Melissa Ordway, who has portrayed Abby Newman Winters on The Young and the Restless since 2013, recently revealed a major change in her contract status with the show. During an Instagram Q&A, she confirmed that she is no longer on contract, explaining that the show had made the decision to move her to a recurring role. Ordway explained the situation candidly, saying, "Honestly, it’s been an interesting couple of months. The show decided to take me off contract, so I decided to change my look up a bit for auditions." She also expressed her continued love for the YR family, saying, “I love and respect my YR family and appreciate any time they ask me back.”
In response to questions about what "off contract" means, Ordway clarified that while she’s no longer guaranteed regular appearances, she is still playing Abby on the show and remains part of the YR family. "I’m still playing Abby. I’m just not guaranteed episodes and can work on other projects," she explained. "I’m still a part of the YR family and pray they continue to let Abby be a part of all things in Genoa City."
Ordway, who joined Y&R in 2013, took over the role of Abby from Emme Rylan, and her portrayal quickly became a fan favorite. Abby’s journey on the show has been filled with dramatic twists, including her marriage to Devon Winters, which took place on Y&R’s milestone 13,000th episode. Ordway has earned acclaim for her work, including a Daytime Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2022.
As for her recent change in appearance, Ordway shared that it was partly a response to her new contract status. In an earlier conversation with Soap Opera Digest, she explained that the haircut—where she chopped off nearly a foot of her long hair—was inspired by her desire to try something new and to differentiate herself for upcoming auditions. “I was like, ‘You know what, there’s a lot of blondes on the show with a similar length of hair, so why not change it up?’ It’s just hair, it grows back.”
While she’s now on a recurring basis, Ordway reassured fans that she’s still filming and will continue to appear on Y&R. “I worked today and lots of fun stuff coming up!” she teased. The actress also mentioned that her new hairstyle will debut when Abby and Devon return from their honeymoon, making it clear that viewers will soon see the transformation on-screen.
Ordway’s journey on Y&R began with a dream come true for the actress, who had long hoped to land a role on a major soap. Reflecting on her first days on the show, she recalled being both excited and nervous as a lifelong fan of The Young and the Restless. "I was so nervous on my first day," she shared, but over time, she became more comfortable with the cast and crew. "I can’t imagine my life without Y&R. It would just break my heart to live without my Y&R family."
As Melissa Ordway navigates this new chapter in her career, fans of Abby Newman can rest assured that her presence will still be felt in Genoa City—just perhaps in a slightly different capacity.
Comentarios