Linden Ashby returned to The Young and the Restless in 2024 as the villainous Cameron Kirsten. His menacing performance as Cameron caused more trouble for Sharon, earning the actor his second Daytime Emmy nomination.
Key Takeaways
- Linden Ashby is nominated for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series.
- The actor was previously nominated in the category in 2024.
- Ashby’s wife, Susan Walters, is also nominated for a 2025 Daytime Emmy nomination.
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Ashby has had an illustrious career, which began in 1983 on the ABC soap opera Loving. The job not only helped launch his career, but it also introduced him to his wife, Susan Walters.
Ashby went on to land roles in the primetime shows Melrose Place and Teen Wolf, as well as in films such as Mortal Kombat. In 2003, he joined Y&R as Cameron Kirsten, a businessman whom Sharon (Sharon Case) had an affair with during a getaway in Colorado. Cameron became obsessed with Sharon and followed her to Genoa City, eager to reignite their relationship.
During a New Year’s Eve encounter, Sharon believed she killed Cameron after hitting him over the head with a champagne bottle. To cover her tracks, she dumped his body in a sewer. However, Cameron was revealed to be alive, and the dead body was that of Frank Barritt (Phil Dozois). Cameron blackmailed Sharon into leaving town with him, and she reluctantly agreed. But luckily, Nick (Joshua Morrow) came to her rescue just as the plane was taking off. Cameron was later arrested for his crimes, including Frank’s murder.
After a 20-year absence, Cameron returned in 2023 to cause more trouble for Sharon. This time, he took things a step further by kidnapping her daughter, Faith (Reylynn Caster). During a showdown, Sharon killed Cameron by stabbing him. But that wasn’t the end of Cameron.
Cameron’s Shocking (and Scary) 2024 Comeback
In 2024, Sharon began having hallucinations of a dead Cameron. And so Ashby returned for another emotionally-charged run that lasted several months. The Cameron hallucination became the devil on Sharon’s shoulder. In each scene, Ashby had to wear the same blood-soaked shirt that the character wore when Sharon killed him (Ashby said he never got tired of wearing that shirt). Cameron’s presence helped unleash Sharon’s dark side as “he” encouraged her to seek vengeance on Daniel (Michael Graziadei) for Cassie’s (Camryn Grimes) death.
Ashby and Case didn’t miss a beat during their numerous scenes as their characters argued over “Cameron’s” sickening ideas for Daniel’s family. A drugged Sharon tried to fight the urge, but the villainous hallucination proved to be more persuasive than she realized. These back-and-forth conversations were among Y&R’s standout scenes in 2024.
Ashby’s performance was so frightening that it even had fans scared for Sharon and Daniel. It’s easy to see why Ashby is a leading contender to take home the Guest Performer Emmy this year.
Going For The Gold
Ashby’s shocking return as ghost Cameron earned the actor a 2025 Daytime Emmy nomination for Guest Performer. This is his second nomination; he was previously nominated in 2024.
The Oct. 17th ceremony is a big night for Ashby and his wife. Walters is nominated for Supporting Actress, her first-ever Daytime Emmy nod. If Ashby and Walters both win, it’s going to be a memorable night for the couple.
