When Summer Newman showed back up in Genoa City just in time to make a late entrance at Mariah Copeland and Tessa Porter’s wedding, she looked a bit different. That’s because actress Allison Lanier stepped into the role previously held by Hunter King.
Allison Lanier As Summer Newman Abbott
The new actress had some huge shoes to fill. King portrayed Summer off and on from 2012 to 2022. It was hard to imagine a replacement. However, when Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) came back to find his mother Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) unexpectedly among the living, Lanier’s version of Summer burst onto the scene.
From the first moments, it was obvious that Lanier brought a new maturity out in Summer. That year in Italy experiencing happiness with Kyle, enjoying a great job at Marchetti, and learning to be a stepmother to Harrison Locke (Kellen Enriquez), really helped ground the Newman granddaughter. Gone (for the most part) was that overwhelming entitlement that Summer has had in the past.
Summer’s new attitude was refreshing, and she even managed to be cordial to her sister Faith Newman’s (Reylynn Caster) sister Mariah (Camry Grimes) after she wed Tessa (Cait Fairbanks). While Mariah had a tough time believing it, Lanier’s performance seemed to win over viewers for the most part. She had touching reunions with parents Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) that also felt believable. Later, she also shared some lovely moments with her Granddad Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), and she managed to gently stand up to him when he suggested she do something that didn’t feel right.
Perhaps most stunning is Summer’s new ability to support Kyle even when he does things that aren’t necessarily what she wants. For now, she’s able to stand by him even though it’s clear she wishes that Kyle wouldn’t allow Diane back into her life. This is all thanks to Lanier’s more mature take on Summer.
Taking over a new role is always difficult, but Allison Lanier has obviously done her homework on her legacy character is doing an amazing job!
The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Genoa City, check out all the latest that’s been posted on Y&R spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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