The Young and the Restless

Five Fast Facts About Veteran Soap Star Michelle Stafford

Published by

Shado Saeyang

5 years ago

Michelle Stafford is playing Phyllis Summers on The Young and the Restless, but the actress has also well known for having originated the role of Nina Reeves on General Hospital.

Along with her work on soaps, Stafford has also appeared on television shows such as Tribes, JAG, Frasier, Judging Amy, and Pacific Palisades. From dealing with a serious health scare to becoming a mother, here are five fast facts about the veteran soap star!

In The Beginning
Stafford was born on September 14 in Chicago, Illinois but she and her older sister, Janine, were raised in Montrose, California. After graduating from high school, Stafford began pursuing her dream of becoming a model.

Life-Threatening Surgery
When she was just 18 years old, doctors discovered Stafford had a brain tumor. Her left eyelid was swelling, which prompted her to go to a doctor. The good news was that the tumor was benign, but she did need to have surgery to have it removed. Despite it being a very scary thing to deal with, the tumor gave Stafford the push she needed to go after her dreams.

Two-Time Winner
Stafford has been nominated for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards thanks to her role as Phyllis Summers on The Young and the Restless, winning two of them. She won her first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1997 and then went on to win her second for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2004.

Proud Mama
Stafford always knew she wanted to have children and tried to get pregnant on her own through artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, but those options didn’t work. Despite her fertility struggles, Stafford welcomed two beautiful children with the help of a surrogate. She has a 9-year-old daughter named Natalia and a 3-year-old son named Jameson who are everything to her.

Other Passions
Despite being busy with acting and motherhood, Stafford has other passions. In fact, because she’s a huge hockey fan, she was a correspondent for The Best Damn Sports Show Period in 2004. She also launched a skincare line called Skin Nation in 2016 and her own web series in 2013!