Billy Flynn On Playing Cane Ashby on Young and Restless: ‘We’re Going To Rebrand It’
When Billy Flynn made his debut in the June 19 episode of Young and Restless, he was revealed to be playing the mysterious business tycoon Aristotle Dumas. However, in the subsequent episode, viewers learned that the alias belongs to none other than Cane Ashby! The actor opened up about the twist in a new interview with TV Insider, noting that when he first met with the soap’s head writer and executive producer, Josh Griffith, Flynn had no idea he would be stepping into the role last played by Daniel Goddard (now Henry Dalton on General Hospital) from 2007-19.
Raising Cane
Once he did learn that he would be playing the character originated by Goddard, Flynn explained that he watched old episodes of Y&R and read up on Cane’s history with the residents of Genoa City — particularly his ex-wife, Lily, played by Christel Khalil. “Cane and Lily were already a big thing,” the actor pointed out. “So, I come in and not only do I have to have that [connection] with Christel, but I’m not Australian and I’m a bit younger. What Daniel did was amazing — he was great as Cane — and obviously, the relationship that Cane and Lily had is a testament to their work.
“Cane is a fascinating character,” he continued. “Essentially, we’re going to rebrand it a bit, so they have a closer age range, and I don’t have a sexy accent. I can’t replicate it, so I’m going to do my thing. When people see this Cane and the relationship that I have as Cane with Lily, I think they’ll be happy.”
Flynn has experience as a recast, having taken over the role of Chad DiMera on Days of Our Lives from Casey Deidrick in 2014. So while Flynn’s version of Cane will naturally not be the same as Goddard’s, the actor believes that fans will still recognize the character they remember through his connections to others… and one person in particular. “There are a lot of things that are going to be different, but Lily is Cane’s one true love, and I know how to do that,” the actor declared. “And Christel makes it very easy. She’s incredible, she’s beautiful, she’s really talented, and she’s got a great personality. When we did our first scene, there was a chemistry that I was like, ‘Okay, it’s gonna be good.’ That connection was there for me.”
Share your thoughts about Cane’s return to Y&R and the kinds of storylines you’d like to see for him in the comments below!
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