The Daytime Emmys will be held on April 29. Here, this year’s nominees open up to Digest about soaps’ biggest night.
Outstanding Younger Actress Nominee
Hayley Erin (Kiki, GH)
ABC
Who gave you the good news? “Chloe [Lanier] called to congratulate me, which was adorable. That was the best possible way to find out. Then I went to work and got to congratulate her in person, and I saw Maura West from across the room and we did a silent jig.”
What does this nomination mean to you? “It’s like the best pat on the back ever. It’s still so surreal. I get to call myself ‘Emmy-nominated Hayley Erin’ for the rest of my life!”
What scenes did you submit? “Kiki finding out that Ava had switched Morgan’s pills, and then after the fire, when Ava had the ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ [order] on her chart. I put it together the way it is and then I bothered everyone I know and made them watch it and took all these notes and was going to make all these changes, but when push came to shove, I just left it the way it was. I drove myself insane for no reason [laughs].”
Will you write a speech or wing it? “If I do win, I will undoubtedly black out, so I am going to have to write a speech and memorize it so that I will be able to say something that makes sense. I know I would pull a Jennifer Lawrence and fall on my face. I think there’s a part of me that hopes I don’t win so that I don’t humiliate myself!”
What are you most looking forward to about Emmy night? “As a cast, we’re never all at the same place at the same time, so I can’t wait for the after-party, that camaraderie where we’re all together. I just hope there’s a candy bar at the party like there was last year!”
Outstanding Younger Actress Nominee
Cait Fairbanks (Tessa, Y&R)
CBS
How did you find out about your nomination? “[Producer] Jimmy Freeman texted me! I was at The Grove [shopping complex] and anxiously walking around in the rain. I looked down at my phone and saw Jimmy’s text and almost fainted.”
What was your reaction? “When I saw it, I didn’t believe it. I was just sitting in my car crying and shaking, but in a good way!”
What scenes did you submit? “I believe it was the scene in the café on Halloween with Camryn [Grimes] and the scene where Tessa is leaving Sharon’s house. I tried to pick Tessa’s more vulnerable moments!”
Who did you share the news with first? “Mom and Dad, of course! We were crying on the phone together. Then my brother, best friend, boyfriend and my dog, who knocked me down to give me a bunch of kisses.”
How did you celebrate your nomination? “I had the flu, so I went home, ordered pho and took an amazing nap with my pup. Honestly, I was so gross; sweating, crying and coughing. My boyfriend brought me soup and we watched RICK AND MORTY until we fell asleep. Best party I’ve been to!”
Have you decided what you’ll wear to the awards ceremony? “Honestly, I have no idea! Probably black. Any suggestions?”
Outstanding Younger Actress Nominee
Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire, DAYS)
NBC
How did you find out about your nomination? “I think I was just hanging in the living room with my cat and then I got the tweet from THE TALK and I was like, ‘This can’t be real.’ A couple more congratulatory tweets came in and I was like, ‘Okay, it’s not a mistake,’ and then I told my family and we shed many happy tears. It was a good day!”
Did you celebrate your nomination? “I did. I went out to lunch with my family and then we went out to dinner and then we went out to lunch the next day. Lots of celebration meals! It’s a good excuse to just go out and have fun.”
What did you submit? “I submitted the scenes of the downfall of the sex tape along with some scenes with Wyatt a.k.a. Scott [Shilstone].”
Are you going to prepare a speech? “I should! I haven’t done that either, but I will be sure to get around to that and prepare something just in case!”
Who will you be taking with you? “Probably my sister, Jessica. She was pretty excited about that. I’m not sure yet. Only if she’s nice to me because if she’s mean, I won’t take her! I’ll use it as bait for her to not be mean to me anymore. She is four years older; she’s 22. We’re very close, but we fight a lot!”
How do you think it will be different going to the show this year as a nominee? “I don’t know! I mean, I’m waiting to find out. When my castmates have gone, it’s been really awesome. I’m just super, super-excited.”
Outstanding Younger Actress
Chloe Lanier (Nelle, GH)
ABC
How did you find out about your nomination? “I saw it on Twitter — how millennial of me! — and I was over the moon. The first thing I did was call Hayley Erin because I was so stoked for her. Then I tapped on Maura’s door and she came to the door all Zenned out and I was like, ‘Oh, no, were you sleeping?’ And she said, ‘No, I was meditating.’ I was like, ‘Sorry to interrupt, but you were nominated for an Emmy!’ ”
Did you bump into any other nominees at work that day? “Yeah, I saw Billy Miller in the hallway and congratulated him and I got to congratulate Nancy, whose dressing room is next to mine. I’m so excited for her, Maura and Laura. They are so fantastic and I would be so stoked for any of them to win, even though I was bummed that Kelly Monaco wasn’t nominated. She had a fantastic reel, as well.”
Did you stress about your reel or did you know right away what you wanted to submit? “I edited that thing up until the last millisecond because I just could not decide. It starts with the ‘what goes around comes around, bitch!’ scenes where Carly confronts Nelle and ends with Michael confronting her about not giving her fiancé’s ring back.”
What are you looking forward to about Emmy night? “Wearing the dress, obviously. Feeling like a queen!”
Who are you taking? “My boyfriend. My parents are skipping it this year. I said, ‘What if I win? You’re going to regret it!’ If I do win, I’m going to FaceTime them with the Emmy and be like, ‘Remember when you could’ve been there?’ ”
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