‘The Young and the Restless’ Star Allison Lanier Dishes on Summer Newman’s Latest Drama
With Kyle Abbott spiraling on The Young and the Restless and talking about taking Harrison to Paris, Summer Newman has landed emergency custody of the son she’s helped him raise. As viewers wonder just how far Phyllis and Nick’s daughter will go to protect young Harrison from her ex’s bad decisions, portrayer Allison Lanier talks to FIRST for Women about what it’s been like to step into Summer’s drama on The Young and the Restless and what’s so great about being on a soap opera.
Plus, Lanier, a 2024 Daytime Emmy nominee who was also on Amazon Prime’s Red Oaks, offers her take on whether her character is more like Phyllis or Nick and reveals why she’s ready to start playing dirty again – even if Summer claims she’s not.
‘Y&R’ star Allison Lanier talks Summer, Kyle…and Chance
After years of soapy "Will they or won’t they," "Should they or shouldn’t they," and even, "Are they siblings or aren’t they," The Young and the Restless’ Summer and Kyle finally started a life together…only to have it fall apart over Phyllis’ faking her death. Even as they find themselves in a fresh battle over Harrison’s custody, however, Lanier is convinced this isn’t the end of the road for them.
“There will always be something between her and Kyle,” she says. “They’ve grown up together. They have so much history and so much love for each other, no matter what. It's just the nature of their relationship that it continues to change shape, so I think we might see it go from hate to love or friendship, again.”
For now, however, Kyle does not have Summer’s heart – and not just because he’s acting out.
“Summer is very invested in her current relationship and is enjoying the energy that Chance brings into her life,” Lanier says. “He is more mature and I think it's a much more mature relationship than she has with Kyle.
“I absolutely love working with both Michael Mealor and Conner Floyd,” she adds, referring to her leading men. “They have different energies, just like their characters do, but I laugh a lot with both of them. They're really fun.”
‘Y&R’ beauty Allison Lanier weighs in on whether Summer is more like Nick or Phyllis
Sonja Flemming/CBS ?2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Having found a more grounded love, Summer was starting to act a bit more like her ever-grounded father, Nick – and a bit less like her ever-scheming mother, Phyllis.
“She’s matured a lot in these last couple of years and really come into her own, in a lot of ways,” Lanier contends. “She's faced some adversity through her mother's ‘death,’ her marriage ending and all of this stuff – and I think she's attempted to handle those adversities with more tact and grace, even if she's not always perfect.
“But I think Summer is really a combination of her parents,” she adds. “And I think about that, too, especially when I’m in a scene with one of them. Sometimes I'm thinking, ‘What mannerisms and characteristics does Summer have from Phyllis…and from Nick?’ It’s fun to play with.”
‘Y&R’ star Allison Lanier is ready to see Summer go Phyllis, for awhile
Summer’s emotional growth spurt seemed to hit a snag once Claire showed up in town and got closer to two of the main men in her life. First, Summer lashed out because she was convinced Claire had kidnapped Harrison and now, she’s taken the legal route to stopping Kyle and “Scary Poppins” from bringing her kid to Paris.
“When Summer’s back’s up against the wall, she has the inclination to pull her claws out,” says Lanier. “Those old habits definitely come out and you can definitely see it in now, with her fiery, sassy personality. I love that about her.”
With Summer’s history not exactly pristine, the actress wouldn’t mind seeing her character go as far off the deep end as Phyllis – who has famously driven over people, played "Who’s the Daddy" games, and yes, recently staged her own death.
“I love getting different levels to play,” says Lanier. “That's what makes my job interesting, and that's also the beauty of a soap. We're not all gonna be totally good, and we're not going to be totally evil either. Everything ebbs and flows and is always changing.”
‘Y&R’ star Allison Lanier talks filling Daytime Emmy-Winner Hunter King’s shoes as Summer
Speaking of change, having signed onto this role back in 2022, Lanier just recently stopped commuting to The Young and the Restless' stages all the way from New York.
“I just made the jump to being in LA full-time,” she shares. “I really like it out here. It’s so much easier to take care of yourself, be healthy and be outside. I find myself really enjoying that culture. It just started to feel more like home and I felt ready to call it my home.”
Not only is Lanier at home in Los Angeles, but she’s settled into the role she assumed from fan-favorite and Daytime Emmy-winner Hunter King.
“I came in knowing that I had big shoes to fill,” Lanier admits. “It was nerve-racking, but I also had to put that out of my mind and just do what I was going to do with the character – because that's the only thing I can do.
“I know it's taken some fans a while to accept me and others have been on board right away,” she adds. “I appreciate the support. The whole reason we do what we do is all the fans that watch and enjoy the show, so I want to give a big shout-out to all those people.”
2024 Daytime Emmy nominee Allison Lanier feels 'lucky' to work with ‘Y&R’ costars
Monty Brinton/CBS ?2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Lanier, who was honored to receive a 2024 Daytime Emmy nomination for her work on The Young and the Restless, also has to give a shout-out to her castmates.
“I feel so lucky to be surrounded by these people,” she gushes. “Everyone is so supportive. It's an intimidating environment to come into, but when I first got on, I was working all the time with Peter Bergman (Jack), Susan Walters (Diane), and Michael. They encouraged me, gave me advice when I needed it, and showed me the ropes. Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) and Joshua Morrow (Nick), too. Everyone did!”
Having Michael Graziadei bring Summer’s big brother Daniel back to Genoa City has also allowed her to get to know another side of her character.
“I absolutely love working with him,” Lanier says. “We have such a good banter in real life, and also a good brother-sister energy. And it’s always nice to get to play different, non-romantic relationships.”
‘Y&R’ star Allison Lanier reveals what’s so great about her soap opera gig
With Summer going full throttle to keep Kyle from taking their kid to Paris on The Young and the Restless, Lanier understands that fans aren’t always going to be 100% behind her character – after all, many didn’t understand why she was so convinced Claire was behind Harrison’s kidnaping earlier this year.
“I saw the comments,” Lanier says with a laugh. “I saw what the fans were saying. ‘Summer’s so wrong. She needs to shut up!’”
For the record, in that particular case, we were with Summer, but even Lanier can admit her character doesn’t always get it right – and that’s just fine with her.
“The relative stability of being on a soap, on The Young and the Restless, is such a gift,” Lanier tells FIRST for Women. “You get to build these relationships, personally, with your costars, but also for your character. As an actress, I have the opportunity to explore so much. Maybe I don't get what Summer’s doing right now or whatever, but I tomorrow, I'm going to have another shot. Bring on the drama!”
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