The Young and the Restless Performer of the Week: Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Summers

The Young and the Restless devoted a show to the bachelor and bachelorette parties for Danny and Cricket, but the real star of the episode was Phyllis Summers, played by Michelle Stafford, as her character's neuroses were on full display! For her performance as a woman who's a mess and magnificent all at the same time, Soap Central bestows Performer of the Week honors on the three-time Daytime Emmy-winner!

The Young and the Restless, Michelle Stafford

You can't blame Phyllis for stumbling upon Danny (Michael Damian) and Cricket's (Lauralee Bell) respective parties as they bid adieu to the single life. After all, she lives at the Genoa City Athletic Club, the site of the galas. In fact, most of the big parties on The Young and the Restless take place there. And you truly can't blame Phyllis for going from zero to 60 as she went into attack mode on Cricket. This is who Phyllis is, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Stafford plays Phyllis as a woman who makes no apologies, as she dares her adversaries to call her out on her antics. Phyllis plays the wounded party better than anyone, and she's never been one to let little things like facts alter her mindset. Phyllis truly believes that she's the wronged party. With a tone of bravado and spite, Phyllis conveniently leaves out her misdeeds when she's on the attack!

We knew we were in for a treat when Phyllis gave Michael (someone she calls "pal"), played by Christian LeBlanc, a hard time about her presence at the GCAC. If she was going to snark at a friend, then imagine what she'd do to Cricket! "I've made peace with this gross excuse for a marriage that Danny and the bug are so excited about," Phyllis groused at Michael. The attorney noted her choice of words indicated otherwise.

Stafford has always embraced Phyllis's quick-witted nature, and the actress shines when the writers hand her lines like, "I happen to see this, I guess, bachelorette party, I mean, seriously, this is sad. He's a rock star. There aren't even strippers," Phyllis quipped, adding that Cricket was "beige."

When Phyllis quipped, "You are not the boss of me," after Michael said goodbye to her, we knew Phyllis was going to barge her way into the jazz lounge, where Cricket's party was taking place.

Bug control

Lauren (Tracey Bregman) denied Phyllis when she tried to grab a glass of champagne, but that didn't stop Phyllis from firing off some cracks at her adversary. "White? Really?" Phyllis quipped at Cricket's party dress, insinuating the bride shouldn't wear that particular color at the ceremony.

Stafford played Phyllis as genuinely offended when Lauren called her a "heat-seeking bitch when it comes to Christine!" She refused to give even an inch. As far as Phyllis was concerned, Cricket was the one who upended her life and not the other way around. Stafford upped the stakes in terms of Phyllis's neurotic state of mind by overreacting to Christine using the word "crazy" to describe Phyllis's choices in life.

After a blackout hit, party-goers assumed Phyllis was behind the lights going out. Danny asking Phyllis if she had caused the power outage caused her to crumble. Initially, Phyllis didn't want to hear what Danny had to say, but then she wondered if he was going to say he'd seen the light about Christine.

Stafford energizes Phyllis with batteries that never die. She just keeps on going! Phyllis often professes innocence so steadfastly that her opponents on The Young and the Restless end up backing down. However, Danny pointed out that she had once put an octopus on Paul (Doug Davidson) and Christine's honeymoon bed, which Phyllis, of course, promptly denied. Her back to Danny, but facing the audience, Stafford brought a look to Phyllis's face that seemed to read, "Oops. Yeah, I did do that, didn't I?"

Sweet but a psycho

Phyllis didn't give an inch to any of her detractors on The Young and the Restless. Only when Danny met her with patience and understanding did Phyllis's façade break. "Christine called me crazy," Phyllis told Danny as her voice cracked. "I think she's right."

Phyllis went on to say that it was being imprisoned by Martin (Christopher Cousins) that damaged her psyche. "I'm a fool, aren't I, for holding on to someone who let go of me a long time ago," Phyllis said to her ex. "Aren't I?"

Danny's continued patience with Phyllis helped calm her down, but Stafford still brought pathos to the scene she had with her ex by telling him she wished him well, even though she'd never like Christine.

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"You're going to be okay," Phyllis assured herself in private as she tried to catch her breath. Most of us edit ourselves in daily life when we want to tell people exactly what we think of them. That's why watching Stafford's Phyllis speak her mind is one of our favorite things about The Young and the Restless. Brava to Stafford for turning in a tour de force at the parties for Danny and Cricket!

Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus

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