Christian LeBlanc Teases ‘Surprises Ahead’ For Michael And Victor On Y&R (Exclusive)

The conflict between the Newmans and the Abbotts has been a constant on Young and Restless for many years now, and with Victor’s ire reignited by Jack risking Nikki’s life last year to get her to sober up, it’s now primed to explode. Enter Michael, who has been working as a kind of double agent, hoping to keep the war from escalating any further — and destroying both families in the process. Soap Opera Digest got the inside scoop on Michael’s role in the storyline from the actor who plays him, Christian J. LeBlanc.

The Razor’s Edge

“I think his goal is to be a guardrail,” LeBlanc (Michael) explains of his alter ego’s attempts to keep Victor from going too far. “There’s not many people that can convince him to move otherwise — or even be conniving enough to get him to move otherwise.”

Victor has ramped up his scheming against Jack, Billy, and Kyle, and his attorney can clearly see how bad the consequences could be. “So that’s the urgency of the situation,” the actor says. “As much as Michael defers and adds other subjects and tries to get Victor off the topic of the Abbotts, he comes back to it, because that’s a rivalry older than time. He’s trying to keep Victor in his lane and keep Jack and the Abbotts and everyone else in the other. And he is getting pressure from all sides.”

Michael Baldwin wasn’t exactly a great guy when he first appeared on Y&R 1991, to put it mildly, and he was sent to prison in 1993. But after he returned to Genoa City in 1997, bent on revenge, he soon found himself making amends for his past misdeeds. And LeBlanc believes that Michael’s “daddy issues” explain his strong connection and undying loyalty to Victor Newman.

“There was a Christmas episode,” the actor recalls, “and Michael’s trying to win his way back into the heart of Genoa City, into being accepted after prison and everything he was accused of. And I’m looking through the window of Victor’s mansion before I go in, and everyone’s sitting around the tree, and it’s a happy family. He invites me in and they give me A Christmas Carol to read. It was a really beautiful episode because they sat him in the middle of everybody, and one of the little kids gives me the book and asks me to read.

“So these things come together in this relationship,” LeBlanc continues. “He keeps coming back to Victor after these yeses and nos and quitting and firings. Because [Michael’s biological father] River Baldwin wasn’t a great person — abandonment and stuff — but he’s always admired [Victor’s] sense of family, and that he would welcome [Michael] into his family at different times. So it’s a big draw.”

Right-Hand Man: Victor (Eric Braeden) has no idea that Michael is playing both sides.

A Dangerous Game

One of the benefits of this current storyline is that it means that LeBlanc is able to enjoy even more scenes with castmate Eric Braeden as Michael tries to work for and against Victor at the same time, leading to some dramatic conversations.

“I get to work really intimately with Eric,” he enthuses. “And people don’t know how funny he is. I mean, of course, he laughs, he breaks… but I get yelled at, not him [laughs]! But I’ve started to look forward to that. He really is a joy to work with, and it’s exciting. He’s just like you would imagine — when he comes in the room, whether it’s real life or as Victor, you pay attention and it really gets you riveted. I believe we work well together, and I’ve just loved these scenes.”

Of course, as Victor’s war against the Abbotts continues to heat up, Michael is going to have his work cut out for him. “With this revving up of the ancient feud between Jack and Victor, the stakes get a little higher,” LeBlanc previews. “We’ve got exciting places to go. There’s a lot of surprises ahead… there’s so much coming after this.”

Comrades in Arms: LeBlanc was on hand to deliver a heartfelt speech at the on-set event celebrating Braeden’s 45th anniversary at Y&R earlier this year.