Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian) will propose to Christine Blair (Lauralee Bell) on The Young and the Restless this week, 35 years after they first said “I do” in Hawaii.
“It’s come to that point where they both want to take it to the next level, and where else could that be?” teases Damian. “Could it be wedding bells?”
Damian says the time is right for the duo, who have been traveling around the world as part of Danny’s music tour, to give matrimony another shot. “They’ve got this amazing connection,” he points out. “There’s this incredible history. They really haven’t had a home base because they’re gone so much, so they’re talking about the next steps, maybe getting something together.”
The actor, who joined the show in 1980 and has made numerous guest appearances since his 1998 departure, is thrilled to be teamed again with Bell. “We have such a great time and a great rapport and great respect for each other,” he notes. “I’ve known her a long time, and to know someone a long time and have a chance to work with them and grow up with them and continue to work with them is very rare.”
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Though marriage didn’t work out for Danny and Cricket the first time around, Damian believes a second chance would be different. “I hate to use the cliché words, but they’re older and wiser, and maybe have learned from the past,” he offers. “There is so much history, and they’ve been through so much together. If they could still be friends at this point, that’s amazing, and that they are and have taken it to the next level is a beautiful thing. They were each other’s first love, so I think it’s really wonderful that they found it again. This time, it’ll be even better.”
The proposal will be both romantic and can’t-miss, Damian previews. “It’s pretty amazing what they did,” he praises. “Josh [Griffith, executive producer and head writer] and his team wrote something great. I don’t want to give away everything, but Danny sets up something pretty special, and the audience is going to get to relive some of the great highlight moments of their relationship going way back. And that’s pretty rare where you can dig into the vault. It’s like a time warp, and it’s very touching and really beautiful. Of course, Lauralee is brilliant in it, and I’m mediocre [laughs], but I hope the audience enjoys it. It was really enjoyable to shoot. It’s going to be fun. We’ll bring the audience on this nice, magical mystery tour.”
The actor appreciates that the fans of Danny and Cricket have championed their reunion over the past few decades. “They’re probably the driving force and the fuel that’s really been pushing this to happen because they’ve been so incredibly supportive,” he reflects. “They just won’t give up, and they’re not going to give up until it happens. They’re going to keep writing and posting. They’re wonderful, and we have the best fans ever. I’m just so grateful.”
That the powers-that-be at Y&R have continued to write Danny into the story is also deeply meaningful for Damian, who has been able to hone other skills in his time away from the soap. “The show has been incredibly accommodating, and it’s been really great,” he says. “This film company that I started 20 years back [Riviera Films] is going really well, thank God, and our new partners, Netflix, are fantastic, so I’m just loving that. I was born in the entertainment business and trained on the stages of CBS with the show and learned so much, and I’ve been able to take what I’ve learned from the writing, the directing, the producing, and the acting. All of those things have been the foundation for my becoming a filmmaker as well. So, Y&R has been my film school, so to speak.”
Damian says working behind the camera has brought new depth to his performances in front of it. “What’s cool about it is that during the movies, while producing and directing and writing, I feel even closer to acting now because I’ve had this outside point of view,” he explains. “It helps me understand the mindset of actors, and it’s been really great to experience working on both sides of the camera.”
Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
His next project will drop after the summer. “I just finished another Netflix movie,” he reveals. “It’s called The Wrong Paris, and it stars Miranda Cosgrove and Pierson Fodé [ex-Thomas Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful]. It’s coming out September 12th. It’s been a year-plus in the making, so that’ll be fun. And I’ve been working on some new music in the studio; hopefully, we can get a song or two on the show.”
But for now, he’s concentrating on Danny and his future. As for whether Christine says yes, Damian winks, “I hope it all goes well and I hope Phyllis [Summers, Michelle Stafford] doesn’t mess anything up. I’m not saying that she will, but you never know.”
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