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Y&R’s Michelle Stafford Takes A Look Back At Some Of Phyllis’ Most Memorable Moments

By Michael Fairman

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Photo CBS

This week, Michelle Stafford is back on-screen on The Young and the Restless coming home to play her signature soap opera role of Phyllis Summers.  To kick things off, Y&R and CBS.com put together another one of their look backs, where the actors sit in front of a screen and unrehearsed watch scenes of themselves as their character through the years.

In Michelle’s, she comments and watches her very first Y&R scene and its with Michael Damian (Danny), then another with Lauralee Bell(Christine).  Who could forger the Cricket/Phyllis rivalry over Danny?  Later, we fast forward in time to when Nick(Joshua Morrow) and Phyllis passion ignited and they began their relationship which came to a screeching halt sometime later, when Phyllis caught Nick kissing his ex Sharon (Sharon Case) in Paris.

What fun it was to see Stafford commenting on the footage and getting us all ready for her Phyllis to take on Genoa City again!

Watch the video below. Then let us know, are you excited to see how Michelle’s Phyllis gets into the thick of things?  What was your favorite Y&R storyline of the past featuring Michelle? Comment below.

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It’s so damn irritating with so many viewers and Canadian followers of MFTV that we are unable to view these videos.

hi GramS
You don’t have Youtube in Canada??
youtube is worldwide ..
it is a youtube video.

Well, I was rather partial to Gina Tognoni. However, that said, when did soaps stop announcing the recast? Why, when the recast for GH’s Nina, did we not hear a voice over saying,”The role of Nina will now be played by Cynthia Watros? Or when the recast took over for Y&R’s Phyllis, why did we not hear,”The role of Nina will now be played by Godzilla”? I don’t get it.

About right now I am feeling badly for Gina this is the problem with Social Media I sure hope she is not reading this stuff it’s like they are trying to erase her she gave the job 100 percent she is not the first one however that the original portrayer came back I can name tons of them but still feeling bad for her. I know Case wrote lively words about her and others did also

I agree. The cast and crew adored Gina. I really appreciated her ability
To play Phyllis without imitating Stafford and without chewing up the scenery like Godzilla of Genoa city.

But, Harry, my love—-you hit the nail on the head!! You inadvertently prove my point…Gina destroyed the stuff Phyllis was/is made of!! Gina could never imitate Michelle, the real Phyllis.
As much as I adore Gina, her Phyllis lacked complexity; that innately elusive quirk which comes so easily for Michelle.
There is an ocean between Gina and Michelle–Gina tried swimming , yet she never made it to the other shore.
I noticed that a different light shone on Phyllis ( Gina) in the last few episodes……The old Phyllis was pushing through, preparing us for Michelle….
….the PTB tried injecting Phyllis/Gina with Satan’s naughty potion—- didn’t work for me and it didn’t work for Gina. She never measured up to Michelle’s finess of working the audience with her no-good intentions. Gina was too sedate to be Phyllis.
I was used to Michelle’s portrayal of “spunk”—-
The nuNina ( GH) has a steep and rocky mountain to climb, as well. Here goes another bitter-taste-in-the-mouth. No VAVA-VOOM!!

Harry,
Where have you been? Missed you….
I want to make another point. I think that there are many actors/actresses who take over another’s role and become the “victors”, such as Billy Miller, as Billy Abbott…..JH and MM as Adam Newman—-they were both better than the original.
Sometimes, if we hold an antipathy for the actor/actress himself/herself, we will possibly not give said actors a fair shake. In my case I do love Gina—very much—so…..
Correction: finesse.❤️

@Harry……..On the positive side, at least she’s not chewing up Port Charles anymore!!! Unfortunately, GH still has more than its own share of scenery chompers, and NuNina is a bust….not much of an improvement over our much-loathed original version.

Harry, I think they only did that voice over thing when we didn’t know ahead of time about the recast. I guess they figured with all the news and hype about the switch, that it wasn’t needed, and would give it more of an element of surprise when it happened.

Okay Violet. Like when Joan Crawford filled in for her daughter Christina on The Doctors? Okay. I guess I was trying to be funny with the Godzilla comment. Thud!!!

Harry,
That was funny about Crawford, and to me she WAS Godzilla. So, take your thud back.

Well, that was fun..
Of course, I didn’t know all that, so was fun to see it..

I see Michelle put some red in her hair, a Phillis trait.

Talking of hair;
Michael.. my Gawd! I hope the makeup dept takes that awful rug/hairpiece/wig thing off his head..
it is very unnatural and obvious, not cool, just be natural.
Y&R is overkill with attempting to make the seniors look ridiculously young.

I hope Michelle puts her Phillis mean on..
(the new Nina at GH, I dunno.. time will tell.)

I’m really liking new Adam..

Wish I was enjoying the show again I just feel like I am being taken back in time disappointed but I guess the veteran actors are happy again .

Hi, SusieQ,
I did it again…..posted prematurely…
Yes, it was fun….love Michelle. She lights up my screen; always, regardless her role.
I hope the character keeps her “sort of middle ground”. Sometimes a bad girl, yet other times, a loving, albeit mysterious femme fatale—-something which seemed to have escaped Tognoni. Phyllis is finally home. I’m sure her storyline will bear delicious fruit, yet reap a stormy and intriging outcome. Bring back Ronan!! Who can the Chancellor link be? So many possibilities. Phillip? His son with Nina?
I cannot say the same for Tracy and Cane—what a stupid, boring story—I love seeing Tracy; but please get her away from Cane. He is so superfluous—-definitely not needed. I think he’s kept around waiting for a story to break—-help me, ye soap gods!! I FF whenever he darkens the stage—unfortunately, Tracy gets FFed with him.
I pray these two will not become an item. Sacrebleu!!

Oh, I’ve been out of town. When was Gina’s last day on screen?

Oh hell yes, that was terrific. would love to watch Michelle Stafford play Phyllis the rest of my life, and watching the scenes from the past, could do it all day every day. So happy you are back!!!!

Thank GOD the stars have lined up again! Now, lets get rid of that Billy Abbott impostor!

Hey Timmm,
I Think he’s the best Billy we’ve ever had, except for Billy Miller of course. I just think he’s strong enough to play opposite the likes of Victoria, Victor, Chloe, Adam or anyone else that seems to be on him for one thing or another.

Hey Timmm
Sorry, but I like J.T as Billy. I think, except for Billy Miller, he’s been the only one strong enough to stand up to Victoria, Victor, Phyllis, Adam, etc.characters. The other two were not as good. I hear Billy Miller is leaving GH, so maybe Y&R will woo him back, as they did Michelle Stafford. One can only hope, right?

Say it again, T. Billy Miller, albeit not the original BA, kicked butt as the charmer, the gorgeous, the lover, the indisputable good/bad boy Abbott❤️

I love love love her and her character. So happy you are back.

Sorry not impressed! Gina rocked it in this role for five years I was glued to Y&R only to see her acting skills which just a killer, awesome, great, and she rocked it everyday. The cast fell in love with her and so did many. I am going to miss Gina T dearly. The way these two dump idiots at CBS too away of the best actress of our generation is mind blowing. What are they thinking? How did the TOP executives at CBS let these two fools do this to Gina T. She was rocking the Y&R for five years. To bring back Stafford who said she SHE WOULD NEVER COME BACK and boy here is she is unbelievable. Back to boring on the Y&R it will NEVER be the same without Gina T. period.

CBS you messed up!

So thrilled that Michelle Stafford is back! She is one of a kind! I remember back in 2005, when I gave up on GH and switched to Y&R — I had to replace one addiction with another, didn’t I?!?! — I found Stafford’s acting to be so authentic and enjoyable. GH was lucky to have her for her tenure there, but it’s great to see her back in her iconic role.

PS: Gina Tognoni did an excellent job, as is typical of her acting as well!

Thank you, James….agree with you to the hilt. We understand “Phyllis” and each other, my friend.
I suppose Gina did make Phyllis her own, as many suggest. But, that’s the crux of the matter—-The true Phyllis; the mischievous, yet enigmatic Phyllis; the never-turn-your-back-on-me Phyllis; the love-you-forever Phyllis was lost on Gina. ….I am not disputing Gina’s acting skills; they are as sharp as a tack—-she simply never conquered the character without changing Phyllis’ basic nature.
Besides, compare the two. When Gina, as Phyllis walked into a room, I was not compelled to do a double-take!! Michelle is “Poetry In Motion”!! As my husband said, MS exudes sex-appeal ( LOL), unlike Gina—-
❤️

Celia! Thanks so much for your reply! You have made my day!

So good to see we feel the same about Ms. Stafford — just an incomparable talent. I like and agree with your assessment here. I also share the opinion of you and your husband regarding Ms. Stafford’s sex appeal!

Have a good one, Friend!

I am wondering what happened to our Michael Fairman blog. It took me forever to find anything familiar, and all formatted differently. Someone, please help me to maneuver around here, or is it easier than it looks?

Well, it’s certainly more time-consuming, Violet! Perhaps that is the method to the madness of so many more threads….to make us spend longer hours on this website! It can try one’s patience, that’s for sure, especially when it’s hectic in “realville!” I do try to stop in as often as possible, but sometimes it’s just not realistic to pour over the entire contents in order to keep in touch with one’s favorites! By the way, I did finally reply to your—and others—-responses on the “facial hair inquiry” subject. Hope it posts and gets through to your inbox! Later……

Would you like to know the real reason why she left gh ??? I feel like I have been driven back in time same old same old good luck ! Eric got his way still a washed up actor who is so intimated that he is what he is yesterday’s news they look like a bunch of wrinkling old people ! The old and the useless

I never doubt your astute insights, Kay! You are definitely on to something, although I also think that a certain someone didn’t appreciate the competition at GH from another nameless soap queen who has managed to grab both the spotlight and most of the show’s acting accolades. (Not that I care for her either….) There were also whispers that extreme displeasure with one of the current major storylines factored into the departure, and that makes sense, too, when you ponder the recent hot burner tale being told. Plus, I imagine that the almighty $, not to mention, regaining one’s former position of prominence, played into the decision, as well. As a GH fan who was quite gladdened by this development, the “whys” matter none to me—just the end result—although I do feel for Gina Tognoni’s considerable fanbase and the actress herself. She truly got a raw deal.

My best moment was when Phyllis stalked Cricket and Paul on their honeymoon, showing up everywhere they went, including putting little creatures in their bed.

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Spencer Pratt, ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Guest Star and Reality Show Notable, Holds Second Place and Poised for L.A. Mayor Runoff

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As of Wednesday morning June 3, Spencer Pratt (Rich, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Hills et al), who is running for the mayor of Los Angeles, is firmly in second place behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the primary election. Pratt has a comfortable 30% of the vote, ahead of City Councilwoman Nithya Raman at 22%. Bass has 37% of the city’s vote.

In Los Angeles, if no candidate receives more than 50% of all votes cast in Tuesday’s primary, the top two finishers move on to a runoff on November 3rd. The Democratic Bass has already achieved enough votes for the run0ff. Now, it’s a formality to sit-back and wait for the Republican Pratt, till all the votes are counted before he can officially be the runoff.

Pratt told KTLA, “I literally could not be more excited. I got in this because as a citizen I felt like my city failed myself, my neighbors, my family. Mayor Bass has allowed the city to become covered in potholes. Then there’s the moms who want to be able to go to the parks and not see anybody shooting up fentanyl with their pants off.

Photo: JPI

PRATT CRITICAL OF MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES KAREN BASS

The reality star has been critical of Bass when she was MIA during the LA wildfires where he lost his Pacific Palisades home. It was back in January that Spencer made it clear of his intention to throw his hat into the ring in politics:  Spencer expressed, “I’ve been in the public eye most of my life and there isn’t any dirt you can find on me that hasn’t already been aired. Seems like the only thing people don’t know is my voter registration, so here go: I registered Republican in 2020 and never changed it, and I wasn’t going to change it now just to check a different box. This is a non-partisan race – there will be no D or R next to my name. As Mayor, I will not serve either party. I will work with anyone who wants to help the City. No labels necessary.

FROM REALITY TO SOAP STAR TO AN LA MAYORAL CANDIDATE

Pratt rose to notoriety first appearing in 2005 as a friend of Brody Jenner on the reality series The Princes of Malibu, a series which Pratt, then co-created and executive produced. Later, in 2007, he joined the cast of The Hills, where he dated and eventually married Heidi Montag with whom he shared two children. Both he and Montag previously appeared on The Bold snd the Beautiful back in April of 2025, when they played guests at a Forrester fashion show.

B&B welcomed back reality star as Rich, when he appears on the January 28 episode in scenes with Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy Forrester) and Laneya Grace (Electra Forrester) as Steffy and Electra.

So, what do you think about Spencer Pratt’s bid to become the Mayor of Los Angeles? He would follow a long line of “celebrities” who eventually made into public office.

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Peabo Bryson, Grammy Award-Winning Singer of Memorable ‘One Life to Live’ Theme Song, Passes Away at 75

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One of the great vocalists of our time, Peabo Bryson died on Tuesday night, June 2 at the age of 75, following reports over the weekend he had suffered a stroke.

In a statement to Variety, Bryson’s family wrote, in part, “With broken hearts and profound sadness, the family of two-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and balladeer, Peabo Bryson, announces his passing, He transitioned peacefully at 5:00 p.m. ET on the evening of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him.”

They added, “For more than five decades, Peabo’s extraordinary voice served as the soundtrack to some of life’s most cherished moments. His music carried generations through joyful celebrations, great love stories and enduring moments of comfort and inspiration, creating a legacy that will forever live in the hearts of those who loved him and the countless lives he touched through song. This deeply difficult moment, the family asks for privacy as they mourn the loss of a beloved husband, father, family member, friend and artist whose impact extended far beyond the stage.”

Photo:ABC

“We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world,” the family continued, “While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit. His legacy and music will live on for generations to come.”

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST AND OTHER TOP HITS

Bryson is best-known for his vocal performances and string of hits including his duets with Celine Dion of the title track of Disney’s 1991 Beauty and the Beast, and his solo vocal work in the film version of Aladdin’s 1992 “A Whole New World.” Peabo had a slew of R&B hits throughout his career including: “Tonight I Celebrate My Love,” with the late Roberta Flack, “Feel the Fire,” to his top hit “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again,” to “Can You Stop the Rain,” and many more.

“TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE” BECAME BO AND HOPE’S THEME

In fact, “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” became the iconic theme song of the enduring romance between Days of Our Lives super couple, Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) and Hope Williams (Kristian Alfonso) for years. The moment occurred in 1983, when Hope turned 18 at her party she danced the night away with Bo to the memorable song. “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” also went to number #1 on the Billboard charts.

Peter Reckell took to X on Tuesday, June 2upon learning the news of Bryson’s death and expressed, “They say a song can immediately bring you back to emotions and memories. ‘Celebrate my love’ does exactly that! So sorry to hear the loss of Peabo Bryson. Love and support goes out to family and friends!”

The official Days of Our Lives Instagram account also acknowledged Bryon’s passing, sharing, “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Peabo Bryson, whose unforgettable voice helped soundtrack one of Days of our Lives’ most beloved love stories. His duet with Roberta Flack, ‘Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,’ became the theme song for Bo Brady and Hope Williams, and will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Days fans. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all who loved his music.”

Photo: JPI

ONE LIFE TO LIVE MAIN THEME SONG WITH VOCALS

However, One Life to Live fans remember Bryson’s voice as the singer on the the 1985 new modern theme song, (since many of the soaps of that time were going to more vocals in their opening title sequences), where they took the previous instrumental version of their title sequence and adapted it as the main theme. That theme song ran for seven years on the ABC daytime drama series from 1985-1991. In fact, Bryson appeared on One Life to Live in 1985 to perform the main theme song.

In addition, Peabo returned to ABC daytime when he appeared on All My Children in 1992, Bryson’s song “I Found Love” was used to for the love story of Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Dimitri Marick (Michael Nader) and received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1993 for Best Original Song.

That same year, Bryson would make a guest appearance in Pine Valley, where he performing a rendition of “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” with Tonya Perkins (Livia Frye), at Livia’s and Tom Cudahy’s (Richard Shoberg) wedding reception.

Share your condolences and remembrances of Peabo Bryson and take a look and listen to his vocals from the One Life to Live theme song of the mid 80s to early 90s. Was Peabo’s One Life to Live theme song your favorite over the years, or did you have other favorites? Let us know in the comment section below.

 

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ SORAS’s Scout Cain and Casts Kayden Brenna Tokarski in the Role of Drew and Sam’s Daughter

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In General Hospital casting news, none other than Scout Cain just grew up right before our eyes! In a case of SORAS (Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome) the daughter of Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and the late Sam McCall (formerly played by Kelly Monaco) has been recast.

According to Soap Opera Digest, Kayden Brenna Tokarski takes over the role from Cosette Abinante who has played Scout since 2022. If you caught yesterday’s GH 16,000 episode on set cast celebration video, you may have witnessed Kayden at the festivities. The young actress will make her debut in July since GH tapes about six weeks ahead of air.

Taking to her Instagram on Tuesday, June 2, Kayden confirmed her casting by posting: “A DREAM COME TRUE. So honored to be joining the General Hospital family!! Biggest thanks to Mark Teschner (casting director, GH) and Frank Valentini (EP, GH) for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to work on this iconic show.”

Courtesy/ABC

The decision to make a sharp turn with the age of the character was for upcoming story purposes, and to open up Scout for more teenaged and young adult storylines; especially since Drew Cain is eventually going to come out of his locked-in state and perhaps Scout can go at war with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) for what she did to her father? Stay tuned.

SCOUT CAIN READY FOR TEENAGE ROMANCE?

As General Hospital viewers know, Scout was born in 2017, which makes her about 9 before the SORAS occurred. Some rumors are circulating that a more teenaged Scout could become a love interest fo Finn Carr’s Rocco Falonceri? Previously, the two characters bonded over Sam’s death, since at the time Rocco’s father, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) was engaged to Sam, and the two, along with Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), tried to stick together as “brothers and sister,” after her mom passed. But will that relationship dynamic change?

Tokarski who is 16, has an impressive acting resume which includes: Gaslit on Starz. Lifetime’s My Professor’s Deadly Secret, where she played Lauren the on-screen daughter of Passions and Y&R alum James Hyde (ex-Sam and ex-Jeremy Stark, respectively) character of John, and another Lifetime thriller, Killer in the Woods.

More recently, Kayden completed production on the indie thriller Quads & the Kicker, and can be seen in the upcoming Curse of Vandor starring Dee Wallace (ex-Pat Spencer, GH). The actress has also appeared in numerous national ad and branding campaigns including being featured opposite Joey Fantone in a Red Lobster commercial and voicing the part of “Wednesday Addams” in a Wendy’s commercial as a tie-in to the Netflix series Wednesday.

So, what do you think of General Hospital casting Kayden Brenna Tokarski as the new Scout Cain? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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