Already have an account?
Get back to the

Interview

ICYMI: Melissa Claire Egan And Mark Grossman Interview

Y&R’s Melissa Claire Egan And Mark Grossman Talk About Their On-Screen Relationship As Chelsea And Her Adam No. 3 

Soap Opera Digest: Missy, did you hear anything about the new Adam from your friends at Y&R before you came back?

Melissa Claire Egan: Yeah, I heard all great things from Joshua [Morrow, Nick]. I bumped into Sharon [Case, Sharon] at yoga and she mentioned how great Mark is. I heard all positive things. And when [Co-Executive Producer/Head Writer] Josh Griffith was trying to convince me to come back, he told me about Mark, as well. I think he was even screen-testing that day.

Mark Grossman: I didn’t know that.

Egan: I remember asking, “What’s his name?” And Josh said, “I’m not telling you yet,” because he knew I would Google stalk. He would only say, “We’ve got a great Adam for you.” So, yeah, I heard a lot of great things.

Digest: Mark, what had you heard aboutMissy before she came back?

Grossman: When I got the role, I did some research and watched the show. I had seen her on-screen so much by the time I actually met her. But I heard only pleasant things. I think it was a couple of months after I started that she came back on, right?

Egan: Yeah, I think a couple of months.

Digest: Missy, did you have any apprehension about what the chemistry would be like?

Egan: You just never know, you either have it or you don’t. These characters have always been so popular together. I really appreciated that Mark had done his research. Right away he would quote scenes from years ago and I was like, “What was that?” And he’d say, “When you had that scene with Adam in 2012.” So, I respected that he did the research and knew their history. You either have chemistry or you don’t. And also, I knew they weren’t really putting us together right away, too.

Digest: Mark, how did you react when this significant character in Adam’s life was returning?

Grossman: I thought it was great. I kind of assumed that would happen just because there’s so much history between Adam and Chelsea.

Digest: What was your first meeting in person like?

Grossman: Josh Griffith knocked on my dressing room door and he brought Missy with him. I had seen her face so much from watching all these episodes of Y&R. We sat down and talked and I asked her like 300 questions. I probably annoyed the crap out of her. Obviously, Missy has way more experience than I do, so I just wanted to pick her brain about everything.

Egan: Yeah, I had a fitting and a meeting with Josh that day. He took me to meet my new Adam and left us alone to chat and get to know each other. It was such a massive storyline and so important for us to pick up where these characters left off. It wasn’t like when Justin [Hartley] took over for Michael [Muhney] as Adam, where Chelsea didn’t know it was him with a different face. Mark and I knew we had to pick up from, “I know it’s Adam.” A couple of days later, we ran through some of our lines. Remember?

Grossman: Oh, yeah. We got ahead of it. Like you said, there’s just so much history and I had to come in with all this history already there. I was really glad we were able to do that. It helped a lot.

Egan: Yeah, and picking up where you left off when you’ve only met someone twice is tricky. It’s a challenge, for sure.

Digest: Mark, were you glad they didn’t put Adam and Chelsea together right away?

Grossman: To be completely honest, it was a lot of pressure for whatever they put me in. They put me with Sharon right away and obviously, there’s a ton of history with them, as well. So, either one you put me with, I have to step in and try to play the history of these relationships. But looking back, yeah. You don’t want to rush anything. I think that was a smart idea.

Digest: Joshua was so energized by the triangle. He never thought the Chelsea/Nick relationship had enough depth until Adam came into the mix.

Egan: Right. I love it. Listen, the night is still young, maybe there will be something else. This is my first year back, Mark’s first year on the show. I just kind of let the writers work their magic and see what happens next.

Digest: How would you describe the vibe of your working relationship now?

Grossman: It’s good. It’s easy. I think we both take our work very seriously. We like to rehearse a lot and run lines. I think it’s really nice when you have someone who wants to do good work and cares about what they’re doing. I think we’re very similar in that way.

Egan: Yeah. We’re very similar in our ways and our preparation. We run lines all day. We can never run too much. We’re running our lines up until the last second. It’s great to have that.

Digest: When Adam and Chelsea told Connor that his parents were getting back together, your TV son, Judah Mackey, did such a great job.

Grossman: He was great.

Egan: He is great!

Grossman: I mean, for a 9-year-old, it’s crazy. He wanted to get in an emo- tional place for that scene, so he actually took himself aside and got in the mood. I was like, “Dude, that’s awesome!”

Digest: Did either of you coach him?

Grossman: No, he’s got it covered.

Egan: He doesn’t need our coaching. He’s really got it. He’s amazing.

Digest: Was there a point where you felt like, “Wow, this is working for us”?

Grossman: That’s a tough one. We do this so much, it really just depends on the mate- rial. Sometimes I have days when I feel like I was really in it and then other days where I wasn’t as good as I thought. But that’ll happen when you’re acting five days a week, every week. But I can’t think of a specific moment.

Egan: Yeah, I can’t really, either. I feel like we had an easy working relationship from the get-go.

Digest: Have you had the chance to hang out away from the set?

Egan: Not really.

Grossman: I’m a total bore and I never leave my house, so I don’t really see anybody!

Egan: Mark’s more of an introvert and I’m an extrovert. I do know what he’s up to during the weekends because we talk during the week and hear about each other’s plans.

Digest: Joshua and Sharon said that Mark is a very funny guy. Do you agree, Missy?

Egan: Yes. He’s very different than Adam, which is a testament to how good he is. Mark’s a goofball and kind of like a kid, and then when he becomes Adam, he becomes this serious assh**e [laughs].

Grossman: Say it. “Mark, you’re very immature!”

Egan: No! I’m giving you a compliment. He’s a chill, nice guy but as Adam, he becomes super-serious. He’s much different as Adam.

Grossman: That’s very nice of you to say. Thank you.

Digest: Do you guys have similar senses of humor?

Grossman: Goofy. Borderline annoying, but goofy.

Egan: I don’t know. I mean, I’ve been told I’m a goofball. When we’re working together we’re always so serious running lines. I mean, there’s time for goofing around.

Grossman: Yeah, we goof around here and there.

Egan: On set we do.

Grossman: Yeah, we’re not, like, super-stressed.

Egan: When the big scenes are over and we can just chill, we have similar senses of humor.

Digest: What do you think has been your most memorable scene together?

Grossman: I like when Chelsea brought Connor to the penthouse and Adam saw his son for the first time. Also, when Adam was telling Connor that he was leaving.

Egan: Apparently, all those Connor scenes were more memorable than the Chelsea scenes.

Grossman: No, not at all!

Digest: What about you, Missy?

Egan: The first one back was big and important, especially to the fans when they first reunite int he Dark Horse office. That was a big one for the characters and for the fans that had been waiting for it. It was a really important scene. That would probably be mine.

Grossman: I change my answer to that one! That one and the first penthouse one. And those were our first scenes together.

Digest: Adam and Chelsea seem to be teaming up against the Newmans. Is either
one concerned about causing more family dissension?

Egan: Nah.

Grossman: Nah. We’ve been there before!

Egan: Bring it on! I’ve been on the show for eight years and Adam’s always been a really important part of Chelsea’s story. They’ve had their issues and they’ve had fights but around here and they’ve always been like a force together and a really tough couple, kind of ride or die. I think it’s really cool how that’s their history. I think the writers are kind of focusing on that again now.

Grossman: There’s some good stuff coming up, some really good stuff.

Digest: What would you like to see happen for Adam and Chelsea?

Egan: I love their love story, but you don’t really want happily ever after because then it’s kind of boring. I want them to be happy, but I also love the drama. I love what the writers are doing now.

Grossman: For sure. Yeah. It’s good stuff.

Egan: Can we go back to the question that Mark said he heard I was “pleasant”? That’s the adjective I get? That’s all I get? “What did you hear about Missy?” And he said, “I heard only pleasant things.” That’s it?

Grossman: I think I just met you. I didn’t really know anybody on the show! I heard all good things. Absolutely. 100 percent!

 

Comments