Tricia Cast, who originated the role of Nina Webster in 1986, had suspected that she may be asked by Y&R to reprise her character. “I was crossing my fingers,” chuckles the actress. “I knew Lauralee [Bell, Christine] had been working more so I kind of thought, ‘Yeah, maybe so.’ It’s always a nice surprise.”
Although Cast was brought back to be a part of the November 2 episode dedicated to Christine in honor of the character’s 40th anniversary, she was thrilled to learn that Nina would be used for more than a one-day appearance. For starters, Nina will finally scenes with Chance, which hadn’t happened since Conner Floyd took over the role in 2021. “It’s really well-written, lovely stuff,” she enthuses. “And what a great person and actor and co-worker Conner is. He just floors me. He’s really sweet and fun to work with and I think [the fans] will believe that we are mother and son.”
Cast was also elated to be reunited with Michael Damian (Danny), whose character is also sticking around. “It was just like nothing had changed with us, like no time had passed,” she notes. “We all work together well and we play together well and it’s just so fun. I mean, I can’t even compare it to anything. It’s a lovely thing. And there’s meaty [material] for everyone.”
Cast, who resides in Tennessee, lodges at Bell’s house when she’s working at Y&R. “That’s such a great arrangement,” she smiles. “We have dinners and a little bit of wine. We laugh and have conversations and all that kind of stuff. It’s one of the longest relationships I’ve had!” And whenever Cast isn’t needed at Y&R, she’s down in Orange County visiting her mother. She adds, “I drove out to Laguna Beach and watched the sunset on [late husband] Bat’s [McGrath] birthday. So that was nice. It was a bittersweet day.”
The actress wed McGrath in 2000 and he passed away in 2019. “I have, you know, ups and downs, and I peel myself off the floor every once in a while, but it’s okay,” she says of the grieving process. “I mean, that’s life, isn’t it? There are really tough moments but at the same time I’m so happy that I had my time with him. So, it’s a mixed bag. I still live in our house that’s on 30 acres of woods in Tennessee. The house is a bit big, but I still really like it there. I’ve been looking around at city living a little bit but I don’t know. It’s hard to pull me away from that serenity. I’m thankful to have Y&R as my other home.”
