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#TBT - Daniel Goddard

Daniel
Daniel Goddard plays Ethan "Cane" Ashby on the Daytime Drama THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, broadcast weekdays on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Right Reserved. Credit: JPI

This interview originally appeared in the January 25, 2011 issue of Soap Opera Digest. 

In The 13th Year Of His Acting Career, Daniel Goddard Struck Gold With Y&R

Though he came to YOUNG AND RESTLESS as Cane in 2007 with an impressive list of credits already under his belt (he launched his career in 1994 as bad boy Eric on the long-running Australian sudser HOME AND AWAY and played the eponymous adventurer on the syndicated series BEASTMASTER from 1999-2002), Daniel Goddard had no qualms about settling down in Genoa City. “I was looking for a job that would give me stability while allowing me to perform and entertain,” he explains. “Being on a soap gives me all those things and there’s no better show than Y&R. This has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.”

Key to his Genoa City pleasure is his character’s fan-fave romance with Christel Khalil (Lily). “There are only two people on this earth who can tell me what to do and I’ll listen, and that’s my wife and Christel,” he says fondly of his TV spouse. That the pairing sparked with fans caught the actor off-guard, and happily so. “I’ve learned in life never to expect the best and always expect the worst, so you can be pleasantly surprised,” he explains. “I never expected [to be part of such a popular couple] and I’m just grateful. Christel and I have a very easy give-and-take,” he adds. “When Cane and Lily are having their ups and down, Christel and I intrinsically have a change in our relationship. When Cane and Lily come back together, then we come back together.”

The recent arrival of Tristan Rogers (ex-Robert, GENERAL HOSPITAL) as Cane’s crime-lord daddy, Colin, has further beefed up Goddard’s role. “It’s one of those stories where you think everything is humming along and then suddenly, ka-pow!” the actor chuckles. “Now I have the privilege to work with someone like Tristan. Aside from being an icon in this business, he’s a really good actor. And on top of that, he’s a really good bloke. From an Australian perspective, we are very similar in the way we see things and find humor.”

The new family tie is just one more reason that Goddard hopes Y&R will be his home for many years to come. “This is where I want to be,” he says firmly. “I have the opportunity to do what I love every day and be with the people I love. It’s a wonderful job. And after a while,” he winks, “you don’t need any drama in your life because you get enough drama with the acting. It doesn’t’ take long for you to realize that life just should be a happy hayride.”

 

JUST THE FACTS

Birthday: August 28

Hails From: Sydney, Australia

Middle Name: Richard

Marital Status: Married to interior designer Rachael since February 3, 2002.

Boys Club: Two sons, Ford Martin (born February 6, 2006) and Sebastian William (born December 19, 2008). “We’re done. Rachael is cool with our boys.”

On His Imminent 40th Birthday: “Age is just a number. The only thing is the preconceived notion that you have to act a certain way by a certain age. I think it’s different now — 40 is the new 30.”

Getting Animated: “I love The Incredible. That set a standard for me. I also love Despicable Me.”

Boxed Out: “I don’t really watch anything. I have a 2 and a 4-year-old and they’re not going to watch DEXTER with me. And once it’s 8:30, I have dialogue to learn for the next day, so my evening is shot.”

Commando Performance: “I stopped wearing underwear in my early 20s because I don’t like the feeling of being trapped.”

 

 

Did You Know?

Goddard penned six episodes of BEASTMASTER.

In addition to meeting his wife while a server at Denzel Washington’s restaurant, Georgia, “I waited on Steven Spielberg, Kevin Costner, Mark Wahlberg and Will Smith. They were all the nicest people and very good tippers.”

He modeled for Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana.

 

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