The Young and the Restless star Michelle Stafford never imagined sticking around in Genoa City for this long. After all, she was supposed to be a mere visitor, but look how the tables turned! Cut to the present, her character Phyllis Newman is the soul of the CBS soap who just completed thirty long years. That’s quite a feat! So, how does Stafford feel about it? Catch some interesting tidbits about the legendary character.

Stafford Dishes on Phyllis’ Game-Changing Twist!
The Young and the Restless star recently opened up about her struggles before landing the role of Phyllis. Did things change overnight for Michelle? The actress revealed, “She (Phyllis) was created by Bill Bell, and he didn’t really have a vision for the character.” Yep, she was supposed to pop in, cause a little trouble, and then be out the door!

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Phyllis first set foot in Genoa City on October 18, 1994, as a groupie completely obsessed with Danny Romalotti. What was her purpose? The CBS drama threw her in the mix to jeopardize the steamy romance between Christine and Danny. So, it was a sizzling role, but nobody had expected her to hang around for long. But then, the magic happened!

Bill Bell, the genius behind the show, saw something in Michelle’s performance that sparked his creativity. “I like to say that I helped flesh out Phyllis because Bill liked what I was doing,” Stafford shared. Moreover, she transformed from a temporary troublemaker to a mainstay diva before we knew it. Check out the celebration for her big thirty below!

“To have her become someone who has remained on the canvas for three decades is an incredible honor!” said Michelle. Did the soap starlet ever imagine Phyllis would become a Y&R sensation — both loved and hated? No Nada! Stafford responded in astonishment, saying, “Absolutely freakin’ not!” Stafford exclaims. “It’s insane!” And guess what?

The drama isn’t stopping anytime soon! Michelle teases fans about the explosive scenes currently being shot. “It would be interesting to get to know more about her mom,” shared the Y&R icon. The role of Phyllis’ mum Lydia was played by the fabulous Abby Dalton. Additionally, she described Lydia as a rich woman who had cocktails for lunch and zero tolerance for Phyllis’ drama.

After Abby’s passing in 2020, Michelle thinks bringing her sister, Avery, could stir up some serious drama. She teased, “There’s a lot left to explore in that family!”