The Young and the Restless: Nathan Owens is ‘Amped’ That Holden is Malcolm’s Son
Holden Novak’s life changed in a big way in the April 8 episode of Young and Restless when his mother, Stephanie Simmons (Vivica A. Fox), revealed to him that Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore) is his biological father. (Malcolm also had no idea he had a son, let alone that it was Holden.) On top of that, Malcolm has been diagnosed with aplastic anemia and requires a stem cell transplant from a blood relative… like a biological son. Portrayer Nathan Owens opened up about Holden’s new normal in a new interview with TV Insider.
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Owens told the outlet that when he was initially summoned to the office of Y&R Head Writer and Executive Producer, Josh Griffith, he assumed he was being fired, but instead was informed that Fox and Moore would be returning to the soap and that their characters would be turn out to be Holden’s parents.
“I was taken aback immediately,” the actor shared. “I legitimately grew up watching [Fox] from Independence Day to Kill Bill, to all kinds of stuff, so I was pretty floored when I found out about that. And then, of course, Shemar Moore. I grew up seeing him throughout my whole life, and honestly, being compared to him. People were like, ‘Oh, you look kind of like Shemar Moore,’ and then sure enough, some years later, he’s playing my father. It was pretty cool.”
For Owens, who joined the soap in January 2025, learning that his character is actually part of the well-established Winters family was exciting and felt like a validation of the hard work he’s put in during his time on the show. “I was pretty amped up about it,” he enthused. However, for Holden, who lost the man he thought was his father, Dr. Jerry Novak, when he was just a little boy, this news is more than a little jarring.
The actor explained, “Now there is a man out there that’s his biological father and potentially could fill that void that he’s had his whole life, and it’s a lot for him to take on. He’s kind of sifting through that, not to mention the lie that his mother told him to begin with. So, there’s mixed emotions for Holden. It’s a lot for him to digest,” particularly in light of Stephanie pressuring him to get tested as a potential bone marrow donor.
Not only that, but Holden will also now have to figure out how to navigate being part of the Winters clan. “Holden didn’t start off on the best foot with Lily [Christel Khalil] and Devon [Bryton James], and it’s been a little bit turbulent,” Owens noted. “So now the shift into being family members and trying to establish a new relationship with all these people is a bit overwhelming for Holden at this moment. He’s in the process of trying to make these bridges, trying to figure out how to cultivate a relationship with them, especially Lily being his blood sister.”
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