Tracey E. Bregman made her debut as bratty rich girl Lauren Fenmore on YOUNG AND RESTLESS back in 1983. Over her long tenure with the show, she’s amassed her share of fun and emotional memories, from romance to turmoil to landing a daytime Emmy. Bregman picks the top five moments.
GOING FOR THE GOLD
“Winning the Emmy in 1985 (for Outstanding Ingenue in a Drama Series) was a great experience. At that point, we had to present three episodes. I remember submitting three very different shows. I sang in one of them, with Beth [Maitland, Traci]. There was also one with Doug [Davidson, Paul] when he and Lauren reunited. Bill Bell used to write these wonderful romance episodes. As for the Emmy ceremony, I remember going deaf. I was up against Kristian Alfonso (Hope, DAYS), Lisa Trusel (ex-Melissa, DAYS), Tasia Valenza (ex-Dottie, AMC) and Melissa Leo (ex-Linda, AMC), who is now starring in a lot of independent movies. I remember sitting there and hearing, ‘And the winner is Tuh…’ I thought Tasia Valenza won. I went deaf after hearing ‘Tuh.’ I literally sat there. It wasn’t until [Y&R creator/executive producer/head writer] Bill Bell stood up and stared at me that realized I’d won. I went up onstage, and it was an incredible moment.”
WEDDING BELLS, TAKE ONE
“Lauren and Paul running away and getting married was so sweet, and it completely came out of nowhere. The characters had been dating, but not for that long. Then, Lauren asked Paul to marry her. I remember wearing this outfit that I would never wear in real life. It was a fancy lace dress. But I loved the wedding, and I loved working with Doug [Davidson, Paul]. We became instant friends.”
SAN FRANCISCO TREAT
“The buried alive story definitely stands out, because it was the first time the show went on location, to San Francisco. It was a great time. The show was doing so well. The ratings were high. The show had gone to No. 1. There were so many surprising elements about [the storyline]. And we got to hang out in San Francisco. Doug [Davidson, Paul] was on the shoot. So were Steven [Ford, ex-Andy], Grant Cramer (ex-Shawn) and [producer] Wes Kenney. I think it was also the first trip I went on with my then boyfriend/now husband, Ron.”
OH, BABY!
“The whole baby switch storyline is unforgettable. I was pregnant myself for the first time, when it began. The whole storyline happened because I was pregnant with Austin. They wrote it in. So I was having a baby and doing this incredible storyline. Then I [delivered] Austin, and the baby switch happened. It was very emotional. I’d had a baby for the first time, was breast-feeding and up all night; then, working all day. It was an incredible time.”
A LOVE THAT’S LASTED
“Lauren and Michael’s wedding and their whole storyline together have been great. The connection between the two characters has always been very deep. Christian LeBlanc (Michael) and I have always said that Lauren is not afraid to be crazy and Michael is not afraid to be bad, and that’s why the relationship works so well. Also, I just have so much respect and admiration for Christian, both as a person and as an actor. I think that transfers [onto the screen]. It’s very natural working with him. Our characters got married in 2005, so they’ve been together a long time for a soap opera. I also loved the way the writers put our characters together. It was because they loved Kevin so much and were trying to help him, when he was infatuated with Lauren. Then, Michael and Lauren started to realize that they had feelings for each other. It was a great reveal, and it was slow. That’s what I loved about it.”
