Forever The Young and the Restless: Christian LeBlanc Celebrates Another Year

On The Young and the Restless, Michael Baldwin knows how to be romantic, a great friend, and show unwavering loyalty — all while being a pitbull in the courtroom. In real life, the actor who portrays him is a fan favorite who is giving viewers a(nother) reason to celebrate him today — and on that note, Soap Central is honored to wish Christian LeBlanc a very happy birthday!

Christian LeBlanc of The Young and the Restless

Christian Le Blanc is Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless | Image: JPI

In 1991, Christian LeBlanc joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as Michael Baldwin, a lawyer with a severely dark side. Over the years, Michael has transformed into a witty, caring, less-illegally inclined figure of Genoa City — and LeBlanc grabbed the affection of fans along the way.

Today, LeBlanc is celebrating his birthday, but he’s accomplished a lot in this most recent tour around the sun. The accomplished and talented artist held an online auction for his incredible art pieces. A native of Louisiana, Le Blanc delighted fans when he did live feeds from the sudden snowstorm that hit New Orleans in January, walking through the winter wonderland that his neighborhood had become.

Le Blanc also lent his time and energy to fundraisers with co-star Kate Linder, who plays Y&R’s Esther Valentine. In May, Le Blanc went to Toronto, along with cast members Sean Dominic (Nate Hastings), Bryton James (Devon Winters), Conner Floyd (Chance Chancellor), and Mishael Morgan (Amanda Sinclair). The group joined Linder at the Shine a Light on Breast Cancer Brunch.

Le Blanc celebrated the 13,000th episode of The Young and the Restless in November, and since then, his character has stepped out of his comfort zone by quitting his long-time job as Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) personal attorney. Le Blanc spoke to Soap Central about the change and what it meant for Michael and Victor’s future. “I think the nature of daytime and the long lives that we live allow for a long arc of history,” LeBlanc shared, adding, “Both Victor and Michael are complex enough, and their history is so entwined [that reconciling] is possible. But I think the ramifications [of what they’ve been through] will still go on.”

The three-time Emmy winner is also starring in Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story in a limited run next month. "This is kind of our 'out of town' tryout to see about doing the show off-Broadway in New York," LeBlanc told Soap Central about his three-performance run September 4, 5, and 6 at the historic Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove, New Jersey.

You can watch Christian Le Blanc as Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS or stream on Paramount Plus.