Max Shippee was no doubt one of our favorite villains this past year. Sadly, his time as Graham Bloodworth on ‘The Young and the Restless’ came to an end when the plug was pulled for his character who had been rushed to the hospital after being stabbed with a syringe intended for Dina (Marla Adams). Shippee spoke with Soap Opera Digest on his exit from the show and gushed about his time being a part of the cast and the lovely people he had the opportunity to work with. About his character’s dark turned he shared, “funny enough I was surprised! Graham never really seemed all ‘bad guy’ to me. I think he really cared for Dina and wanted her to have a death with dignity. I think it’s great when the writers can surprise not just the viewers, but actors too.“
Fortunately for him, he was told that his character would leave the show in advance and hence had a bit of time to prepare for his exit. He reflects and highlights, “They were working through the storyline and he (Mal Young) wanted to give me a heads-up. After so many episodes with Y&R, of course, it’s hard to hear you’ll be leaving. The cast and crew really do turn into family, and I feel like being on the show really caused me to bring my ‘A’ game every day I was there. An actor is always in service to the story, and if the demise of Graham serves that for now, so be it. Also, I can check off being in a coma on a soap opera! That’s legit!“
Shippee shares that his cast members were amazing and it was Marla (Dina) who first pointed out that his time on the show may be done after receiving the scripts. As for what’s next the actor shared that he’s open to doing daytime again highlighting that, “Of course! The history, professionalism, and pacing of soaps makes them so fun for an actor.” He’s also looking forward to whatever comes outside of the soap world as its now pilot season. So, fans will you miss Shippee as Graham?
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