Melissa Claire Egan Talks Chelsea’s Return to ‘Young and the Restless’

Michael Maloney December 13, 2021, 2:00 pm

Comments

Melissa Claire Egan on Young and the Restless — Joanna DeGeneres

Melissa Claire Egan had been popping up in some video conference calls as Chelsea on The Young and the Restless, but now she’s back in Genoa City full-time and ready to make her presence felt once more!

The former con artist, who left town to take care of her mother (Catherine Bach’s Anita), has been anxious over Adam’s (Mark Grossman) relationship with Sharon (Sharon Case) and discovers some new dynamics upon her return. While there’s always going to be a bond between Adam and Sharon, he has a new woman in his life: Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope). Will Chelsea find the redhead to be a formidable adversary?

Egan’s got some on-screen conflict however, in real life, she’s a happy mom, having given birth to s.

TV Insider checked in with Egan about her return to soaps, the role she enjoys playing the most — new mom to son Caden Robert, born last August — and that time her All My Children character stabbed Erica Kane (Susan Lucci)! Read on for the scoop.

Congrats to you and your husband, Matt Katrosar. Your son is adorable—you have to keep those Instagram posts coming!

Melissa Claire Egan: Thank you! That’s very kind of you to say. It’s been great. Caden is so sweet. He smiles. I joked to a friend that I worked hard for this baby! So being exhausted does not get to me. This all has been a gift from God. Even when I’m tired and need a break from being up all night, it’s not that bad. Memorizing 40 pages is easier than raising a baby! Matt’s an amazing dad and partner; he’s very patient—a hands-on natural.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melissa Claire Egan (@missyclaireegan)

This week marks your official return, but we have seen Chelsea in some video calls with Adam.

Yes, I’ve had one or two lines. But I don’t count those as being back. I’m back doing full episodes on December 14.

The show gave you a lot of great material this year with Chelsea faking her mental break…while also indicating that the character truly is under duress.

Yes. She’s had a rough year with the brain aneurysm. She was in a wheelchair and couldn’t move. Then she got her heart broken by Adam. Granted, she did some terrible things! She tried to frame her ex-husband for Rey’s [Jordi Vilasuso] attempted murder. Chelsea needed to get mentally well. Being in the hospital was an act, but let’s face it, she was not well. She went away, took care of her mother and dealt with what she’d done. Now she’s on a mission to get Adam back!

Christian LeBlanc Looks Back on 30 Years as Michael Baldwin on 'Young and the Restless'

How much does she want Adam back for herself and how much is for their son, Connor (Judah Mackey).

She’s definitely wanting him back for Connor’s sake, but this is what Chelsea wants, too. She wants her family back together and for her son to have a family unit. She’s back to believing that Adam is her soulmate. She wants him back, but this will not be easy.

Why is Adam “the one”?

There’s always that one person in your life. Adam and Chelsea have been this fiery couple since I started on the show 10 years ago. They’ve shared this intense connection. They’re both outcasts. They’ve lost each other so many times in the past only to find their way back to one another. They have a volatile relationship.

During Chelsea’s absence, Sally’s entered the picture. She and Adam have gotten close.

I met Courtney at a Daytime Emmy party. She’s wonderful. I love working with her. She’s such a great actor and has such great energy There are some scenes coming up between them. Chelsea can get insecure around smart, beautiful women, and Sally is no exception.

Under other circumstances, given their backgrounds, they might have been…friends?

I agree 100 percent. They could easily remind each other of the other. They’re similar in that they have interests in fashion and they’re both strong women.

Last month, you celebrated 10 years on Y&R. Congrats!

Thank you! I both can and can’t believe it’s been 10 years. I’ve had milestones in my life during this time—I’ve gotten married and had a baby…. I’m so grateful to all the writers who have given me such great stories. I don’t take that for granted. It’s both flown by and feels like a long time. It’s not like we [at Y&R] have seasons like nighttime shows do. We work the whole year.

Another recent milestone is that 13 years ago when you were on All My Children, your character Annie stabbed Erica Kane (Susan Lucci)!

I’ll never forget hearing about that scene before I even read the script. I thought, “Well, great. I’ll get blasted by the fans and probably fired. I can’t stab the Queen of Soaps!” But it was a hit. I was shocked. People ate it up with a spoon, and every year, fans tweet out to me the anniversary of [Annie stabbing Erica]. People have dressed up as Annie in a bloody wedding dress for Halloween. Susan was such a great sport. I still pinch myself that I got to work with her.