI

In the last few months, Bullock received an on-screen mom when General Hospital and The Young and the Restless alum, Kelly Sullivan (ex-Kate/Connie, ex-Sage, respectively) joined the show as Darcy Dylan.

“I love working with Kelly Sullivan,” said Bullock enthusiastically. “She’s always down to break down the scenes with me, and we go through so much, and she’s really like my mom on set. She’s so amazing.” Sullivan visited the Michael Fairman Channel for a live chat after her B&B debut here.

So, what’s ahead for Dylan and will be exciting? Hold the phone! Sydney explained, “Oh, man! Is it going to get exciting?! Dylan, she’s a survivor and we’re just going to keep seeing her surviving. She finds a lot of ways to do that.”

In the end, Bullock has high-praise and love for her B&B character: “I think she’s super strong and I’m really honored to play her.  I’ve been rooting for her, and as for the fans, I think they will be (rooting for her) too.”

You can check out our Daytime Emmys red carpet chat with Sydney Bullock below, and for more interviews with your favorite stars from the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards, click here. 

In addition on Wednesday, BBTV posted a new video with Crew Morrow and Sydney Bullock about the pairing of “Dill.” You can also check that out below.

So are your rooting for Dylan to keep Will all to herself? Do you think she will have to fight and claw to keep her man? Are you enjoying Sydney Bullock’s portrayal of Melissa Dylan? Let us know in the comment section below. 

 

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Favorite Amanda Setton Talks Brook Lynn and Chase’s Divorce, Jude Jacks, Baby Phoebe, and What’s Next (Exclusive)

Published

5 days ago

on

November 9, 2026

By

Amanda Setton

On General Hospital, Brook Lynn Quartermaine’s (Amanda Setton) life as she knows it has turned upside down. First, she and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed divorce papers while in  the Dominican Republic. As much as they loved each other, they just couldn’t get past all the trust issues between them.

Then, right after that, Jude Jax (Wil Traval) shows up at the Q mansion and demands to see his daughter, baby Phoebe! Brook Lynn is thrown for a complete loop. Is this guy claiming to be the biological father of Delilah Wilson’s daughter, which had been adopted by Brook Lynn and Chase, telling the truth? Brook Lynn is on her way to getting to the bottom of his claims.

Meanwhile, Brook Lynn’s portrayer, Amanda Setton just celebrated her first-ever Daytime Emmy nomination, and in the very competitive Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category. While Amanda ultimately did not take home the gold statuette, that honor went to The Young and the Restless’ longtime veteran, Beth Maitland (Traci Abbott), she was in great spirits when Michael Fairman TV caught up with her on the red carpet.

Photo: ABC

THE END OF THE LINE FOR BROOK LYNN AND CHASE

When asked how she felt about Brook Lynn being the first (between her and Chase) to put pen to paper on their divorce papers, Settton recalled, “She did. But I’m like, ‘Did she or did he kind of?’ They did it (both of them).”

Getting a new co-star and cast member can go one of two ways, great or not so great, but Amanda had nothing but high praise for Wil Traval’s entrance and performance as Jude Jacks!

THE ARRIVAL OF JUDE JAX

“Wil Traval is fabulous to work with. His debut was so amazing the other day, wasn’t it? He was just such a force and everybody’s faces and reactions when he says that he’s, ‘Jude Jacks, Jerry’s son.’ It was so good and well-played! Wil’s awesome. I’m excited for what’s to come. We’re going to have a lot of stuff together.”

Photo: ABC

According to Amanda, Brook Lynn will have her hands full in the months to come: “There’s a lot of stuff coming down the pike with Baby Phoebe. Will Chase and Brooklyn work together? Will they not? Is it really Jude’s daughter? Lots of questions!”

GRATITUDE TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY HER PEERS

For Setton, being an Emmy nominee meant the world to her, and to finally be acknowledged by her peers in a television career that spanned daytime and primetime including her performances as Kimberly Andrews on One Life to Live. But most importantly for her work in 2025 in the emotional rollercoaster of a story where Brook Lynn learns Gio (Giovanni Mazza) is her biological son.

“It means so much to me,” expressed Amanda. “It really does. I keep using this line, but I really mean it. It feels like a big hug. You know, not everybody who votes for these categories works with you. It’s really a very humbling feeling to know that your work actually touched someone and moved someone enough for them to vote for you. And getting to play the storyline that I got to play was such a privilege. It really was, with the actors I got to play it with. To be a little rewarded for it feels so nice.”

You can check out our chat with Amanda Setton on the red carpet at the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards below. Then make sure to check out all the Michael Fairman Channel red carpet interviews from daytime’s biggest night here.

So, do you think Brook Lynn and Chase will unite to keep baby Phoebe away from Jude Jacks? What do you think of Wil Traval’s performances thus far as Jude? How do you see this story for the custody of baby Phoebe playing out? Were you rooting for Amanda to take home the Supporting Actress gold? Let us know via the comment section below.

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