News
Y&R's Michelle Stafford on Phick, Rowell, & wheelchair bound Phyllis!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
In a brand new interview released today from TV Guide Canada’s, Nelson Branco, Michelle Stafford is featured. The hot actress and new mother from The Young and the Restless also is named 2010 Sexiest Woman Alive, an honor previously held by Crystal Chappell and One Life’s Kassie DePaiva. From her submission for this year’s Daytime Emmys, to her rockin body, to the ongoing triangle of Phyllis/Nick/Sharon, and her thoughts on the controversary surrounding her and former co-star Victoria Rowell (Ex-Dru) it’s all here, and all Stafford. Here are a few enticing excepts below!
Michelle on the Genoa City triangle this past year: “There wasn’t a lot of care taken in terms of Nick and Phyllis’s relationship last year. I don’t think the writers would be mad at me for saying that. Last year, the writers wrote the triangle from Nick and Sharon’s viewpoint — and not from Nick and Phyllis’s angle. And it’s nothing I’m even really mad about. My job is to play what’s on the page, but it was challenging to play because I had to create empathy for Phyllis through my performance because it wasn’t necessarily on the page.”
Michelle on the controversial “spit scene” that was discussed by Rowell in an interview at Daytime Confidential: “Before we taped the scene, I told everyone that I thought Phyllis should do a spit take at the moment where Drucilla said something shocking. Everyone agreed. Unfortunately, some of the spit got in her face. Technically, I guess I did spit on her, but it’s not true that I did it on purpose. That’s what happened. You can ask the director. I saw Vicki recently and we had a pleasant talk about my daughter. Before I left the show I even picked her brain about adopting. I valued her knowledge because of her history [with the foster care system]. Listen, I really consider ourselves friends. It’s hurtful to me that she would say anything bad about me now. I don’t understand it because I thought we were OK. She’s a fantastic actress. I loved working with her. There was one point I didn’t like so much, but overall, I thought we worked really well together. If I didn’t like Victoria, I’d probably not go on the record about this and just issue a no comment. Usually no comment means, “Oh, I have a big comment [laughs]!”
Michelle on a wheel-chair bound Phyllis stuck at the Masquerade Ball wheeling around during the explosion: ” Omigod, that was so funny! Everyone from the control booth to the makeup department laughed their asses off! When we shot that we could hardly get through the scenes, especially when Nick found Phyllis and asked someone to watch his wife so he could go and find Sharon! Sometimes the writers don’t see the trap they put their actors in when they don’t think about certain relationships. We just played it like, with all the commotion Nick just assumed since Phyllis was in a wheelchair that someone would’ve helped her and she got out safely — even though she didn’t [laughs]! Though, I have to say, I liked being in an exploding room because I’ve never been a part of anything like that before.”
General Hospital
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.
The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.
Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.
Photo: JPI
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST
Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”
Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”
Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”
Photo: JPI
KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL
Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”
You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.
So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!
The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.
TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.
That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.
Photo: ABC
STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES
GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.
Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.
GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS
Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.
Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.
So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
The Young and the Restless enduring favorite and two-time Daytime Emmy-winning actress, Jess Walton (Jill Foster Abbott) is set to release her memoir!
Kensington Publishing has revealed on their website that Walton’s book The Young and the Rest of Us is now available for pre-order while listing an April 27, 2027 release date. In addition, in June of 2027, Walton will mark her 40th anniversary with The Young and the Restless and her debut as Jill.
The official log lines for the memoir share, “Emmy Award-winning actress Jess Walton, known to millions as the iconic Jill Abbott on the #1 soap opera The Young and the Restless, shares her extraordinary journey to stardom, sobriety, true love, and self-discovery in this startingly candid, intimate, and star-studded memoir.”
Photo; Kensington Books
CAKE FIGHTS AND CORPORATE INTRIGUE
The book description for The Young and the Rest of Us adds, “In June 1987, Jess Walton walked through the artists’ entrance at CBS for her first day on The Young and the Restless,where she had just been hired to play the recast role of Jill Abbott. Two Emmy awards, four decades, and countless onscreen affairs, marriages, corporate takeovers, and cake fights later, she’s a beloved icon with an astonishing tale to tell.”
“In her refreshingly candid style, Jess shares her journey as a young actress from Toronto theaters to Los Angeles, where she found herself at the center of a Laurel Canyon circle that included the likes of Neil Young, David Geffen, Laura Nyro, and Joni Mitchell. Landing a Universal contract and a steady stream of guest starring roles, Jess embraced everything 1970s L.A. had to offer—including Hollywood parties fueled by limitless booze and drugs, and trysts with stars. She recounts with candor and gratitude the surprising path that eventually led her to sobriety, true love—and ultimately, to fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin, and the role of a lifetime.”
“Brimming with behind-the-scenes drama and celebrity cameos to delight fans, The Young and the Rest of Us is also rich in personal, relatable truths about marriage, motherhood, empty-nesting, self-discovery, and finding the courage to start over—as often as it takes. In a voice as fearless and frank as Jill’s, but with, humor and grace all her own, Jess Walton looks back on a life as unpredictable, and adventure filled as anything she has portrayed on screen.”
WHO ELSE PLAYED JILL FOSER ABBOTT?
Fans of The Young and the Restless know that Walton became the fourth actress to take on the role of Katherine Chancellor’s original nemesis Jill Foster back in 1987. The OG Jill was played by Brenda Dickson, also Deborah Adair, Bond Gideon and Melinda O. Fee played the part.
This year, Days of our Lives star Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts) filled-in for several episodes for Walton who was unavailable to travel from her home in Oregon to Los Angeles where Y&R was taped. Walton is still with the long-running soap opera as Jill.
So, excited to learn of Jess Walton’s upcoming memoir, ‘The Young and the Rest of Us?’ Will it be it a must-read for you? Drop a comment below.
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
‘General Hospital’ to Rebroadcast Special Episode in Tribute to Anthony Geary
‘General Hospital’s’ Tabyana Ali Song ‘Pray’ Now Available on Major Streaming Platforms with Music Video Forthcoming
‘General Hospital’ Icon Genie Francis to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
Vivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
‘Beyond the Gates’ vs. ‘The Young and the Restless’ in a Soap Opera Showdown on ‘Flip Side’ Season 3 Premiere
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And this is why I love Michelle Stafford so much and why she is my favourite soap actress of all time. She makes me smile. I am so happy that she is a new Mom and you can tell she is beyond happy too. Michelle, I wish you and Natalia the best life has to offer. From one of your dearest fans!!
Spit or swallow implications. Typical nelson branco. We should all be thankful that the panel that “voted” (chose) Sexiest Woman overruled zero sex appeal Haiduk or deflated blow up doll Bjorlin. Oh, and killer talent was a factor in considering sexiest woman.
But Branco wrote that talent was not a factor in Sexiest man. Duh! That’s bec bratty Brandon Beemer’s only talent is disrobing.
Stafford is a phenomenal and entertaining actress, no doubt abt it. No one can question her acting prowess. I think she should have submitted Phyliss cutting up Sharon’s lingerie. It was a novelistic touch from the writers. But if she’s referring to Nick leaving Phyliss, then that was a good reel also. Frankly, she has a wealth of options to choose from since she’s that good. I think she’s even better than Flannery, who has been sleepwalking thru B&B.
But Stafford comes forth as very fake abt Victoria Rowell. She wants Rowell back on Y&R? Hahahahahahahahaahahhahahahahaha! That’s abt as plausible as all the doubles running around Genoa City. One same incident cannot be interpreted in 2 such divergent ways. One of them’s lying, and I din;t think it’s Victoria Rowell.
For Stafford to only talk abt it now, after such a wild, disgusting and repugnant accusation, says it all. No one accused of spitting on a colleague would speak up abt it after 3 years! Stafford’s “I don’t know why she thinks we’re not friends” is pure crap. Stafford’s obviously playing the “I’m nice, look at me, I want her back on the show.” angle while impying that Rowell is a few cards short of a full stack. Stafford’s abt as convincing as Christian Leblanc’s acting.
Victoria Rowell is notoriously arrogant and difficult, I think Michelle Stafford handled herself with class and diplomacy.
I dont know anyone who really wants Druzilla back.
Druzilla! LOL! That’s a good one.
Actually, many Y&R fans are demanding that she return. Heck even Michelle Stafford is “open” to her return. Although I dunno how sincere Stafford’s acting. She isn’t really selling her material in her interview.
The sad part is that other Daytime divas who are white have pulled more crap on their shows, yet they are tolerated and even get to return.
Hunter Tylo for example is notorious for this. Mind you, I think Tylo’s fantastic as Taylor, especially during the drunk years. They don’t compare to Bobbie Eakes’s acting as pyschotic drunk Macy, but Tylo was still very entertaining. And she brings an intensity to her part, especially when Tay gets bitchy, or how delusional Tay is when she believes her lies.
Tylo, on her first run on B&B, reportedly acted above it all and too good for soaps. She even wrote abt her squabbles w/ colleague Kimberlin Brown. Tylo held up production during renewals of her contract during the Massimo is Ridge’s biological father storyline. Tylo even revealed storylines on her board, like how Brooke would lose FC. The show told her not to do that and had to rewrite, so Brooke thwarted Ridge’s takeover. And when Tylo was written out when Sheila “killed” Tay, Tylo was very vocal abt her criticisms of Brad Bell. Bell merely responded by saying Tylo’s “outspoken”. Yet Tylo’s back on B&B.
Robin Strasser was very vocal and even had a hotline where she’d bash Jill Farren Phelps while she was still on OLTL! She even bashed Ron Carlivati at one pt, and no one bashes RC in the soap press for obvious reasons. Yet OLTL keeps welcoming her back.
While Rowell was fighting for equality on the Y&R set. How’d you feel if you got hand me down gowns from Melody Thomas Scott? Obviously the show was not giving her respect. Stafford says she told everyone abt the spit take, but accrdg to Rowell’s twitter, she was not told abt the spitting incident. How’d you feel if you were the only actor not told abt the spit take.
Anyways, I think Rowell should not return to such a toxic environment. She deserves better. She should go to other soaps, primetime or film.
And notice in the interview how Stafford does not mention if she even had the decency to apologize for spitting on Rowell. Anyone who did not do that on purpose would apologize. So all the more does the spit appear premeditated.
And compare that to the kish fans.
When nelson branco, the Perez Hilton of Daytime, reported that the kish actors were allegedly hard partying unprofessionals who caused set delays, what happened? W/in the same week, or even the same day, Brett Claywell denied it. He blabbed to every media outlet that would give him a forum that what branco reported was a lie. Evans I think tweeted abt it and eventually denied it in an interview.
So Michelle Stafford waits for 3 years before denying that she spit on Rowell or clarifying the incident?
Michelle Stafford is not the best looking female by a long shot. I get sick of seeing her on the YR and I think her and KKL on the Bold and Beautiful can’t act their way out of a brown paper bag. The only thing they both are good at is dropping it like it’s hot with any male that the director tell them too.
And by the way, Victoria Rowell’s can act and I don’t want to see her back on the creepy and racist Young and Restless.
Unlike others who can’t take criticism of their idols (cough “jane”), I respect your opinions and I am not bothered by them, nor will I call you names or attack you for your opinions on KKL Bettyej.
Actually, I think KKL has been phoning it in. The material isn’t there, but yes actors should elevate the script. I think Tylo’s been outshining her since Tay became so paranoid abt Brooke stealing Nick from her. At least Tylo brings some kind of verve to Tay, while Brooke seems to react like she doesn’t care abt any of the insults hurled at her. Heck, Brooke isn’t even attacking Steph for her role in beth’s death! How dumb since Steph had a role in Brooke’s rape, and has assaulted, kidnapped and tried to kill Brooke numerous times.
you’re very bitter, bottomchef. whenever i see you you’re complaining about something or personally attacking an actor or actress.
and i thought you believed the rumors about the kish actors being unprofessional, or at least that scott evans was because he admitted he went to gay bars before. now you’re saying you don’t?
You’re the bitter one jane since kish is axed. And for the kish fans hoping Scott Evans would end up on B&B after he tweeted “thanks” to brad bell, it was a diff brad bell that was praising evans’s looks since that brad bell works at a gay website w/c only follows soaps w/ gay characters.
Actors should get criticism. It’s the same thing in the Crystal Chappell thread. People are attacking those that criticize Chappell. I think she’s an ok actress now, she was better during the buried alive Days, but she was overpraised as shrieky, late in life lesbian Olivia. AMC’s reigel still delivered the definitive performance as queer icon Bianca.
As for the rumors, people can CHANGE their minds! this thread isn’t even abt kish but you hijacked it again bec you’re very obsessed.
You mentioned Kish first, not I.
And you’re the one complaining about stupid stuff from several years ago.
I don t like michelle stadfford sharon case is more beautiful I can t understand why her man nick loves her it is not certainly for her beauty
This is what you wrote: “and i thought you believed the rumors about the kish actors being unprofessional, or at least that scott evans was because he admitted he went to gay bars before. now you’re saying you don’t?”
You mentioned kish first, not me. Unless you can’t even remember what you wrote?
I was writing abt KKL, which someone else brought up.
People should be allowed to defend themselves from these rabid fans of soap actors who portray queer characters.
jane:
And when I mentioned kish, it was in comparison to Michelle Stafford’s denial of the spitting.
While you mention kish to attack people that do not support the kish actors.
MOVE ON jane!
What a bizarre man that Nelson Branco is. Could he have his face any farther up the actresses ass? I’m an avid soap watcher who watches every single soap currently on daytime and I can say that there are many many more soap actresses who qualify for this sexiest woman award. The whole phick thing is so over done and I don’t even understand why this actress keeps holding herself down in such an awful pairing. It has done nothing good for her or her acting career because Joshua Morrow sucks the life out of any woman he’s paired with and in fact Sharon Case did her best work away from him. Michelle should beg the writers to free her from that coupling, by whatever means necessary and her fans should in fact push for it. As for the whole spitting incident, I don’t buy Michelle’s version. It was well known even before this that the two of them had a rivalry going that stemmed back further. The fact that Michelle discussed this idea with everyone else, sort of sounds like a mean girl joke that everyone else was in on under the guise of it being something good for the scene, but in fact was meant to humiliate Ms. Rowell. Shame on Michelle for being so crude and unprofessional to not discuss it with the person in the scene. Kudos to Victoria for keeping it professional and staying with it. She’s doing great now and her career is thriving, why she’d even want to come back to YR is puzzling.
She is beautiful!!!!!! What a body and an amazing actress!!!!
We want to see more of Michelle!!!!!! XOX
Michelle is Hottt!!! Great actress too
I hope Phick is not really over.
Posts like this bgritehn up my day. Thanks for taking the time.