‘Young and the Restless’ Star Michelle Stafford Talks Losing ‘One Life to Live’ Role, 30 as Phyllis Summers (Exclusive)

Before auditioning for the role of Phyllis Summers The young and the restless 30 years ago, Michelle Stafford was thinking about putting acting on the back burner.

“I had a succession of approaching jobs and then not getting them,” he explains. “A couple of weeks before the Young and restless audition, I had set up a flower business with a friend of mine because things weren’t going well for me as an actor. We started doing big gigs, so I wasn’t going to give up performing, but I was considering putting my attention elsewhere.”

One of those memorable gigs he didn’t get was for a soap on the East Coast. “I was very close to a role A life to live and the comments that came back to me about why I didn’t get it is because they wanted to go with someone who was beautiful,” she recalls. “Those were the exact words. I said, ‘Oh, you mean prettier than me?’ And my agent said, “No, they really want someone pretty.” So I always felt like I wasn’t pretty enough for daytime.”

Although Stafford wasn’t feeling positive after her I&R audition: “I got in the elevator and cried,” she explains, quickly received feedback. “If you audition and an hour later you get a call from your agent, that’s a good sign,” he explains. “There were no cell phones. This was the age of pagers, so I got a page from my agent and ran to a pay phone to call him back. He said, ‘You’ve got the job.’ they love you You start in two days. I couldn’t believe it. It was very nice.”

CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection

Stafford credits Lauralee Bell (Christine Blair) and Michael Damian (Danny Romalotti) with helping him find his way in Genoa City. “Lauralee and Michael were extraordinary,” he praises. “And Doug (Davidson, Paul Williams), too, but I didn’t work with him that much. I worked with Michael right off the bat, and I’m telling you, I’ll love him forever because he couldn’t have been more charming or more charming. I mean, we all know Michael Damian is the cutest, but that was just a saving grace for me because sometimes you get into these new jobs and you don’t always get it. Being nice to someone goes a long way. And they were both amazing .Lauralee? We all say that, but she had every reason not to. That’s the boss’s daughter, right? (Bell’s father was the co-creator and lead writer of show.) But it was amazing. I’m lucky to have worked with them both. It was a dream for me.”

Shortly after his debut, Stafford felt the role was catching on. “I think it was when (ex TV Guide magazine soap columnist) Michael Logan chose to write an article about me,” he reflects. “It’s a very well-respected publication, and has been all these years, and I didn’t want to do a box. I wanted to do a whole article. I think the article it said something like, “We’re not even done with the year, and I’ve picked my favorite character of 1994.” That was, I think, in November, and I started broadcasting at the time , I remember the show’s publicist saying, “This is so important that I’m asking you for an interview.”

Despite the positive feedback, Stafford still hadn’t given up his side gig. “I didn’t know how long this job would last, so I sold skates on the weekends at swap meets,” he shares. “I would put them on and skate in my shorts to get people’s attention to come and buy skates. I was still doing this until December of that year and a woman came up to me and say, “Oh, you look like a character from my soap opera,” and I said, “Oh, that.” is me,’ and she said, ‘Yeah, sure.'”

Due to her scheming ways, Phyllis was not the most popular character among fans. “They were hating me!” Stafford recalls with a laugh. “I was in Louisiana at the Mardi Gras parade in 1995. You’re in the car and you’re waving at people and throwing beads, and they had security around me. Everyone kept saying, ‘Get away from Danny! Get away ‘t from Danny,” and one of the security guys said, “I don’t know who this Danny is, but apparently you shouldn’t be around him.”

Stafford didn’t mind the reaction. “I loved it,” he reflects. “You know, I was never offended. That was the job and it was hateful. This was before social media. I didn’t care what people said. I still don’t.”

Over time, Stafford found Phyllis’ softer edges. “I really felt that she was so broken and there was so much pathos,” she explains. “I think Bill (Bell) saw that and started writing more as time went on. And I think the secret to the character’s longevity is that he became less of a caricature and more of a character that you you can relate to or empathize with.”

On October 18, the show will be held on the 30th^th anniversary of Stafford’s debut with a flashback-filled episode dedicated to Phyllis. In it, Phyllis will reunite her family as evidence is piling up against son Daniel for Heather’s death and reflect on their past relationships and experiences in Genoa City. “One of (the flashbacks) is my favorite scene I’ve shot with Peter (Bergman, Jack Abbott),” he continues. “It perfectly communicates the demise of the Jack/Phyllis relationship, and I was so excited for it to be there. I love shows where we see that he’s made a mistake and is trying to get over it.”

Monty Brinton/CBS

As he looks back at what he accomplished I&R work meant to her, Stafford notes: “It completely changed my life because I had a paycheck. Going to the grocery store and being able to buy what I wanted was very important to me. Being able to buy good peanut butter, not the generic, it was phenomenal.”

Thirty years later, it’s his connection with the cast and crew that is especially meaningful. “I’ve spent more time with these guys than I have with my actual family,” Stafford notes. “I’m holding back tears right now, but people get sick or lose a family member and we support each other and we’re there for each other. It has meant a lot. These people are very, very important to me and always will be.”

The young and the restlessWeekdays, CBS, Check local listings