Five fan favorites returning for Y&R's 50th anniversary

Five fan favorites returning for Y&R's 50th anniversary

The Young and the Restless is welcoming back some beloved actors as the show nears its 50th anniversary.

The Young and the Restless is rolling out the red carpet as we tick closer to the top-rated soap's 50th anniversary. The CBS soap has announced that Michael Damian (Danny Romalotti), Patty Weaver (Gina Roma), Tricia Cast (Nina Webster), Barbara Crampton (Leanna Love), and Veronica Redd (Mamie Johnson) will also be reprising their iconic roles next month.

Damian made his Y&R debut as Genoa City's resident rock star Danny Romalotti in 1980 before leaving in 1998. He has made quite a few returns over the years, with the most recent having been in December 2022. He also appeared from 2002 to 2004, in 2008, and from 2012 to 2013.

During his time away from Y&R, Damian snagged a number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with his 1989 cover of "Rock On." Outside of music and acting, Damian has found success as a director, writer, and producer. His latest movie, Falling for Christmas (starring Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet), dropped on Netflix in November 2022. He reteams with Lohan on the upcoming Netflix movie Irish Wish.

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Patty Weaver originated the role of Gina Roma in 1982 and enjoyed a three-decade run on Y&R. Prior to joining Y&R, she appeared as Trish Clayton on Days of our Lives from 1976 to 1982.

Tricia Cast returns as - what the show has called "reformed bad girl" -- Nina Webster. She first appeared on Y&R in 1986 but left the show full-time in 2001. She was most recently seen during a 2021 guest appearance. In 1994, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series.

Every anniversary celebration needs a little love. Crampton brings a whole lotta love back to Genoa City as colorful celebrity journalist Leanna Love. She made her Y&R debut in 1987 and had several successful tenures on the show, most recently in 2007. Crampton has become an iconic figure in the horror/thriller genre. Currently, she is producing and co-starring with Heather Graham in the horror thriller Suitable Flesh. Barbara has received five Lifetime Achievement awards at festivals around the world for her contributions to the horror genre, including one at Morbido in Mexico City and at the prestigious Sitges Festival, just outside Barcelona, Spain.

Veronica Redd reprises her role as Mamie Johnson, a role she played from 1990 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2004. In her first Hollywood acting role and TV series appearance, Veronica appeared on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons, playing the groundbreaking role of Edith "Edie" Stokes, George Jefferson's old Navy buddy and former best friend who had transitioned.

Exact airdates have yet to be announced, but a show rep tells Soap Central that the episodes starring the returning alums will be airing in mid-March. Y&R's broadcast anniversary is March 26, 2023.

Are you excited about these big Y&R returns? Which character are you most excited to catch up with? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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