Interviews

Y&R’s Steve Burton Shares Reaction To His Daytime Emmy Nomination, And Admiration For Jessica Collins and Doug Davidson!

By Michael Fairman

Published

10 years ago

March 31, 2016

Michael

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

When the nominees were revealed for the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards to be he handed out on May 1st, a very familiar name to daytime audiences made the final round once again in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category … none other than The Young and the Restless’ Steve Burton. The popular star received his second nomination in a row for his work as Dylan McAvoy, a role he began playing in early 2013, after an over 20-year-run on General Hospital as Jason Morgan, where he won an Emmy for his performance in 1998.

Speaking to On-Air On-Soaps from his home in Nashville on Wednesday, Steve shared: his excitement at being honored once again by his peers, his nominated work with Jessica Collins (Ex-Avery), being anchored in story with on-screen parents: Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) and Doug Davidson (Paul). While Burton expressed his admiration and Davidson, he also gave kudos to Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R), Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH), and others who have made an impact on him throughout his daytime soap journey.

Here’s what Steve shared on Daytime Emmys 2016, being made to feel at home at Y&R, and who he thinks should host the Emmy ceremonies, and more!

You scored your sixth Daytime Emmy nomination last week! What did you submit for contention that landed you in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series race?

Courtesy/CBS

STEVE: I submitted the break-up scenes with Avery, and I think a goodbye scene with her, as well. So the majority of my stuff was with Jessica Collins (Avery).

What did you like about the scenes that made you go with those?

STEVE: Sometimes, it’s so arbitrary. I usually get a lot of people’s input, because every year the voting system changes and you have to adapt to that in a way. For me, I want to pick the most honest work, and that’s what it’s about. It doesn’t matter if it’s over the top or not, because sometimes that wins, but that’s not always how I am. I just picked what I felt was the honest, and I went with that. I try not to labor over it to much. I just picked it, and submit it, and then let the cards fall where they may.

Those were sad scenes: Dylan and Avery just couldn’t make their relationship work anymore, and for them it was the realization of that and the finality of it that made those moments so heart-tugging.

STEVE: Yes, and I just felt the scenes were really well-written. Obviously, Jessica Collins and I really enjoyed working together. And it wasn’t that we even had to work for it in the scenes, because Jessica was leaving the show, and it was a natural progression for our storyline and our characters. The whole thing was sad too! We didn’t want Jessica to leave. Hopefully, we captured all of that essence in our scenes, and we will see what happens. Jessica did reach out to me when she found I was nominated, and I am so glad she was nominated, too. I am one of her biggest fans.

Courtesy/CBS

And you created the Dylan and Avery relationship from nothing – you had to bring their back-story to life on-screen – when neither of you had been on Y&R previously. I think that is a very hard thing to have to do and make work, especially in front of a loyal show fan base that could be dismissive of a never-before-seen duo.

STEVE: It was a very interesting how it played out. Like you said, usually the fans don’t care, quite honestly. They didn’t really know me, and Jessica was new to the show, and Avery was with Nic (Joshua Morrow). That was her root for a love interest. But it worked with us and the history was there. I think people felt that, and obviously it was a lot of fun.

Since you won a Daytime Emmy for your work on General Hospital and have been nominated several other times, does it still feel as exciting that your peers voted you in the final round, and acknowledged you?

STEVE: I think it’s great, because being on a new show with a new group of people, and just the whole transition for me to The Young and the Restless, and working into the storyline. Obviously, it was a big transition for me in my life and acting-wise. So, it’s very nice to be recognized for that. I really do appreciate it as it never gets old, and it is really cool.

Dylan is now anchored to core Genoa City residents. His mother is Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), and his father is Paul Williams (Doug Davidson). Did it exceed your expectations on how it all evolved with Dylan … and how Y&R tied you into the canvas?

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

STEVE: One hundred percent! And remember, originally Ray Wise (Ian Ward) was going to turn out to be Dylan’s dad, and that’s cool, because I love Ray. But, Doug Davidson and I are very close. I think they saw something there and changed direction midstream and made Doug my dad, which I love. We love working together, and we spent a lot of time together. Having Victoria (Amelia Heinle), and Nick as my half-sister and brother, and tying Paul and Nikki together with Dylan, was just great.

Last week with Y&R celebrating their 43rd anniversary and the show landing 27 Daytime Emmy nominations, the series is still in high gear, and you are evolving in story now with Sharon Case (Sharon), and then you get a nomination yourself. I think they have set you up pretty well here on the top ranked daytime drama.

STEVE: I agree, man. I just go in and try to do the best I can do every day. I am in a different place in my life, where I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore. You go in and make the story work and you go home.

How did you find out you were nominated?

STEVE: We were doing a scene on stage and Christian LeBlanc (Michael) got a text from our Associate Producer Jimmy Freeman saying that he was nominated. We weren’t sure what time the nominations were coming out. So he looked them up and that is how I found out. I texted my wife immediately and she was very excited.

You started out in this business as a young actor and have come full circle to being one of the well-known veterans. On Y&R, do you have younger actors come to you for advice?

Courtesy/ABC

STEVE: I talk to the younger kids on the show. All I try to say is: “Work as hard as you did your first day on the job. Don’t get complacent and lazy. Show up on time.” Most likely, if you have somebody who has the talent and has those work ethics, usually they are around for awhile. One person I have encouraged is Robert Adamson (Noah). I think he can go very far as he is very talented. GH’s Maurice Benard (Sonny) pushed me to the max, and that is why I have that perspective. Maurice was the greatest mentor in the world. He pushed me to the hilt in terms of acting, work ethic etc. I could not have had a better person in my life at the time.

You have honed your craft over the years, where you come at your work with subtlety and much of it is told in your eyes. Is that something you try to do in your scenes?

STEVE: I don’t think it’s something you try. I will give you an example: like Christian LeBlanc (Michael). I am a huge fan of his. Obviously, he is an amazing actor. He’s more animated than me, and I would say we have different styles of acting, but he is very honest and truthful. I think it really comes down to the individual of who they are, and what their style is. It’s not something that I necessarily work on that is just part of me, I guess. Obviously, if I try to be more animated in my style like Maurice Benard or Christian, I would feel awkward and I would probably look pretty awkward, too! (Laughs) I will leave that to the professionals! (Laughs)

Courtesy/CBS

When you look at the nominees, and having voted yourself, what was your overall opinion on this year’s pool of performances?

STEVE: I thought a lot of great people had great tape submissions this year that had not been recognized before. We have a lot of new nominees this year who have done a lot of good work for a long time, and they are finally being recognized. On a side note: Are we getting Doug Davidson to host the Daytime Emmys? I would love for him to host them. This guy is awesome at stuff like that. He is so good, and he would keep the ceremonies to where my kid’s could actually watch! (Laughs)

For more with this year’s Daytime Emmy nominees make sure to listen to Soap Nation Live! with Michael Fairman Daytime Emmy Nomination Special.

So, were you happy to hear Steve Burton is in the running for the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at this year’s Daytime Emmys? Do you recall the break-up scenes between Dylan and Avery, and Avery’s heartbreaking goodbye? What do you think about the on-screen chemistry between Steve and his on-screen dad, Doug Davidson? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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.