Billy Flynn, who made his debut on The Younger and the Stressed because the mysterious Aristotle Dumas on June 19, has now been revealed to be Cane Ashby.
For the actor, who has performed Chad DiMera on Days of Our Lives since 2014 and can proceed airing on the cleaning soap for months to return, switching reveals wasn’t a straightforward alternative. “There’s that outdated saying you by no means get the job you need by staying on the job you’ve got, however it felt like an enormous gamble,” he permits. “If it doesn’t work out right here, then I’ve a household to offer for. So, my spouse and I talked, and I made the choice to take the bounce, and I’m actually glad I did.”
Flynn reveals that he was at midnight concerning the new gig when he had his preliminary discussions with the present’s government producer and head author, Josh Griffith. “I didn’t actually know what I used to be going to be doing on the time,” he shares. “Josh gave me the breakdown of character, and I used to be like, ‘Yeah, that sounds superior. Let’s try this.’ After which it wasn’t till slightly little bit of time later that I used to be like, ‘Are you able to inform me extra?’”
After discovering he can be Cane Ashby, the function Daniel Goddard [Henry Dalton, General Hospital] performed from 2007-2019, Flynn started doing his analysis. “I began watching outdated stuff, however that was actually laborious as a result of I’m not Daniel,” he factors out. “So, I learn Wikipedia pages and fan pages. I’ve 25 pages of Cane and Lily’s whole historical past printed out. I maintain it in my bag. It begins with, ‘Lily Winters, who divorced Daniel Romalotti, and Cane Ashby, lately divorced from Amber Moore, first met in 2007, to an instantaneous chemistry.’ So, it goes manner again. I did that simply to know what important moments have been, to know that Valentine’s Day could be very important for them. You’re a brand new particular person, and also you’re going to be taking part in a special written model of that particular person, however I needed to have that historical past.”
XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
Flynn rapidly acknowledged the inherent challenges of assuming the function. “Cane and Lily have been already a giant factor,” he notes. “So, I are available in and never solely do I’ve to have that [connection] with Christel [Khalil, Lily Winters] however I’m not Australian and I’m a bit youthful. What Daniel did was wonderful — he was nice as Cane — and clearly, the connection that Cane and Lily had is a testomony to their work. Cane is an enchanting character. Primarily, we’re going to rebrand it a bit, in order that they have a better age vary, and I don’t have a horny accent. I can’t replicate it, so I’m going to do my factor. When folks see this Cane and the connection that I’ve as Cane with Lily, I feel they’ll be blissful.”
However being a recast wasn’t Flynn’s solely hurdle. “The laborious half was the concept I’m taking part in Aristotle Dumas, this refined businessman who Cane created,” he explains. “And in the end, the dialog I had with Josh once I first discovered about it was that it was like The Nice Gatsby. Cane created Aristotle Dumas the best way that James Gatz created Gatsby. Lily is Daisy. He created this world to show to her that he’s ok for her, and that could be a lovely story to me.
Howard Smart/jpistudios.com
“There are loads of issues which can be going to be completely different, however Lily is Cane’s one real love, and I understand how to do this,” he continues. “And Christel makes it very straightforward. She’s unimaginable, she’s lovely, she’s actually proficient, and she or he’s obtained a terrific persona. After we did our first scene, there was a chemistry that I used to be like, ‘OK, it’s gonna be good.’ That connection was there for me.”
Flynn was instantly impressed by his different new castmates, too. “All people right here is wonderful,” he raves. “You’re sitting in your room watching the monitor, and also you’re watching Jason Thompson [Billy Abbott] and Michelle Stafford [Phyllis Summers] and Christel Khalil and all these folks they usually’re doing such good work, and it made me wish to elevate the bar. I feel I wanted that in my profession and in my life, and I’ve been feeling like I’m making an attempt to stretch slightly bit. I performed Chad for 11 years, and now I are available in and I’m taking part in two completely different [characters].”
Leaving Days after over a decade of taking part in Chad was a bittersweet expertise, Flynn reviews. “It was fairly emotional,” he says. “The Friday earlier than my final day was my goodbye scene with Susan Hayes [Julie Williams] and Chad’s children. My final scene as Chad on digicam, I used to be tremendous emotional, particularly with the children, as a result of I’ve recognized them since they have been so little, and now having children of my very own, I felt a superb bond to them and to Susan. Then my final day was with Greg Rikaart [Leo Stark; Kevin Fisher, Y&R], and it was good to exit with Greg. It was like a passing of the torch since he got here from [Y&R]. Eleven years there, and I modified loads as a human being throughout that point. I constructed belief there, they usually trusted me to play that half and do the work.”
Howard Smart/jpistudios.com
He’ll carry many fond reminiscences of his time in Salem, each private {and professional}. “Apart from being employed, if I had not gotten that job, it may not have led to a number of the issues that occurred,” Flynn displays. “However as a result of it did, I turned who I’m now, and I met my spouse, Gina [Comparetto]. We began courting once I discovered I obtained Days of Our Lives, and the truth that I used to be going to have a paycheck gave me the braveness and the flexibility to even say, ‘Will you exit with me?’ as a result of I might afford to take her out.
“And the Chad and Abby relationship was actually particular to me, as have been my relationships with Kate [Mansi, ex-Abigail Deveraux; Kristina Corinthos, General Hospital] and Marci [Miller, ex-Abigail],” he shares. “I spent in all probability essentially the most transformative years of my life there, after which the truth that I’ve achieved the work over time that even put me ready for Josh [Griffith] to go, ‘Let me name Billy,’ makes me really feel actually proud and blissful.”
Now, his focus is totally on Genoa Metropolis. “I’m nonetheless determining who this model of the characters I’m taking part in are,” he says. “It’s the introduction part. I didn’t originate Chad, clearly, and I forgot what that’s like, and the way a lot work that’s, however I’m nice. I like everyone right here. Individuals couldn’t be kinder to me, and everyone has achieved every little thing they will to make me really feel as at house as I may be.”
The Younger and the Stressed, Weekdays, CBS. Verify Native Listings.