Phyllis Summers is one of The Young and the Restless’ more assertive characters, however, she can rein things in when the situation calls for it as it did when Phyllis wanted to downplay Kyle’s connection to surprise party guests Tara Locke and her son Harrison. For keeping cool, but staying as entertaining as always, Soap Hub bestows Performer of the Week honors upon Michelle Stafford, who plays Phyllis.
Michelle Stafford — Performer of the Week
Phyllis hates to lie — well, actually, that’s not true. She normally doesn’t hesitate to fib or stretch the truth to suit her own desires however, it was clear that Phyllis did not enjoy lying to Nick (Joshua Morrow), who is being very protective of their daughter Summer (Hunter King). Nick hasn’t been a fan of Summer and Kyle (Michael Mealor) reuniting and the last thing Phyllis wants to do is give Nick ammunition that will lead him to do an “I told you so” dance.
As Nick probed Phyllis with questions, we saw Stafford make the choice to have Phyllis absorb each inquiry thoughtfully and next, decide quickly as to which answer she’d give that would protect Summer. Phyllis walked that line of wanting to keep Nick informed but not make him suspicious.
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Later, at Phyllis’ hotel, the Grand Phoenix, she witnessed Ashland (Richard Burgi) grilling her employee about guests that have checked in. Phyllis had likely figured out exactly why Ashland was doing that — he was trying to find his wife, Tara (Elizabeth Leiner), but Phyllis pointed out that handing over names would be a betrayal of her guests’ privacy.
Ashland kept pushing, even threatening the hotel owner that the police would charge her with being an accomplice in his son’s kidnapping, but Phyllis firmly fought back by pointing out that the law protecting her guests was on her side. She was strong, but didn’t get emotional, which would have tipped her hand to Ashland that Tara was on the premises.
This is why Stafford is always so entertaining as Phyllis. She plays the character two to three steps ahead of her adversaries. That way, she can champion those she cares about while keeping her rivals and enemies off-guard. Watching Phyllis weave webs and anticipate reactions makes for enjoyable soap opera viewing. The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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