Zach Tinker Says He’d Love it if Y&R Asked Him Back

Zach Tinker made a brief appearance on The Young and the Restless earlier this year as Fenmore Baldwin to help celebrate his TV mom Tracey Bregman, who portrays Lauren. Soap Hub recently caught up with the soap hopper to get his thoughts on his character’s reappearance and revelation.

Zach Tinker: Fire and Ice

Tinker has been one busy guy since leaving Days of our Lives where he was playing Sonny Kiriakis. The actor joined the cast of the hit CBS drama Fire Country as probationary fireman Collin O’Reilly. He’s also set to appear in the film Laced, which tells the tale of a woman who plans to bump off her abusive spouse. However, an unexpected snowstorm threatens to derail her plan.

Y&R Surprise Revelation

When Tinker reprised Fenmore in January for a special 40th-anniversary episode celebrating Bregman’s 40 years as Lauren Fenmore, his character didn’t show up alone. Fenmore brought with him his boyfriend (!), Trey (Julian Larach), a buyer for Fenmore’s department store.

“I was thrilled to have that happen,” Tinker says of his character coming out and finding a relationship. “Representation is always nice to have. It’s always nice to see my [Y&R] family.” Up until Fenmore’s most recent appearance, the character was believed to be heterosexual. The character’s coming out as gay, and his parents, Lauren and Michael (Christian Le Blanc), learning this fact curiously occurred off-camera.

“I liked [the story], but I wish there were more exploration of it,” says a candid Tinker. “It felt a little jarring.” However, the actor notes that the special show in which he appeared was focused on Lauren. “It was Tracey’s episode,” he says.

Zach Tinker Tinkers With an Idea

Tinker’s other soap opera character — DAYS’s Sonny — is also gay, and he’s aware that the coming out story of Sonny’s husband Will (Chandler Massey) unfolded over time when it was introduced over a decade ago. “I’ve seen the episode where Will was talking to Sonny when Freddie Smith played the part,” Tinker shares. “The one where Chandler won his Daytime Emmy. I’d love to have explored that [with Fenmore]. It felt like a missed opportunity.”

The good news is that his role on Fire Country, which has been renewed for next season, won’t necessarily preclude Tinker from dropping in more often as Fenmore. “I’m wrapped for the season on Fire Country,” he says. “I’m back in Los Angeles now. I recently shot a movie in Puerto Rico. If Y&R invited me back, I’d love to [visit again].”