Michael Graziadei has been a familiar face to daytime fans since 2004, when he debuted on The Young and the Restless as Daniel Romalotti Jr. After stepping away in 2013, he briefly reprised the role before returning full-time in 2022. Over the years, Graziadei has earned industry recognition with three Daytime Emmy nods for Outstanding Younger Actor in 2005 and 2006, and a 2025 nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Find out five fast facts about the actor below.
Born And Bred
Born on September 22 in Germany to American parents, he spent his early years in Germany before moving to Nashua, New Hampshire. He began acting at just five years old in Germany, and after relocating to the U.S., he continued performing in school plays at Nashua High School and the University of New Hampshire, eventually pursuing a professional acting career.
From Bar To Star
Michael Graziadei worked as a bartender at the Saddle Ranch on Sunset Boulevard before he was cast on Y&R. He was cast in the role of Daniel Romalotti in 2004, son of Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) and Danny (Michael Damian). Graziadei is only 14 years younger than his on-screen m
Drama Leads To Trauma
One of the biggest storylines Graziadei was a part of was the death of Cassie Newman (Camryn Grimes). Cassie died from injuries sustained in a car accident on May 24, 2005. The accident happened when a drunken Daniel was with Cassie, who was underage, and she attempted to drive him home, ultimately losing control of the vehicle. She later developed an infection as a result of the accident, from which she did not recover.
Cassie’s death had a lasting impact on Daniel. Though he wasn’t directly responsible for the crash, he carried deep guilt knowing Cassie was only behind the wheel because of him. For a long time, he was blamed by many in Genoa City — especially Nick, who saw him as the reason his daughter was gone. The tragedy shaped Daniel’s storyline for years, fueling conflict, self-doubt, and his struggle to prove himself as more than the mistakes of his youth.
In 2024, Daniel’s partner, Heather (Vail Bloom), and his mother figure to his daughter, Lucy (Lily Brooks O’Briant), was murdered. He became a suspect in her death, but was later exonerated.
Real-Life Talk
Graziadei proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Lauren Casey, on an episode of the daytime talk show, The Talk, in 2023. He was surrounded by his Y&R co-stars Christel Khalil (Lily), Bryton James (Devon), and Cameron Grimes (Mariah). “This is my beautiful girlfriend, Lauren,” he began. “We have spent the better half of 10 years together… Too long? … She’s given me beautiful twins, and I just wanted to do something special for your birthday, so I was thinking, you know, how there is no one on this earth that I would rather grow old and die with. So I was wondering … if you will marry me,” he asked a surprised Lauren. Graziadei and Casey are the parents of twins Arlo and Oliver, who were born on August 25, 2021.
Primetime Player
The actor has appeared in a number of primetime shows, including American Horror Story, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Premise, The Rookie, S.W.A.T., Lucifer, 9-1-1, and All Rise. He headlined the Lifetime drama The Lottery, which co-starred Marley Shelton, Athena Karkanis, and David Alpay.
The show was a conspiracy thriller set in a dystopian future where a global fertility crisis has led to women being unable to conceive, threatening humanity with extinction. After 100 viable embryos are successfully fertilized, the President of the United States declares a national lottery to select surrogates to carry the children. Graziadei starred as Kyle Walker, the desperate father of one of the country’s last six-year-old children, determined to protect him from the government.
