Exclusive: Y&R’s Zuleyka Silver On Audra And Holden’s ‘Unresolved Feelings’
On Young and Restless, the plot involving Zuleyka Silver’s Audra, her current lover (Sean Dominic’s Nate Hastings) and her former paramour (Nathan Owens’s Holden Novak) is thickening by the day. On the Monday, February 24 episode, Audra (kinda, sorta) came clean to Nate about having a history with the man who pretended to be his half brother — but she definitely took advantage of not being under oath, and neglected to tell the whole truth and nothing but. The actress who brings Audra to life gave Soap Opera Digest her perspective on Audra’s lack of transparency, whether her alter ego still has the hots for Holden and more.
Rules Of Attraction
Audra told Nate that she and Holden went on a few dates — but, notes Silver, “I was told that I am playing it down [to Nate]. It wasn’t just a fling or a few dates. It was much more intense. That’s as much as I know, that it was much more intense than Audra is telling Nate.”
Even though Audra presented Nate with a highly edited version of the truth, Silver points out, “That’s actually a lot for Audra, for her to even have these though conversations. It might not be the whole truth, but it is a lot that she’s confessing for Audra! And she’s like, ‘Okay, that’s all he needs to know.’ ”
The actress thinks Audra’s unwillingness to be totally transparent with Nate points to there being a darn good reason that Audra doesn’t want Nate to know the full story. Asked if she’s playing that Audra still harbors a lingering attraction to Holden, Silver says, “Well, [because] they had something really intense, I am playing that there are underlying, unresolved feelings — because I think Audra wouldn’t see him as a threat to her new relationship if there wasn’t something [there], whether it’s her not necessarily trusting herself around him or whatever he is holding over her. So, I think it’s a stronger choice for Audra to play it and approach it as if there’s something unresolved, some unresolved feelings. And I think, who knows, maybe he’s one of the reasons why she doesn’t trust anyone! Maybe him and Noah, who knows. But I think as many layers as I can give the relationship, the stronger it will be.”
Silver says that behind the scenes, she and Sean Dominic (Nate) have been getting a kick out what the writers have whipped up to add drama to their characters’ romance. “We’ve made comments to each other like, ‘Oh course!’ He’s like, ‘Of course, in a soap, whenever you’re doing really well [conflict has to be introduced into a relationship]. The more they build you up, the harder the fall will be!’ ” The actress adds that she predicted that there would be trouble in Nate/Audra paradise. “In soaps, the closer you get [as a couple], I figured there was some drama coming, because it’s it was, like, too good to be true! And that’s just part of the genre, right? And that’s what makes it fun!”
Speaking of fun, Silver is also enjoying the burgeoning bond developing between Audra and Amy, played by Valarie Pettiford. “I love Valarie so much,” she beams. “She’s just so warm, so sweet, so great. I was actually telling Sean this; I was like, ‘We can do multiple takes and she will be right there emotionally.’ She just so emotionally available and I think it’s admirable, how open she is, because that’s what we all hope to be as actors once we’re filming — just wearing our hearts on our sleeve and being open in the moment. It’s been so great, working with her. I just adore her! She’s so talented and it’s inspiring to work with someone like her.”
As Silver sees it, “Audra genuinely cares for Amy. I feel like Amy has a lot of the qualities that Audra wished her real mom had, and so I think she has this growing affection for her — and I think that Audra is very protective over the people that she cares about. I think that’s why she was so stern or, I guess, demanding with Holden,” when she pressured him to get Damian to agree to meet with his mother. “She genuinely wants what’s best for Amy and she knows how much Amy cares for her son, and Audra felt like Holden could influence Damian to make that happen. I think that’s what she didn’t play games or dance around it, she just told him what she wanted him to do. She was like, ‘I’m not gonna waste my time. This is exactly what I’m asking of you. So, are you going to do it or not?’ um, so are you gonna do it or not?’ At first, I was like, ‘Well, maybe if she’s so demanding, he’s not going to listen,’ you know? But I think Holden knows how Audra is, and knows that when she cares for someone and believes in something, she will double down on it. And I think he knows Audra wants what’s best for Amy.”
Concludes the actress, “I feel like Holden really knows Audra, knows who she really is, so she doesn’t have to use tactics or pretend. She can just be like, ‘Listen, this is what it is, and I know you can help me.’ She does have some sway over him because I think he also has unresolved feelings for her, you know?” She adds with a chuckle, “I hope! I don’t know, but I think. He’d better!”
The Games People Play: Audra isn’t telling Nate (Sean Dominic, c.) the whole truth about her history with Holden (Nathan Owens).
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