Christian Le Blanc Celebrates 30 Years Playing Y&R’s Michael Baldwin

The Young and the Restless boasts a consistent cast, which plays no small role in keeping the show at the top of the ratings! One of the show’s veterans, three-time Daytime Emmy-winner Christian Le Blanc, is celebrating his 30th anniversary as attorney Michael Baldwin!

Christian Le Blanc Marks Three Decades on Y&R

In November 1991, Le Blanc debuted as Michael Baldwin, an attorney who worked at the firm where new attorney Christine Romalotti was interning. Christine was impressed with Michael’s passion for the law and his expertise at winning cases for his clients in the courtroom. Michael was (and is) very good at his job – the problem back then was that he knew it!

Michael began dropping hints to Chris that if she wanted a future at the firm then, she’d need to break her wedding vows to Danny (Michael Damian) and sleep with him. Chris decided to wear a recording device when Michael put it on the line with the novice attorney. She rejected him and he was just about to walk out of the room when it hit him. “You’re wired,” Michael told Christine. He locked the door and attempted to wrest the wire from her but Danny and John Silva (John Castellanos) were nearby. Michael’s actions led to being censured. He decided to get even with Christine by burrowing a hole from his wife Hillary’s apartment into Christine’s so he could attack her.

Paul burst in before Michael could execute his plan. Gunfire was exchanged and Michael was shot. He went to the hospital and then to jail. It appeared as if that was going to be the end of the dastardly dude.

Y&R Invites Christian Le Blanc Back To The Show

Four years later, Y&R invited Christian Jules Le Blanc back to the show. A seemingly reformed Michael was given parole much to Christine’s understandable apprehension. Machiavellian Michael discovered that Danny needed a kidney so he offered up one of his own – not to be altruistic but so that Christine would feel indebted to Michael, who was petitioning to get his law license reinstated.

Once Michael became a working lawyer again, he was retained by two high-profile Genoa City citizens. First, he worked for Diane Jenkins (Alex Donnelley) so she could get a proper settlement from Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). Next, Michael took on the case of Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) who fought Jill Abbott (Jess Walton) for ownership of the Chancellor’s mansion. Michael also represented Alice Johnson (Tamara Clatterbuck), who wanted to get custody of her legally adopted daughter Cassie (Camryn Grimes) back from Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case), who had brought Cassie into their home.

Michael was not happy when Alice opted to let Cassie stay with her birth mother. He never likes losing a case! Michael went up against Christine in court and, having changed since his early days on the show, developed, what he considered to be genuine feelings for her. Alas, he went about expressing those feelings in the wrong way. Michael hired Isabella (Eva Longoria) to seduce Paul, now wed to Christine while she was working in Hong Kong. The plan worked – Isabella became pregnant with Paul’s child; he and Chris divorced.

Michael Baldwin’s A Changed Man

Michael and Chris began a romantic relationship, but she ended their engagement upon finding out the role Michael played in bringing Isabella to town.

Michael tried his best to keep Victor from facing consequences for his illegal actions during a cosmetics war between Newman and Jabot. Victoria Newman was onto Michael, who turned on his considerable charm to keep her at bay. Next, viewers were introduced to Michael’s family – Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart), Michael’s half-brother, got into heaps of trouble, landing him in jail. Then, their mother Gloria Baldwin (Joan Van Ark; Judith Chapman) arrived on the scene. Michael was touched by Lauren Fenmore (Tracey Bregman) taking pity on Kevin and bailing him out of jail.

Ready to put his duplicitous ways behind him (while hanging onto his edge), Michael and Lauren entered a relationship. They wed, battled her nemesis Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown), and had a son, Fenmore (Zach Tinker). Michael (Christian Le Blanc) traveled to New Orleans in an attempt to learn more about his past. He was later reunited with his father ‘River’ (Michael Gross) AKA Lowell Baldwin. Lowell was apprehended by the FBI for his role as a violent activist in the 1960s. Michael’s legal expertise and Gloria’s testimony enabled River to walk; he left town, leaving behind his daughter, Eden, Michael’s half-sister.

Over the last decade or so, Michael has taken on new clients including Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei), and fought villains and doppelgangers including Carmine Basic and Sarah Smythe. After being one of Y&R’s bad guys, Michael transitioned to the other side of the law becoming Genoa City’s district attorney – a role that has come in handy as members of his family, including his sister-in-law Chloe Mitchell (Elizabeth Hendrickson), have continued to get in trouble.

Major Health Scare

Michael’s greatest challenge came not in the courtroom but rather at Genoa City Memorial after he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer. He beat the disease, going into remission due in no small part to medical treatment, his family’s love (particularly, Lauren’s), and staying busy in court, defending Sharon from murder charges.

Michael’s been on the canvas for 30 years, but he hasn’t lost his passion for the law — nor has the actor lost his enthusiasm for playing his on-screen alter ego. Michael’s most recent case, as district attorney, has him trying to bring to justice Sutton Ames (Jack Landron) for his alleged role in the death of Amanda Sinclair’s (Mishael Morgan) father.

Soap Hub congratulates Christian Le Blanc on 30 years of playing Michael Baldwin. While November 26 is the actor’s official anniversary, viewers can watch for a special episode honoring Le Blanc’s milestone in January.

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.