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Y&R's Miles Gaston Villanueva Reveals His Life-Changing Week With Al Pacino, Judith Light & Gina Rodriguez!

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On CBS’ The Young and the Restless, Miles Gaston Villanueva plays the not-to-be-trusted Luca Santori, who soon may just wind up being the husband of Summer Newman (Hunter King), but not if Summer’s mother, father, and grandfather have anything to say about it.  If all that daytime drama isn’t enough, Miles has been one busy actor in Hollywood these days working on some exciting projects.

In fact, last weekend Villanueva just completed moonlighting in performances of a workshop production presentation of a new play, God Looked Away.  And, it’s not just any play workshop, but one that Miles co-starred with Academy Award-winning actor, film, TV, and stage legend, Al Pacino, and alongside two-time Tony and Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress, Judith Light (Shelly, Transparent and Ex-Karen, OLTL). God Looked Away was directed by noted stage and film director, Robert Allan Ackerman.  Quite the heavy hitters!

After what Miles calls a “life-changing experience”, there was more in store for this rising star’s immediate future when he was booked for an upcoming role on the CW’s hit series, Jane the Virgin, opposite series star Gina Rodriguez!  On-Air On-Soaps caught up with Miles, as he filled us in about his whirlwind last several weeks, and gave us the Intel on his role in God Looked Away, and his takeaway from his time with the iconic Pacino and Light.

Photo: MVillanueva

In God Looked Away, Miles plays the role of ‘Baby’, who is closely tied to that of Pacino, who portrays the legendary playwright, Tennessee Williams. “The story in the play gives you a peek at Tennessee Williams trying to mount one of his plays, and the struggles he goes through to produce, and write a play in his later years,” Villanueva explains.  “It’s joyful, and it’s heartbreaking.  My character ‘Baby’ also begins and ends the play talking about Tennessee, and his time with him.  ‘Baby’ was Tennessee Williams’ lover for 14 years in the play.  The character of ‘Baby’ is based on our playwright, Dotson Rader (pictured with Miles right), who wrote this from his own experiences with Tennessee.”

Before they hit the Great White Way, or London, many plays find their initial creative footing, and financial backing starting in workshop production presentations that are closed to the public, and just for industry only invitees, which was the case for God Looked Away.  Miles let us in on how top secret it really was!  “We had the workshop production presentations last weekend in a theatre in West Hollywood.  We had to keep it under wraps, and very hush-hush.  Producers and backers came in mostly from the east coast in New York, and in Los Angeles to see it.  They have had meetings this past week following the performances, and they are figuring out what is the next step.  The feedback has been very positive, and the word is there is going to be life after the workshop presentation, and likely pretty soon before the year is up.”

Photo: MVilluenuvaFacevbook

So what happened when Miles found out he would be working alongside Al Pacino, known for such classics as: Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Angels in America, and more? According to the young actor, the enormity of it didn’t quite hit him initially! “My manager went: ‘Hey Miles. This is kind of a big deal!’  And I was kind of going: ‘Yeah, that is a cool opportunity.’  However, he kept drilling into my brain that this could be ‘life-changing for me.’  It didn’t sink in till I started working with the man, and sharing the stage with him.”  Once Miles was in a collaborative process with the likes of Pacino, nothing but superlatives was what he shared about the nature of the powerhouse talent:  “Al is incredibly warm, sensitive, sincere, and so generous.  He is incredibly funny both as himself, and in the role that he is playing, and is insightful and creative.”  As to if Mr. Pacino gave Mr. Villanueva any acting tips, Miles related: “Al was so encouraging, and he would give me positive feedback on certain things.  After we all did our first run-through you could see the excitement on Al’s face, and he said, ‘Can you just imagine what this would be like if we were running this for a few months?’  Our bond was offstage and on, and when you bond offstage, there is more depth on stage.”

Photo Credit: Luke Fontana

Soap fans everywhere would have loved to be fly on the wall when the effervescent Villanueva met up with the one and only Judith Light.  Miles says that she is what you would expect and did not disappoint one iota:  “She is a glorious woman, both on the inside and out.  Judith calls everyone either ‘Darling’ … ‘Sweetheart’ … ‘Baby’… and it’s like everyone is a ‘dear’.   She treats everyone with sweetness.  She kisses you on the cheek when she greets you, and when she says goodbye.   Judith and Al were on the same level with their warmth, and generosity, and their courtesy.  There is a complete lack of ego with both of them, and they have every right to have an ego, you would think, but they are not that way at all.  She is just as beautiful and fierce as a person, as she is in her work.  In God Looked Away, Judith plays the role of Lady Estelle Bagmoor, a longtime friend to Tennessee Williams.  And if there ever becomes an opportunity for people to see her in this, she is unbelievably stunning.”

Courtesy/VillanuevaFacebook

Miles admits he did have a moment to exchange some soap biz chat with Judith, especially because of their collective daytime experience: “Yes, we talked.  Judith knew I was doing double days.  I would shoot Y&R and get called in at 7:30am in the morning, and then I would finish at 11:30am or noon, and then I would go rehearse the play.  I talked to her about the challenges of doing both, and the dialog line load, and all that stuff.  Judith is nominated for a primetime Emmy for Transparent, so when we found out she was nominated, she came into the theatre for rehearsal, and we all applauded her. But, I have to say I did look up that courtroom scene of hers from One Life to Live and it was pretty nuts, and she was amazing.  Judith was fascinating to watch in it!”

When the weekend performances were over it was time for Judith, Al, and Miles, and the cast and crew to go their separate ways: “Judith said: ‘See you soon’ which I thought was lovely.  The director Robert Allan Ackerman, the playwright, and the crew, we all are a family now.  While it was a whirlwind, (we rehearsed for five weeks and then we had three presentations of it) it all of sudden seemed like, ‘Well, that’s it?’  We were all hopeful, and are hopeful, we will do this again.”

Photo: MVillanuevaTwitter

As fans of Villanueva know, he announced via social media that he landed a role on an upcoming episode of season 3 of Jane the Virgin!  But one should look no further than the magic created on stage during God Looked Away that sent him in the direction of working opposite series star, Gina Rodriguez: “I actually had a casting associate for Jane the Virgin come see me in God Looked Away on opening night, and then he texted my manager right afterwards and said, ‘We want to bring Miles in for this role.’  So, I came in to see them on Monday and I booked it a day later.”  For Miles it was a joyous capper to his God Looked Away experience:  “This has been incredible, surreal, and profound working with Judith and Al, and our director Robert Allan Ackerman, who has worked with everyone in this business.”

Photo: MVilluenuvaInstagram

Miles ended his week working with Gina Rodriguez on the set of Jane the Virgin, who he says is “unbelievable.”  And just what will he play when he guest-stars on the CW series?

Miles teased: “My airdate is tentatively October 17th.  What I play is a secret!  I could be a rival, cousin, a brother … you will have to tune-in and see!  I was telling my all my friends, especially my female friends who are huge fans of Gina, ‘What ever you think she is, she is that times 100!’   I have to say we have gotten along famously.  We have talked about all sorts of things, life, love, relationships, and career.  It’s just a pretty stunning thing to be working with her.”

So, what do you think about Miles Gaston Villanueva’s last six weeks of workshopiing a play with Al Pacino and Judith Light, and the experience he shared?  Are you excited to find out what he will play on Jane the Virgin come October?  And isn’t is nice when a performer can share his triumphs with his fans as he continues to build his career as Miles has?  Share your thoughts on his story in the comment section below and of course continue to watch what plays out in the coming weeks for Luca Santori on The Young and the Restless.

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What a fantastic experience for him working with Al Pacino and Judith Light at the same time. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He must have been through the roof excited. Congratulations to Miles as his career continues to grow.

Oh, we are all so lucky!

LOL, Timmmy!!

HE IS A SWEETHEART ,HAPPY FOR HIM .HOPE HE DOESN’T LEAVE Y&R THOUGH.

wow – he was totally with some heavy hitters of acting – good for him!!

I don’t like Luca and hope the character gets his.

I can’t stand Summer. UGH.

Prophetic words, Mo. Away with Luca’s head. Do not like this character one bit. And, in my opinion, he can never be redeemed.
I am somewhat befuddled by the ridiculous communication between him and Travis?
What the hey? I thought they were mortal enemies……now, they are chatting away as best buds would discuss a ball game? So confused!! Now Luca is warning Travis Victor is pinning the oil-thing on him????

I was confused by that too. And why would Travis trust anything Luca says? Travis knows Luca is a liar, only out for himself. Maybe Travis will call Victoria to warn her. We can but hope.

I hope this is not an excuse to bring FBM back! [Travis, is Fake Billy Miller!]

@Timmm.
Now, that’s funny, Timmmy. I think fake Billy Miller is so much hotter than Billy Miller. LOL.

Congratulations to Miles. I like him and think he could go places but I can’t stand him as Luca. I think if he had been paired with Natalie or Mariah I would like him more but I can’t stand Summer or anyone she’s paired with.

Miles, the human, good luck! Miles, the character known as Luca, go pound salt! I cannot stand Luca! His skin tight vests, his beady eyes and his stale delivery! I hope he is casted full time on JANE like his future “Wife” is on PIECES! Good bye to both!

I’m so excited to hear about and see all that Miles Villanueva is doing. He’s a very versatile and so great on stage and on screen. I hope he stays on Y&R for years to come but also gets to do other exciting shows and projects like acting alongside Al Pacino! Wow, how amazing. Way to go Miles, living the dream!

Wow…sounds like he has a bright future..as well a great present one…wish him the best…another one too good for Y&R…….I come home from work & take a nap while I play Y&R back…it’s so boring…

Well, Y&R would be better off without Luca, Summer, Billy and Gina. Th-th-that’s all folks.

I mean, Phyllis…oops!!

PUZZLE: Chelsea (new character), new Billy (Jason Thompson), and new Adam (Justin Hartley) asked Chloe (an established character) why did she return to Genoa City.

In Fairman’s Interview With Bergman and Thompson, Thompson said: “I didn’t know if Chloe was ever going to come back on the canvas, but that is exciting.”

Is an actor privy to such information before signing a contract and taking over a role? Billy and Adam are established characters, but I see them as “newbies” because the actors are new to the roles.

NO NO NO ! We’ll have to agree to disagree on some of that CeeCee my friend. I love Gina, Billy well I can take or leave. Now Summer!!!! She gives me time to go to the washroom, wash my hands & peel my potatoes for supper. I’ve come to realize that without her supper would be late!

@Nikki.
You know I love you, right, Nikki? LOL.
I love Gina. I meant Phyllis. I can’t get Michelle out of my head. However, more than anything else, I have lost all respect for Phyllis. Cheating grates on me.
Are you Canadian? You said ‘washroom’…..LOL.
I just got back from Toronto.
Your last two sentences cracked me up. Keep ’em coming.
I will just blame Summer’s naiveté on her youth. But, considering the less-than-honest relationships she’d had, she should know better.
I do feel the same way, though. Summer is very forgettable, and not very ‘convincing’. I can take her or leave her…..more ‘leave’.

The guy has some screen presence and, if he is landing jobs with someone like Al Pacino, he has a promising future.

That being said, I don’t see much future for him on Y&R. His character was poorly introduced (ex-husband of a woman who hadn’t been on the show for 6 months and is now barely seen). It is difficult to invest in him. The character suddenly appears and, within a month, is in the middle of everything.

I’m no fortune teller and not a soap writers. But, it seems to me that the show is writing him to an exit. They’re clearly building up to some backstory about him. I figure he’ll cause some havoc in the next couple of months before being gunned down by Paul/Dylan/Victor while he has a knife at the weeping Summer’s throat.

Good luck to the actor….. just not on Y&R.

Excellent news for the actor. Big time stuff. Can’t stand the Luca character. Wish they had paired him with Kevin instead

Luca’s role and the writing for that role have not panned out. One fantasy show had him playing the piano, pounding away with a wonderful smile. That looked far more natural for him than any of what he had been given to work with on the “Young and the Restless.”

However, reading this he must have a very deep acting talent in addition to the more happy side I spotted. That perhaps tells me he could have played the son of a Mafia King given a better tension in the scripts as a struggle was emerging from a role inherited or the continued devious role.

How exciting to have such possibilities. All the best!

VERY TALENTED MAN AND I AM HAPPY FOR HIM…….HOWEVER, HE IS BACKED IN A CORNER ON Y&R AND WHEN HE GETS HIS , I REALLY HOPE HE TAKES SUMMER WITH HIM….HAVENT WE HAD ENOUGH OF SUMMER TO LAST FOREVER????

VERY TALENTED GUY BUT I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF HIM AND SUMMER AND CHRISTINE ADAM AND HIS WIFE MY KIND OF PEOLPE GONE GIRL

One play with Al Pacino and all the doors are opening..Hollywood is above all about connections, timing and opportunity…and if you are talented and good looking well bonus..It seems this actor very soon will be successfull in bigger and better projects than a daytime soap opera..good for him !

News

The Young and the Restless Favorite Michael Damian and Janeen Damian to Chat Live on the Michael Fairman Channel

The Young and the Restless fan favorite Michael Damian (Danny Romalotti) along with his real-life wife, Janeen Damian, currently have the most popular streamed film on Netflix as of Monday, March 18th, with their production of Irish Wish starring Lindsay Lohan.

The couple are set to visit the Michael Fairman Channel on Tuesday night, March 19 at 8PM ET/5PM PT. Michael and Janeen will talk about: the film project, Michael’s current story on Y&R as Danny is is being pursued by long-time rivals, Christine (Lauralee Bell) and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford), his musical career and more. Y&R fans recall that Michael hit #1 on the charts with his rendition of “Rock On”, which has been a staple throughout his career.

Janeen and Michael have produced over 17 films together and for Irish Wish, Janeen Damian wore multiple hats as its Director, Producer, and screenwriter, while Michael not only was a producer of the film, but recorded its theme song, Wild Irish Heart. The film also possesses a soundtrack with other notable musicians and singers including: Earth Wind & Fire, Adam Ant and even Lohan’s sister, Aliana, has two songs in it.

Photo: Netflix

This marks the Damians second outing with Lohan who previously appeared in their holiday film, Falling for Christmas. In the story of Irish Wish, book editor Maddie is head over heels for the author she works with, Paul (Alexander Vlahos), until he falls in love with her best friend (Elizabeth Tan). Putting her feelings aside, Maddie travels to Ireland for their wedding, where sparks fly with a charismatic photographer (Ed Speleers) until an accidental wish turns her life upside down. She wakes up engaged to Paul and racing toward a walk down the aisle she’s not sure she wants anymore.

Photo: Netflix

Throughout the history of the CBS soap opera, Michael has returned on Y&R several times including in: 1981–1998, 2002–2004, 2008. 2012–2013, and his current run 2022–present.

Photo: JPI

You can watch the livestream with Michael and Janeen below.

Now, if you cannot attend Tuesday night’s livestream event, drop your questions for Michael and Janeen via the comment section.

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News

Clint Howard, Brother of Ron Howard, to Make Guest Appearances on The Bold and the Beautiful

The Bold and the Beautiful is bringing Hollywood veteran actor, Clint Howard, to the CBS soap opera for a two-day appearance.

On the daytime drama series, look for Howard to play a homeless man, who according to Deadline, “provides pivotal clues to a mystery.”

The actor is on the set at CBS Television City taping his episodes which will air on April 26 and April 29.

Photo: AP

Clint also has a famous brother, actor/director/producer, Ron Howard. Both Clint and Ron got their starts on The Andy Griffith Show (1962-1964), He later went on to be featured in the TV series, Gentle Ben in 1967.  Most recently, Clint appeared in 2023’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Together with his brother Ron, they wrote The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family that was released in 2021. The memoir chronicles their lives from childhood stardom to adulthood and becoming Hollywood icons.

Now the question becomes, is the homeless man as played by Howard going to have some major intel into what happened to the ‘late’ Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown)?

Share your thoughts on Clint Howard coming to B&B and what “mystery” do you think he will be involved with via the comment section below.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Star, Greg Vaughan, Gives Health Update and Thanks Everyone for Their Support

Greg Vaughan (Eric, Days of our Lives, ex-Lucky, GH, and ex-Diego, Y&R) provided an update on his health on Sunday, March 17th. Vaughan had previously shared that he had become ill during a trip with his sons to Colorado, and had developed altitude sickness when he was having trouble breathing accompanied by terrible headaches and landed in the urgent care.

Now on St. Patrick’s Day, Greg took to his Instagram and shared how he is feeling now, and to thank everyone for their love and support.  As it turned out, Vaughan was diagnosed with high altitude pulmonary edema, commonly known as HAPE. However, he is on the mend slowly and surely.

In his new video post, the DAYS favorite started by expressing, “I just felt such an appreciation and gratitude for everything. . reaching out. Your prayers have been felt. It’s been a struggle, but I’m over the top. And, taking this moment just to say I didn’t realize the things that I was going through. My (original) post was simply just to educate, put some information out there and some things that I was feeling, just share that information and the struggle that I was going through, which I didn’t quite understand. And it wasn’t because I’m stubborn or just because I’m a father, a man, and didn’t want to go to a doctor. It is just something I thought was so minor that I could overcome it, just by taking care of myself.”

Photo: JPI

The Daytime Emmy winner then revealed his actual diagnosis, “So, basically my situation was high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). With some good friends, doctors that had reached out to me, it kind of gave me some understanding on the aftermath, which was very, very beneficial.”

“But I’ve been resting, taking care of myself even though I live in a hamster wheel,” said the dad of three teenaged boys. “I gotta get up and, you know, do my normal domesticated stuff, eventually. I’m tired of laying down in this bed, but, I am feeling much better.”

Photo: GVaughanIG

Talking on his confusion of trying to understand what could have been ailing him, Vaughan expressed, “I couldn’t quite figure it out, even though I was emphasizing and professing to my children going on our spring break getaway about hydration. I professed it. But, even though I was acting on it, it had a greater effect on me, and for which I did not even think, because my head was such in pain, and I was in a very bad state of mind – not being able to be out there with my kids on the mountain, enjoying their time, as well. I thought I was doing the right thing. Unfortunately, my lungs were full of fluids and my head was in severe pain and even migraine pills didn’t even help. So, I just want anybody that goes into the Colorado Mountains to know, it is no joke. It is this very serious thing which I guess is why they call it the Mile High City.”

Greg had a mountain of ‘thank you’s’ to give for the outreach he received from his original post, “For everybody internationally, wherever you are, I love you and I appreciate you and just the time and the thoughts that you’ve shared with me,” said Vaughan. “I didn’t realize that it would make such an impression on so many people around the world. I feel tremendously loved and I can’t say it enough. I’m good. And I appreciate you.”

Photo: GVaughanIG

The actor concluded his video with, “To all the family and friends that have reached out to me, man, it means the world. So take care of yourself, enjoy your spring break with your families. It’s Saint Patty’s Day, obviously. I wish I could be out there.” Vaughan added, “I feel loved and touched and I can’t emphasize that enough. I’ll take better care of myself, promise you will do the same.” Before he signed off, Greg shared, “Just know, that I’m alive and well and breathing, and I’m sore. So, be well, take care. I mean it. Thank you, tremendously.”

Glad to know that Greg has been on the mend, and shared his appreciation for everyone that reached out to him during this trying time? Comment below.

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Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

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