The Young and the Restless Exclusive: Billy Flynn on 1 Year as Cane, Cane & Lily, Roger Howarth
June 19 marks the one-year anniversary of Billy Flynn‘s debut as Cane Ashby on The Young and the Restless — a milestone the actor can hardly believe. “I feel like this year flew by,” marvels Flynn, who chatted with Soap Opera Digest about life in Genoa City, his character’s evolution and working with new co-stars like Roger Howarth (Matt).
Billy Flynn’s Year in Genoa City
“I just love it here,” says Flynn, who made the jump to Y&R after spending over a decade on Days of Our Lives as Chad DiMera. He singles out his castmates for making his first year on the show so rich. “The cast is so incredible, it sometimes feels like an all-star team,” he muses. “There are so many vets and people who’ve been on the show for a long time, all great actors, and I still feel like I’m the new guy, because I’ve been [in soaps] for the least amount of time. Coming over to Young and Restless and getting to work with these people who are so good, I feel like I get to push myself and learn from them. I feel like I’m doing that all the time with people like Jason Thompson [Billy], Michelle Stafford [Phyllis], Eric Braeden [Victor], Peter Bergman [Jack], Roger Howarth, Christel Khalil [Lily], Bryton James [Devon]. I mean, it’s insane! These people are all so good. So it’s just been a real dream.”
Howarth is one of Flynn’s newest scene partners and has quickly made an impression on him. “Roger’s a beauty,” says Flynn, adding with a chuckle, “There’s your quote! But seriously, I had scenes the other day with him, and then with him and Michelle, and it was such a fun dynamic. Roger is so playful and so fun to work with and so good at what he does. He’s wonderful! And I think the stuff that we have together is going to be really fun. It’s just starting to pick up a bit.”
Flynn was even compared to Howarth early in his own soap career. “It’s funny; when Marni [Saitta, casting director] cast me on Days of Our Lives 13 years ago, I remember her saying to me, ‘You remind me of this guy Roger from General Hospital [where he played Franco Baldwin at the time].’ I don’t think she knew Roger personally, she was just a fan of his work. So, anyway, I’ve known of Roger for a long time, myself, and now to be working with him is really cool.”
Flynn Senses A ‘Vibe Change’ Toward Cane
On the show, both Flynn and Howarth are playing new versions of established characters. Both are recasts, and while Matt has recently undergone a personality shift due to a bout of amnesia, Cane’s transformation was brought about by the writers taking a new approach to him since his reintroduction last year.
“It feels like I’m finally starting to get people turned around on this new version of Cane,” Flynn shares. “This character was established a lot longer by somebody [original portrayer Daniel Goddard] than when I took over as Chad DiMera,” who had previously been played by Casey Deidrick. “So, obviously, I knew coming in that it was going to take time with such a drastic change in the character. But I’m starting to understand the the character a little bit more. He’s starting to become more my own, and I feel like I’m starting to peel back the onion a bit more.”
Flynn has also picked up on increasing viewer acceptance of a renewed romance between Cane and Lily. “I think where Cane and Lily are concerned, we’re making headway [winning over fans],” he nods. “I’m starting to see people’s vibe change with that.”
While their road to reconciliation has not been without its bumps, the actor says, “At the end of the day, he does love her so much, I think that Cane is such a lonely soul — I seem to always play characters that are lonely, sort of brooding souls — but I think he’s really striving for connection. And not just with Lily; the version of Cane that I play strives for even a connection with Billy, you know? That kind of brother connection. I think that ultimately, Cane wants to do the right thing by people, but at the same time, he’s just got a little bit of that bad boy in him, so sometimes he can’t help himself!”
With one year as Cane now under his belt, Flynn is looking forward to a bright future on the show. “It’s just been a dream year,” he smiles. “And I’m excited for the next one, and the next one, and hopefully many more to come!”
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