When asked if she was surprised when the role of Phyllis was extended past its initial few weeks in 1994, portrayer Michelle Stafford easily answers, “No.” It’s not ego driving her answer, it’s kudos. “I was grateful and honored but not surprised because I felt Bill [Bell, then-head writer] created such a great character who he just kept writing for. I think I started in October and it was around February or March when they offered me a contract.”
It helped, in Stafford’s opinion, that the vibe with both her on-screen obsession, Michael Damian (Danny), as well as Phyllis’s rival, Cricket, played by the boss’s daughter, Lauralee Bell, resonated with the audience. “First of all, Michael was so lovely to work with and I love him so much,” she smiles. “And I felt like I had a lot of chemistry with Lauralee because in real life I really liked her and she liked me, so it all just kind of worked. I still absolutely love them.”
Which is a plus, given that Damian has returned to Y&R for a story arc that will have Danny reconnecting with Cricket, or “The Bug” as Phyllis derisively still calls her. “Phyllis will always hate Cricket until the writers decide she doesn’t and then Phyllis won’t,” Stafford reasons. “The acrimony these women feel for each other goes deep and they have always known how to push each other’s buttons. We do have some really fun stuff coming up.”
Another plus? The shoring up of Phyllis’s family, first with daughter Summer’s comeback — in the form of Allison Lanier, who took over for Hunter King — in May 2022. “She came in into this story when Phyllis and Summer were at odds,” recalls Stafford. “Phyllis was spouting off all of these speeches to Summer about this, that and the other thing and I think it was a daunting task for Allison because it was just a lot for her to jump into, but she did such a great job. Everybody here really likes her because she’s so sweet and very professional. I love Hunter and she will always be my baby but she’s off doing other great projects and I’m really happy for her. Allison has been working every day and giving long speeches, and I’m really impressed by how incredible she is. She really has a grasp on Summer and made the character her own. She’s really awesome.”
As is on-screen son Michael Graziadei (Daniel), who returned to Genoa City last November. But Stafford reveals she was not on board when the character was aged in 2004. “I’ll tell you this because The Graz already knows the story but I was all bent out of shape when they decided to age my son and I was like, ‘Oh my God, that makes me so old,’ ” she confesses. “Of all of the actors who auditioned, they ended up picking The Graz who I believe was the oldest one, so of course I was freaking out. I don’t know if he was doing this purposely — my guess is no — he just did everything right. He would acquiesce to me, ‘Whatever you want,’ so I really love the relationship that we’ve built and I was so excited when he came back last year. Now I love doing scenes with Allison and The Graz because those three are so dysfunctional and fun.”
While Phyllis is learning the hard way to stop meddling in her children’s lives, Stafford works hard to find a happy balance in parenting kids Natalia and Jameson. “The best thing about motherhood to me is when I get to take a break,” she chuckles. “It certainly is a job and sometimes it’s just not fun. Would I do it again, for sure, but it’s a challenging thing that never ends.”
Especially as daughter Natalia, soon to be 14, goes deeper into her teen years. “She’s amazing and smart, but doesn’t know who she is yet,” Stafford describes. “I remember 14 was the worst for me and I’m sure that age will be tough for Natalia. I already feel like the dude with the crazy girlfriend, who spies on him and hacks into his computer. Natalia likes to go through my phone and track where I am. She’ll think she’s the boss and I’m like, ‘Uh, no, I’m the mom and you’re the kid. You’re not 18 and you haven’t moved out.’ ”
And son Jameson “is getting older and becoming a little more jagged-y, and you’ve got to keep those boys in line,” Stafford shares. “My guy friends are like ‘Michelle, watch out. He’ll soon be taller than you and when the testosterone kicks in, it could get bad.’ So that’s why it makes me laugh when a friend will say, ‘Oh, my husband was out of town this weekend and I totally understand what it’s like to be a single mom.’ I want to go, ‘God bless you, and I’m sure it was hard for you, but you don’t understand what it’s like to really be a single mom.’ I’m not complaining because it’s what I chose, but I had no idea what I was in for. I wouldn’t recommend being a single mother. When you have a lot on your plate, it’s quite something.”
Stafford reports that having so many responsibilities at work and home and in between keeps her on her toes. “I won’t go into the reasons why, but it’s a very challenging time for Michelle Stafford,” she concludes. “But I’m so blessed. I’ve been very fortunate. I have a great family and great friends. In a lot of ways, I have hit the jackpot. Life is still a challenging, f**king ride so you need to acknowledge the good times and the good people — and really appreciate them.”
The Beauty of It All
Although Stafford’s line of skin care products, Skin Nation [skinnation.com], is doing quite well, she admits that it could be reaping better results. “It actually should be further along,” she affirms. “I started Skin Nation in 2015, and there’s another brand called Drunk Elephant that started around the same time and they’re almost billionaires. It’s all been a learning experience for me. One day I decided, ‘I wanna do this.’ ”
Stafford was inspired to create a collection of clean, plant-based products after her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. “It really made me think about what we put into our bodies, but I had no idea what I was doing,” she notes. “I’ve made a million mistakes, and I’ll probably make a million more, but I have such a desire to put out great products and I’ve worked really hard to make them that way. The key is to listen to your customers and I always listen. Plus, I’m always researching. It’s my obsession.”
Stafford started out with partners but she’s now calling the shots, adding, “I bought them out last April, so it’s all on me, but I’m very excited. We’ll be starting a new line of hair products, which will be called — what else? — Hair Nation, so keep an eye out for that.”
Just The Facts
Birthday: September 14
Birthplace: Chicago, IL
Gold Standards: She scored two Daytime Emmy awards in 1997 (Outstanding Supporting Actress) and 2004 (Outstanding Lead Actress), and is nominated as Lead Actress this year.
Soap Track Record: Frankie (TRIBES, 1990), Phyllis (Y&R, 1994-97, 2000-13, 2019 to present), Joanna (PACIFIC PALISADES, 1997) and Nina (GH, 2014-19)
Modern Family: Stafford is the single mom to Natalia, 13, and Jameson, who’ll be 8 later this month.
About Those Instagram Dance Videos With Amelia Heinle (Victoria): “We have similar energies when we’re in the fun zone and Amelia is so freaking funny. Just put a camera in front of her and she’s hilarious. I’m always approaching her about doing another video, so it should be told that I’m pimping her out.”
Pet Set: A bloodhound named Rufus. “He’s truly adorable, and very quirky and fun, but he’s such a bad boy. He’s gone to three rounds of training and none of them have helped.” There are also two cats, Ariel and Ninja, who “stay hidden during the day but come out at night, usually in my room, to do their cat things.”
Toying Around: In partnership with the Inglewood, CA chapter of the NAACP and the National Action Network, Stafford and her co-stars collect money every year and then embark on a toy-buying shopping spree for needy kids during the holidays. “It’s become a really cool tradition and gets bigger and bigger. But the people at the NAACP and the NAN work their asses off all year-round.”
