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Joshua Morrow Loves Exploring Nick’s Dark Side on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS (EXCLUSIVE)

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A couple of months ago, that thud everyone heard around the soap world was THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ viewers falling off their chairs when Nick revealed that he, not J.T., had been haunting and taunting dad Victor. “I knew J.T. would be coming back, but didn’t know I would be impersonating him,” oshua Morrow confessed to Soaps In Depth. “They did tell me that Nick was going to make this big turn and get himself back in the corporate world and be cutthroat. I was like, ‘Great!’ A few weeks later, [executive producer/headwriter] Mal Young was like, ‘Oh, just so you know, you’re going to be J.T.’ I was like, ‘Wait… what?’ At that point, I don’t know if they knew how they were going to do it, but they did know I was going to be impersonating J.T. and going around causing all this trouble to punish Victor. They brought Thad [Luckinbill] back, which was so smart, for the things that he had to do. I had no idea that they were going to go the CGI [special-effects] route with the reveal, but I thought the way that it unfolded was very clever, and I had a blast doing it!”

It’s safe to say that Morrow is continuing to have a blast portraying this new version of Nick, even admitting that before he was handed the storyline, he’d been pondering life away from the sudser. “I love my job, and I would never say it hasn’t been amazing,” he emphasized. “But I’m hitting my 25-year mark next year, and I told my wife that I might be getting towards the end of this run. I’d like to move out of the state, get some land in the middle of the country, get a boat, a bunch of dogs and go fishing with my sons. But this story has changed everything! It’s like being handed a new role!”

The Young and The Restless Nick Sharon

Nick has always kept Sharon on her toes! (Photo Credit: Aaron Montgomery/JPI)

While some fans might grouse a bit about Nick’s more Victor-like persona, Morrow recalls that his alter ego hasn’t always been the easygoing guy of recent years. “Man, he was a hothead! He was always in fights, super cocky and full of piss and vinegar,” he reminded. “He was so exciting to play. Then somewhere along the line, he transformed into this happy-go-lucky guy who likes to make pancakes and do the laundry. I was like, ‘Is this all there is?’ I was no longer doing anything except chilling out on Sharon’s couch! So when Mal pitched this story, I was like, ‘Thank you!’”

In fact, Morrow says he wasn’t only troubled by Nick’s easygoing attitude but by his constant heartbreak. “All he’s ever had was things taken from him, whether it’s businesses or women or his children and family,” Morrow lamented of his alter ego’s troubled life. “I think Mal wrote a line for me, ‘I’m not losing anymore’ — I love that he tapped into that!”

The enthusiasm Morrow has for his current storyline can be heard in his voice, but is he worried about crossing a line, maybe becoming too… well, Victor-like? “No! I hope they let me take Nick as far as they will let me go,” declared the hunk. “That pull of the dark side — it sounds like a Star Wars element — can be a powerful thing. Nick has a very clear goal. I don’t think he can accomplish it the way he says he can. He’s going to have to do some shady things if he’s going to be powerful enough to compete against his dad. And that is going to be the interesting part of the story — I pray that the writers really let us explore that!”

The Young and The Restless Nick Sharon

Sharon hardly recognizes her husband anymore. (Photo Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS)

Make no mistake — Morrow is sensitive to negative fan reaction to Nick’s new ’tude. Yet he’s willing to take the risk, believing they’d prefer to be engaged and upset than happy and bored! “Sometimes fans want storylines played out in a specific way. But I want them to be a little bothered by Nick. That keeps it interesting.” So interesting that these days, Morrow is eager to get his scripts. “When they’re de- livered now, I’m peeling them open and am like, ‘Oh, wow, what do I get to do today?’ This is such an awesome opportunity. I just hope they let me take the ball and run with it as far as possible!”

For more on your favorite Y&R stars, keep reading the CBS edition of Soaps In Depth magazine!

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