Y&R’s Tognoni Reacts To Emmy Nom!

Gina Tognoni (Phyllis, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) was back home in New Jersey when the 2015 Daytime Emmy Award nominations were announced, and was reminded by her mother that morning to tune in to THE TALK for the announcement.

“I got myself situated, I was trying to eat my lunch,” she recalls. “I’m telling you, I’m psyched at all the nominations. I’m psyched that Hunter King (Summer) got nominated. Christian [Jules LeBlanc, Michael]… it’s a very nice year. I like the nominations!”

However, immediately after learning she had snagged a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress, Tognoni was unable to get ahold of her mother! “She won’t pick up her phone!” the actress laughs. “I’m thinking, where are you now that I need you? But you know what she’s probably doing? She’s probably talking to all of her friends. My mom is the biggest cheerleader of my life. Both my parents are. But she really loves all this. She loves the show.”

To earn the nomination, Tognoni submitted the scene with Peter Bergman (Jack) as Phyllis confronted Jack about Kelly. “Basically it was a scene about ‘Did you love another woman? Did you fall for another woman?'” she says. “I just loved it. It was a well-written scene.”

Tognoni is grateful for her good fortune this year, but disappointed that co-stars Bergman and Cady McClain (Kelly) didn’t receive nods. “I was surprised because she’s so good,” she admits. “There were a few surprises. I’m surprised that Peter didn’t get nominated. He’s so celebrated and he really is a big part of why what I submitted I was so proud of, because he is so incredible to work with. You can’t do it alone.”