The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be held on Friday, Dec. 15, with the ceremony airing live on CBS starting at 9 p.m. ET. Soap Opera Digest chatted with the nominees to get the scoop on how they found out, what episodes they submitted, and more as we count down to daytime’s biggest night!
Outstanding Lead Actress
Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS)
Sonja Flemming/CBS
How did you find out about your nomination? “I was actually at the Academy Museum in L.A. with a couple of friends, just looking around The Godfather exhibit. Then my dad called me while I was in the gift shop because he and my mom were watching ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, and he said, ‘Congratulations!’ And I was like, ‘Oh, my God, no way!’ So it was very exciting and it was cool to be finding out with my friends at The Academy Museum.”
What does this nomination mean to you? “Of course, it’s a big thing to be nominated and it’s still a big deal even when you hear it again. It’s such an honor. I mean, that sounds cliché, but it’s true. Especially this year, more than ever, because of the subject matter of the storyline dealing with mental health and a suicide attempt, something that’s very serious and, unfortunately, very relatable to everybody in the world right now. We put a lot of hard work into telling the storyline properly, so the fact that it touched or moved people just means the world to me. Like, there are not enough words.”
What do you think about your co-nominees? “Obviously, I’m just thrilled that I’m with Michelle [Stafford, Phyllis] and Sharon [Case, Sharon]. I love those ladies and to be nominated with them is such a treat. They both had such incredible performances this year, and Finola [Hughes, Anna, GH] and Jacqueline [MacInnes Wood, Steffy, B&B] are amazing as well. Two years ago, I was nominated with Finola and Jackie, so it’s a little reunion of sorts. It’s a great little club to be a member of.”
Will your husband, Matt Katroser, be your escort on Emmy night? “Absolutely and he’s very excited. He’s my number one fan. I’m just excited about celebrating everybody and daytime. Last year, I had a family reunion on the East Coast, so I couldn’t go to the Emmys. The year before that, I was nominated, but there wasn’t a ceremony; we had to record our [acceptance] speeches. The year before that was Covid, and the year before that, I wasn’t on the show. I haven’t done the whole real Emmys experience for a while, so I’m just so excited for the camaraderie with being together as a cast, supporting our show.”
What scenes did you submit? “I submitted two episodes: Obviously, the stuff on the ledge when Chelsea wanted to jump and then the aftermath of the following episode when she and Billy are in the hotel room and she’s upset at him for stopping her. And she’s like, ‘ You had no right to stop me on that ledge!’ I’ve done a lot of research, with the head of the Suicide Prevention Association, and it’s not just what goes through someone’s mind when they’re contemplating suicide, but also what happens when it didn’t happen and the shock that your body and mind goes into, then the anger that this decision you made doesn’t happen. I felt like that episode about the aftermath of a failed suicide attempt was really important as well to show.”
