‘Y&R’ Reveals Its New Cane Ashby! Billy Flynn Talks the Surprise Recasting
Exclusive
Billy Flynn, who made his debut on The Young and the Restless as the mysterious Aristotle Dumas on June 19, has now been revealed to be Cane Ashby.
For the actor, who has played Chad DiMera on Days of Our Lives since 2014 and will continue airing on the soap for months to come, switching shows wasn’t an easy choice. “There’s that old saying you never get the job you want by staying at the job you have, but it felt like a huge gamble,” he allows. “If it doesn’t work out here, then I have a family to provide for. So, my wife and I talked, and I made the decision to take the jump, and I’m really glad I did.”
Flynn reveals that he was in the dark about the new gig when he had his initial discussions with the show’s executive producer and head writer, Josh Griffith. “I didn’t really know what I was going to be doing at the time,” he shares. “Josh gave me the breakdown of character, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds awesome. Let’s do that.’ And then it wasn’t until a little bit of time later that I was like, ‘Can you tell me more?’”
After discovering he would be Cane Ashby, the role Daniel Goddard [Henry Dalton, General Hospital] played from 2007-2019, Flynn began doing his research. “I started watching old stuff, but that was really hard because I’m not Daniel,” he points out. “So, I read Wikipedia pages and fan pages. I have 25 pages of Cane and Lily’s entire history printed out. I keep it in my bag. It starts with, ‘Lily Winters, who divorced Daniel Romalotti, and Cane Ashby, recently divorced from Amber Moore, first met in 2007, to an instant chemistry.’ So, it goes way back. I did that just to know what significant moments were, to know that Valentine’s Day is very significant for them. You’re a new person, and you’re going to be playing a different written version of that person, but I wanted to have that history.”
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Flynn quickly recognized the inherent challenges of assuming the role. “Cane and Lily were already a big thing,” he notes. “So, I come in and not only do I have to have that [connection] with Christel [Khalil, Lily Winters] but I’m not Australian and I’m a bit younger. What Daniel did was amazing — he was great as Cane — and obviously, the relationship that Cane and Lily had is a testament to their work. Cane is a fascinating character. Essentially, we’re going to rebrand it a bit, so they have a closer age range, and I don’t have a sexy accent. I can’t replicate it, so I’m going to do my thing. When people see this Cane and the relationship that I have as Cane with Lily, I think they’ll be happy.”
But being a recast wasn’t Flynn’s only hurdle. “The hard part was the idea that I’m playing Aristotle Dumas, this refined businessman who Cane created,” he explains. “And ultimately, the conversation I had with Josh when I first found out about it was that it was like The Great Gatsby. Cane created Aristotle Dumas the way that James Gatz created Gatsby. Lily is Daisy. He created this world to prove to her that he’s good enough for her, and that is a beautiful story to me.
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“There are a lot of things that are going to be different, but Lily is Cane’s one true love, and I know how to do that,” he continues. “And Christel makes it very easy. She’s incredible, she’s beautiful, she’s really talented, and she’s got a great personality. When we did our first scene, there was a chemistry that I was like, ‘OK, it’s gonna be good.’ That connection was there for me.”
Flynn was immediately impressed by his other new castmates, too. “Everybody here is amazing,” he raves. “You’re sitting in your room watching the monitor, and you’re watching Jason Thompson [Billy Abbott] and Michelle Stafford [Phyllis Summers] and Christel Khalil and all these people and they’re doing such good work, and it made me want to raise the bar. I think I needed that in my career and in my life, and I’ve been feeling like I’m trying to stretch a little bit. I played Chad for 11 years, and now I come in and I’m playing two different [characters].”
Leaving Days after over a decade of playing Chad was a bittersweet experience, Flynn reports. “It was pretty emotional,” he says. “The Friday before my last day was my goodbye scene with Susan Hayes [Julie Williams] and Chad’s kids. My last scene as Chad on camera, I was super emotional, especially with the kids, because I’ve known them since they were so little, and now having kids of my own, I felt a good bond to them and to Susan. Then my last day was with Greg Rikaart [Leo Stark; Kevin Fisher, Y&R], and it was nice to go out with Greg. It was like a passing of the torch since he came from [Y&R]. Eleven years there, and I changed a lot as a human being during that time. I built trust there, and they trusted me to play that part and do the work.”
Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
He will carry many fond memories of his time in Salem, both personal and professional. “Other than being employed, if I had not gotten that job, it might not have led to some of the things that happened,” Flynn reflects. “But because it did, I became who I am now, and I met my wife, Gina [Comparetto]. We started dating when I found out I got Days of Our Lives, and the fact that I was going to have a paycheck gave me the courage and the ability to even say, ‘Will you go out with me?’ because I could afford to take her out.
“And the Chad and Abby relationship was really special to me, as were my relationships with Kate [Mansi, ex-Abigail Deveraux; Kristina Corinthos, General Hospital] and Marci [Miller, ex-Abigail],” he shares. “I spent probably the most transformative years of my life there, and then the fact that I’ve done the work over the years that even put me in a position for Josh [Griffith] to go, ‘Let me call Billy,’ makes me feel really proud and happy.”
Now, his focus is fully on Genoa City. “I’m still figuring out who this version of the characters I’m playing are,” he says. “It’s the introduction phase. I didn’t originate Chad, obviously, and I forgot what that’s like, and how much work that is, but I’m great. I love everybody here. People couldn’t be kinder to me, and everybody has done everything they can to make me feel as at home as I can be.”
The Young and the Restless, Weekdays, CBS. Check Local Listings.
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J
As long as Josh Griffith is the Executive Producer and Head Writer, continue to expect stupid shit like this! If you're going to recast, get someone that fits the part. Australian and older. Forget about it!! I can't wait til they try to explain away the missing accent. They insist on insulting viewers intelligence. Cane has a connection to Jill; she wasn't invited to this? What about his scheming father Collin?
They could have had him play a number of characters. This takes the stupid cake!! This isn't even a retcon, it's insulting.
Billy Flynn has his work cut out for him in this.
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G
The struggle is real... Been watching way too long for stupid crap.
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P
He could've been anyone and Josh settled on CANE ASHBY?? Who is suppose to be in his 50s and Australian? Speaking of Cane and Lily, one of their first issues was because of their age difference, he was 31 and she was 19. What a huge chunk of history to change between them.
Billy is a great actor though, but the writing isn't there for anyone at the moment and hasn't been for a long time. We've heard about "Dumas" for months now. Because on Y&R, all they do is sit around and talk. I hear there's a "murder mystery" coming up, so hopefully the actor will actually get to do something. But with Josh Griffith still writing? I'll have to see it to believe it.
Best of luck to Billy Flynn.
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C
This choice of character was an extreme disappointment for me! I was expecting an older man who would be a challenge for Victor. I have no knowledge of "Cane's " relationship with Lily Winters..A lot of queries about the original Cane being older and having an accent. I wonder if the other fans are going to accept this new guy????
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B
Ugh! No disrespect to Billy but things like this are the reason I stopped watching Y&R. Daniel was available, no need to recast. I have always questioned why he was let go to begin with. Christel came back but he didn't. The writing has been bad for too long. Maybe I'll return when they finally get rid of Josh.
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R
I read that he disagreed with the direction, his character was taking. He didn’t want to play the love and trust of Tracy Abbott. 🙁
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B
Daniel was hot and so was his accent. I wish he came back instead.
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O
Why comment if you don't watch The Young and the Restless?
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C
He would have been a better recast for Noah. If they were gonna go down this path they should've gotten Daniel Goddard back. Would have been amazing. Now we are expected to accept a rewrite of history. I'm sure Billy is an incredible actor. This is just the wrong role
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P
I said it was gonna be huge disappointment and I was right ! All the hype for him, and to end up being Dumas ! I so wanted Tucker to be Dumas and come back ! What a big let down !!
Now can we move on to more soap opera
Stories, love, sex and infidelity !!!
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O
I like BF, but curious if he read what a big story point the age difference between Lily and Cane was. I also wonder if he read about his connection with Traci and his son Sam. JG needs to go, it's so long overdue. The lead up to the story was both long and insufferable. I haven't watched more than a few minutes since they abruptly ended the Martin story, that was the only story in the last 12 months that was interesting.
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M
I was actually beginning to think that it would be such a super twist if it turned out to be Adam Newman’s alias since his father and others have always felt he didn’t amount too much either. I would really like to see Billy and Adam form an an alliance and take down Victor.
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C
Anti-climatic... boring
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C
Idk never watched young and restless b4 Did follow BF though just to see how it went. I think they have a new viewer
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O
Nothing against this young man but I would have preferred Daniel Goddard back as Cain Ashby. He had a certain charisma that I can’t feel here. He is almost unbelievable as Cain.
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P
This guy is GQ , can’t wait to see the rest of this play out .
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R
Cane??? Really. Against Victor. Victor will squash him and he won't even see it coming. This guy way too young.
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G
Josh Griffith just can't come up with an original idea, can he?
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G
I was very confused because lily was saying cane but I didn't see cane. What are you trying to pull. I have been watching this show since the 80's and that is not cane.
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C
Why didn’t they just bring Daniel Goddard back? This new person is stupid. I don’t think many probably wanted a new Cane.
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M
Stupidest decision I have ever seen, or maybe one of many stupid decisions, on a soap opera. To make Aristotle, Cane is absolutely dumb dumb dumb. The soap keeps going down the tubes.
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P
I had also told my friend, who watches soaps, but not YR, and likes Billy Flynn, that I had concerns about how well he could stand up to Victor, but we will miss him on “Days”.
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G
Way too old to play Noah. Billy Flynn is 40 and looks it.
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G
For tomorrow what do you think about it
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G
He should told about everything
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G
I liked him on Days it will be different. I wish they would lower the back round music on the show I have to have the volume turned up to hear what they are saying, it never use to be loud. Lower the music.
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M
What does that have to do with young and the restless?
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P
Just click the three dots next to his message, report as spam. I love doing that!
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R
Me too! I purposely click on articles to look at the comments to report this nonsense!
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P
Flip'n CBS NEWS 11 SPILLED THE BEANS JUST BEFORE THE SHOW AIRED.
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G
A much improved Cane! He speaks English!
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