As the “only person in my entire bloodline that wanted to be in the entertainment industry,” Reylynn Caster, who plays the suddenly 16-year-old Faith on YOUNG AND RESTLESS, got an early start while growing up in Kansas. “I did a local play at the Scottish Rite [Signature] Theatre in Wichita when I was about 7, and as soon as I was involved in that, I knew acting was something that would have to be a part of my life,” explains the 18-year-old actress. “I felt I had no other option other than continuing to do more theater, a bunch of commercials and some local indie films.”
When she was 10, Caster signed on with Los Angeles-based talent representation for a shot at TV and film work. “I was constantly sending self-tapes from Kansas and would get positive feedback, but never booked a role because I lived in Wichita and a lot of productions in L.A. wanted to hire locally.” After three years of rejections, Caster’s parents made a big decision to give their daughter’s aspirations a boost. “They decided to make the move to California so I could jump right into show business instead of just putting in a toe.” Caster adjusted to L.A. both personally (“I was 13, and at that age, you’re kind of figuring out who you are; that was a huge step for me to take, but it went really well and I made friends quickly”) and professionally, soon landing a regular series role on the CBS sitcom ME MYSELF & I, which starred comedy vets John Larroquette (NIGHT COURT), Bobby Moynihan (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) and Jaleel White (FAMILY MATTERS). “Being on that show was such a great learning experience for me and I made some life-long friends,” the actress enthuses.
Although that show was soon axed, other comedic gigs followed, much to Caster’s surprise. She explains, “I wasn’t expecting to do comedy when I moved to Los Angeles, so I wasn’t very comfortable with it at first. Those were the type of auditions that I had to spend a little more time on and I wasn’t sure if I was even good at it.” Clearly, she was, and expanded her credits to include a recurring role on AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE and a regular part on Netflix’s THE BIG SHOW SHOW, her first multicamera series shot in front of a live audience. “It was really fun,” she says. “It was so much like doing theater because you could feel the energy from the audience and get instant gratification if a joke landed.”
When the pandemic hit in 2020, that show was canceled. “There were so many factors that went into it,” Caster surmises. “The biggest was that it came out right before Covid hit and suddenly our show couldn’t have a live audience and there was a huge crew and it would’ve been very difficult to produce with Covid restrictions. Netflix didn’t know what was going on with a lot of their shows, so many were canceled, including ours.”
That series’ unfortunate fate ultimately led her to Genoa City. “I hadn’t worked in awhile because of the pandemic and I really wanted to get back into doing drama because I’d done comedy for so many years,” she notes. So, when the chance to try out for Y&R came up, she jumped at it. “Although soaps were something I’d never done, I always want to try everything that I can. My mom loves soaps and I would sit at home when they came on and watch them with her. She was into YOUNG AND RESTLESS and DAYS OF OUR LIVES, and she got really excited when I was auditioning for Y&R, but we didn’t have a clue for which character.”
That’s because the sides Caster received were under a fake name. “I found out later that the scenes they sent me were ones that Aly [Alyn Lind, ex-Faith] had done, and already aired,” she recalls. “I remember thinking that it was a lot of lines and now, looking back, it was nothing! I did a self-tape in my bedroom against one of my white walls with my iPhone, a tripod and a ring light. After I sent that in, they wanted to do a screen test, which we did over Zoom. It ended up being a chemistry read with Joshua [Morrow, Nick] and Jacob [Aaron Gaines, Moses].” An hour later, “They called my agent and manager with an offer,” she beams. “It was the quickest turnaround on a role I’ve ever gotten. There was a lot of excitement!”
With Faith on the front burner at the time of Lind’s departure, Caster’s initiation was challenging. “It was a little overwhelming the first few days,” she allows. “I was a little intimidated looking at those scripts and seeing how many lines I had and knowing I only had one day to learn the material and then get up the next day to do it all over again!” Not to mention, she was coming in as a replacement for a beloved predecessor. “There was a bit of pressure because I didn’t want to let anyone down. I’m human so I want people to like me.”
Still, she’s grateful to have started out with a bang. “I’m glad that I was thrown into a really big story because I’m the type of person who likes to start with something hectic and difficult, then it can really only get easier from there.” And from the beginning, her co-stars helped her feel at home. “My first scene was with Mel [Thomas Scott, Nikki] and she was amazing to work with. All along, everyone has been really nice and supportive. It didn’t take long for me to have a good feeling about coming here.”
That emotion has only deepened over the last few months. “Being here is absolutely amazing,” Caster declares. “It’s been such a great learning experience and I’m so excited about the future. I love Faith Newman and the woman she’s becoming. I’m so excited and grateful that I get to portray her. I think every- one who works on Y&R is incredible and I’m having the greatest time.”
To hear Reylynn Caster tell it, she has hit the jackpot when it comes to the actors in her Y&R midst. Here, she weighs in on a few of them.
Eric Braeden (Victor): “He’s great. The scenes we have had together have been a lot of fun. As everyone knows, he’s extremely talented. He’s really awesome to work with.”
Jacob Aaron Gaines (Moses): “Jacob is awesome. He’s so much fun and very talented. He hasn’t done very much before coming to Y&R but you wouldn’t know it. Scenes with him are my absolute favorite. Moses is very important to Faith because he came into her life when she was at her lowest point. She didn’t have any friends and he was there for her.”
Mark Grossman (Adam): “I didn’t know he had only been on the show for a couple of years because he was so natural that I assumed he had been there for so long. He’s great. He’s really professional but also a lot of fun. He’s extremely talented. My very first scene with him was really intense because we didn’t know each other but our characters are family so it was really awesome to work together to create a chemistry even though Mark and I have no history.”
Joshua Morrow (Nick): “He’s amazing and so much fun to work with. He definitely likes to have a good time.”
Did You Know?
✿ Caster had to ditch her natural brunette hair color for her new job. “I got my hair bleached and the next day, I started on Y&R.”
✿ The actress graduated from high school this past May and plans to continue her education. “I want to work in the industry no matter what, but acting is really unpredictable, so I do want to have a back-up plan. I’ll take college classes this fall, but being on a soap opera is pretty demanding, so I’ll probably only pick up a couple of classes and take it slow.”
Just The Facts:
Birthday: March 3
Birthplace: Wichita, KS
What’s In A Name? “I’m actually asked [about its origin] a lot. My parents said they wanted me to have a really unique name and they heard a similar-sounding name, so they came up with Reylynn on their own.”
The A Team: She has an older brother, Anthony, and an older sister, Amanda.
Relationship Status: Recently celebrated her first anniversary with boyfriend Armani Jackson. “He’s on the TBS show CHAD. We’re both actors so we understand the industry. We met through mutual friends and I’ve known him for four or five years. It was always platonic, until it wasn’t!”
TV Fare: “I’m obsessed with MONEY HEIST, and I also love the CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA, which are both on Netflix.”
The Beat Goes On: “I’m self-taught on guitar and piano. I write music and sing and I hope to record some songs one day.”
As for her own taste in music, “I’m obsessed with Phoebe Bridgers and I love Lana Del Rey.” Kick Backs: “I love to paint, hike and go thrift-store shopping. Anything I con- sider peaceful is my fun.”
