The Young and the Restless star Michelle Stafford has shut down the haters over the latest Phyllis on-screen drama.
There’s no question that soap opera fans are die-hard, and Y&R fans are no exception. It can be challenging for viewers to separate an actor from a character, especially those fans who are super passionate about certain characters.
Michelle originated the role of Phyllis Summers in 1994, playing her on and off for decades. The talented actress left a couple of times, most recently in 2014 when she left to create the role of Nina Reeves on General Hospital.
Playing two strong women on two different shows can bring out the trolls from time to time. The haters tend to come out in full force when they disagree with a character’s on-screen actions.
Instead of attacking the character, some trolls take aim at the actor or actress, and Michelle has had enough.
Michelle Stafford shuts down haters over latest Phyllis on-screen drama
On The Young and the Restless, Phyllis recently marked her territory with Jack (Peter Bergman) just to spite Diane (Susan Walters). Jack was not thrilled with Phyllis’ latest move. Y&R spoilers tease it leads to Jack making a shocking decision about their relationship.
Apparently, some fans of the hit CBS soap opera didn’t like what Phyllis did either because Michelle recently took to Twitter to remind people that she is an actress playing a character. Michelle has no control over how Phyllis is written. She is simply doing her job.
“I would like to introduce myself to some of you folks. My name is Michelle Stafford. It is not Phyllis Summers. That is a character I play. I am not responsible for that character’s actions. So you can throw your hate somewhere else…God Bless,” the actress tweeted.
Michelle reminds soap fans acting is her job
This is not the first time Michelle has had to defend herself against online trolls. Back when she was playing Nina on General Hospital, she endured a slew of backlash over a scene and used social media to set the records straight.
“The amazing writers at #GH write something and I play it. It’s my job. It’s all to entertain you folks and make you think… sometimes it incites debate. I truly LOVE all of you passionate folks ❤️” she wrote.
The scene in question involved Nina having an issue with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), who was Charlotte’s (then Scarlett Fernandez) teacher. Nina fiercely defended Charlotte by laying into Willow in a very uncomfortable scene to watch.
Michelle Stafford has had to remind soap opera fans that she is an actress playing a character a couple of times. While it’s a testament to her incredible acting talent, it can also be easy to see why Michelle is tired of the hate being thrown her way.
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS.
