Is ChancComm in Jeopardy? ‘Y&R’ Star Jason Thompson on Billy’s Point of View
Q&A
Not everyone works in media, but perhaps many of us can relate to accidentally hitting “send” on that email by accident. That might be how Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) is feeling now that his exposé on Ashland Locke (Richard Burgi) has been posted on one of ChancComm’s news sites.
Billy had gotten the article slamming his ex-wife Victoria’s (Amelia Heinle) new husband and his arguably unethical business origins written, but hadn’t planned on posting it. He just wanted to use it as leverage to get the Newmans and their rival media company, Newman Media, to back off.
Is anyone going to believe that Billy didn’t mean to post the tell-all article? Will this exacerbate his rivalry with his former in-laws? And most importantly, what the heck could Billy and Lily’s (Christel Khalil) smush name possibly be? Read on to get Thompson’s thoughts on Billy’s current predicament.
How much of digging into Ashland’s past is honest journalism, and how much is Billy simply not liking that Vicki has gotten married again? Or his rivalry with the Newmans?
Jason Thompson: I think Billy’s aware of all of it. He feels a sense of responsibility to his mother [Jill, played by Jess Walton] for giving him the opportunity of putting him and Lily together in the first place at ChancComm. Billy’s come to love Lily. She’s honest with him and allows him to be who he is. [However] he’s got this disdain for the Newmans.
Billy’s been made to feel like he has to defend himself. He has journalistic integrity. That what’s he’s fighting for. Does he blur the lines and play the grey zone? Absolutely. But he’s trying to discover who Ashland Locke is and then, it becomes personal. There’s a lot going on and a lot to unpack.
Soaps have cut back on new sets and extras, so it’s hard to get a feel for how big ChancComm is as we’re not seeing a busy newsroom with writers writing and editors waiting for copy. How big is ChancComm?
I don’t know [exactly] but I feel like it’s a big company. We don’t shy away from saying we’re on a world level. These are big companies going at it. There’s a lot going on — personal feelings, revenge, cliques, and the business world. Reputations are on the line. What’s most important to Billy right now is Lily, who doesn’t deserve to be dragged through the mud. [Because of this story getting posted] Billy’s reputation in the business world is going to be tarnished. He wants to do the right thing. Lily’s worked really hard to rebuild herself over the last few years.
The reason I asked ChancComm’s size is that I’m trying to get a feel for how many people are working there — how could this mistake have happened and how far is Billy from the day-to-day operations of the site?
Billy got a reporter to start writing a report on Ashland. He says if he presses this button, it goes wide. It’s the one piece of leverage he has. He’s already promised Ashland and Victoria that he won’t publish it, but he’s trying to save ChancComm with the love of his life at this point. He has a responsibility to his employees. He wants to keep ChancComm above water and not let the Newmans get their hooks into it. Victor [Eric Braeden], as usual, wants to control everything.
Billy might not be believed that it wasn’t intentional given past dynamics with the people involved.
Billy doesn’t feel like a criminal [in all this]. The truth is, he’s trying to save his kids [Johnny and Katie]. In the beginning, it was because he didn’t feel that Ashland was who he said he was. At the end of the day, Billy’s trying to protect people. He doesn’t like Ashland and he doesn’t like the Newmans. Billy’s going to do everything he can to protect himself.
How much of Billy’s media war with Adam (Mark Grossman) is about their rival media companies and how much is lingering animosity over Adam’s role in the death of Billy’s daughter Delia?
That is always there. What happened with Delia and after that is always there. It’s not far-fetched for Billy to see the Newmans as criminals. Billy’s not innocent in any of this but he’s not really like the Newmans. The Abbotts and the Newmans are different, I believe. They conduct business in different ways. When their two worlds collide is when you get the most impact. [As actors], we have to keep that in the air. Do the Newmans and Abbots get along once in a while? Yeah. They bury the hatchet, but it’s never very deep.
Soap fans love to create “smush” names for their favorite couples. What’s Billy and Lily’s “smush” name?
We’ve gone back and forth on this…’Bil-lily?’ ‘Lib-ily?’
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Comments are closed on this story.
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C
I hope victor and adam get what they deserve. Ashland is still hiding something. And I wish they would get a real baby for abby son. That blanket and blue hat is getting old.
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Agree
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O
That Abby story line is so boring,and that blanket storyline is so ridiculous.
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I'm agreeing with everyone else, The Abby deal is going on way to long. The "baby" same blanket and hat, don't they change the baby? "In Soap time" the kid should be at least a month or 2 old by now, bigger and different clothes. Abby doesn't seem like the mothering type, you have never really looked at her in the family way, it's more business.
Giving the Dominic to Devon for a while is a good thing, he is the biological father, and he is really concerned. Victor and Adam are just doing what they do Best, coniving, screaming, LIEING, and hiding the truth. Never going to change. It is what it is.
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I think that Adam bribed someone working at ChanceCom and the one guy post it. I knew it was a set up when the guy showed up. I think it is a terrible storyline anyway. So is the Abby storyline it is very boring why couldn’t they just have brought Chance back and let them be happy.
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O
I think the horrid fashions needs to tone it down. The bare shoulder, the hugh belts on waistless ladies....the extremes are tasteless
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R
I have said that for years . Is there any real company that women dress like this ?
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G
I'm so over Billy blaming Adam 4 Dehlia death. If he had not left her in the car by herself the accident would have never happened.
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If Adam hadn't left her alone laying in the road maybe she could have gotten medical attention sooner and lived . What kind of good for nothing would hit a little girl and get out to see what he had hit and when he realizes the damage he's done jumps back into his car leaving her there alone. Typical Adam did what he is always does take care of Adam .
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Adam didn't know he had hit Dehlia. He got out of the car and saw a dog in the road he never saw Dehlia. It wasn't until later that he realized that he might have been responsible
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Kay I agree with you 💯%
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G
Way to dodge the Victoria/Villy question, JT.
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G
I wish that Victor and Adam would get what they deserve. Victor has a meaness to him far to long. He needs payback
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O
Y&R is so boring now. Why keep making Nick and Phyllis a couple just to have them break up shortly afterwards. Please find someone for Jack Abbott so he will not have to infringe on Nick an Phyllis relationship. Now, please can you find a real baby for Abby and get rid of the baby doll. Why don't you all bring Chance back, this storyline is ridiculous. Why let Abby and Chance get married and bring the baby doll in their lives if you were killing him off the show. I thought Adam was suppose to be a changed person? What he and Victor is doing to Billy and Lilly isn't showing he has changed. Why must Victor always come out smelling like a rose. It's time for his schemes to backfire on he and Adam. Please, please, get better writers!
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I think they are tooooo hard on Billy. I don’t like Ashland.
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Billy your job at ChanceComm is dangling by a thread
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I have never heard a baby cry much as that baby and they haven't showed the baby yet...Adam Newman is just as ruthless as his father.Oh but the truth is going to come out about everything ..Asland Lock get ready Jessie Gaines is the not the Only one that has a secret
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