The Young and the Restless character Matt Clark isn't able to pull off his devious acts alone. Aiding him in his pursuit of the Newman family's downfall is law officer (turned bad) Annie Stewart, played by Catherine Kresage. Soap Central sat down with the Y&R newcomer for an exclusive interview about what makes Annie operate!The Young and the Restless, Bad Boys, Bad GirlsRoger Howarth (Matt Clark) and Catherine Kresage (Det. Annie Stewart) on The Young and the Restless | Image: CBSY&R isn't Kresage's first soap. Previously, she'd played a lawyer (who was looking for love) on All My Children, and she also checked into General Hospital for a day playing a doctor. "Those experiences were both great and gave the experience of working on a soap that was so helpful coming into a larger role on Y&R," the actress says. "I was familiar with the fast pace." Kresage also brought experience as a soap opera viewer and was happy to be paired on-screen with Roger Howarth (Matt). "I have been a fan of Roger's since he was on One Life to Live [as Todd], so when I found out we would be working together, I was extremely excited!" Just as Howarth recently shared that he was nervous about working with Y&R legend Eric Braeden (Victor), Kresage admits to feeling the same way about Howarth. Fortunately, she says, "he could not have been nicer, more humble or more generous. And working with him on set is electric! Being up close to his singular energy and dynamic performance has been truly the treat of a lifetime. He's just fantastic!" Whatcha gonna do when they come for youCatherine Kresage as Det. Annie Stewart on The Young and the Restless | Image: CBSWhat turned Annie from a presumably upstanding law officer into Matt's hired hand? "Annie is a detective who went undercover to investigate Mitch Bacall/Matt Clark for running drugs out of The Shadow Room. But...Annie got greedy and decided to start working with Matt to get on his payroll." Like any solid actor, Kresage worked on her character motivation to explain just why Annie turned to the dark side. "While nothing was spelled out in the script, I definitely wanted to come in as an actor with an understanding of what would make a person who defends the law for a living make such a dramatic turn," the actress shares. "Matt does have a certain appeal to her," Kresage adds, "but her driving force is really the promise of a big payout to cover a desperate situation in her personal life." What situation might that be? "That reason will just have to stay my little secret! :)" Holiday presenceCatherine Kresage as Det. Annie Stewart on The Young and the Restless | Image: CBSWorking on the top-rated soap is among Kresage's 2025 highlights. Along with thanking Howarth, the actress has shoutouts for co-stars Tamara Braun (Sienna) AKA her "makeup chair bestie," Joshua Morrow (Nick), who Kresage says is a "total boss" for learning so much dialogue, and Lucas Adams (Noah), "for the care he took with me on a couple of stunt moves we did together."The actress also wants to give kudos to Matt Cohen (Det. Burrow), show publicist Matt Kane, costume designer Mandi Line, and, especially, casting director Greg Salmon for casting her in the role. "I could go on!!" she enthuses. "Truly, the folks at Y&R are such a fabulous bunch, and it's a privilege to [be] a part of this story that's gone on for decades!" The Young and the Restless & ATWT fans are wondering View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWhen longtime soap fans heard that Kresage would be playing a character named "Annie Stewart," they might have wondered if Y&R was paying homage to the character with that name from As the World Turns, played by Mary Lynn Blanks, whose Annie was famous for being mom to quadruplets!!!! This wouldn't be the first play on names that Y&R made related to ATWT, as that show also had characters named Holden (Nathan Owens), Lily (Christel Khalil), and Damian (Jermaine Rivers)! "Oh, this is definitely news to me," Kresage says of the potential significance of her character's name, "but I love a little extra soap world connectivity!" Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.