Conner Floyd Talks Chance’s ‘Y&R’ Ending and Becoming ‘DAYS’ New Chad DiMera
Exclusive
Chance Chancellor met a tragic end on today’s episode of The Young and the Restless, marking the conclusion of Conner Floyd‘s four-year run on the CBS soap.
“As sad as it is, I think that’s how Chance would want to go out,” says Floyd of his character’s death by gunshot, trying to save Cane [Ashby, Billy Flynn] and Lily [Winters, Christel Khalil]. “That’s his story that he’s always been telling — that he’s a hero — and the ultimate person to put everybody else above himself, so I think it’s a little poetic in a way. And then the way I died in Billy Flynn’s [Cane Ashby] arms is also very poetic.”
That’s because Floyd already has a new job at Days of Our Lives playing Chad DiMera, the part Flynn vacated in April. “I think Josh [Griffith, head writer and executive producer of Y&R] did that on purpose,” winks Floyd of the two sharing his final scenes.
Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
The actor has nothing but positive things to say about his first soap home. “Oh, it was just perfect,” he praises. “It’s such a special place. Since day one, I felt welcomed, and I have zero complaints. I feel very honored to be a part of that show and to make my little mark on history there.”
That sense of gratitude extends to both the personal and professional moments Floyd experienced during this time on Y&R. “Off-screen, I think it’s just the connections and the friendships that I made there,” he reflects. “So many of the actors, so many of the crew, so many of the creatives, everyone that works up in the offices, I’ve built this relationship with, and it’s sad to say goodbye.
“On-screen, to turn on the TV and see me in a scene with Eric Braeden [Victor Newman] or Peter Bergman [Jack Abbott] or Melody Thomas Scott [Nikki Newman], it’s super cool,” he continues. “I know my grandmothers are rolling over in their graves right now. I wish they could have been here to get a little piece of that, but it’s really cool just to be a part of the soap world. It’s a unique place for an artist, and I feel like I came out of this a little better of an actor than when I started.”
Finding out about Chance’s fate was “bittersweet,” reports Floyd. “I had another job on the horizon, and so it’s like, ‘Oh, OK, I’m not going to be unemployed,’ but it is sad to say goodbye to Chance and to everyone over there at Y&R, so it’s a little bit of mixed emotions. I feel happy, I feel sad, it kind of depends on the day.”
Nevertheless, he enjoyed playing out Chance’s grisly exit. “It was a lot of fun,” Floyd enthuses. “The sets they built for this whole French storyline are amazing; I felt like I was there. The wardrobe was really fun — they really spiced it up since everybody was on vacation. We had all these actors in the storyline that I hadn’t seen in a while, like Bryton [James, Devon Winters] and Melissa [Ordway, Abby Newman Winters], and to do scenes with them and kind of do a callback on that whole history was fun. It was a good time.”
Walking out of the studio for the last time, however, proved more emotional than Floyd anticipated. “Oh man, I’m so soft-hearted and I’m such a crier,” he relays. “I was going into this thing being like, ‘I’m not gonna cry. I’m not gonna cry.’ And I remember talking to Billy Flynn, and he was like, ‘No, I bet you cry. I cried when I left [Days].’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we’ll see, man.’ We had this last scene, and everyone was clapping, and I was saying goodbye to everyone and walking out, and I cried like a baby. I’m not going to lie. There were a couple of us that got together and hung out afterwards, and I was still fighting tears there. But there are good things on the horizon, so I was OK.”
Floyd has already started working at Days as Chad and is embracing the challenge of his new role. “It’s just a really good opportunity,” he enthuses. “The DiMera family is really cool, and the more I dig into it, this character has a lot to unpack. I like working, so I was really, really excited to dive deep into Chad and explore this world that he’s in. Days of our Lives is an iconic show, and a lot of really talented people have walked those stages, Billy Flynn included, so it’s going to be fun to try to fill those shoes.”
XJJohnson / jpistudios.com
The gig came his way after a chance meeting with Days’ casting director, Marnie Saitta. “This is actually a pretty crazy story,” Floyd begins. “I was flying to Boston for Christmas with my fiancée to visit her family, and I was going to propose to her that weekend right before Christmas. The flight was delayed, then we get on the plane, and it’s delayed on the tarmac, delayed in the air, and delayed when we landed in Boston. I mean, this thing turned into, like, a 12-hour trip. We’re sitting next to these people the whole time and after about five hours, we made conversation, and it was Marnie and her family. So, we were chatting and CBS got brought up somehow. She was like, ‘What do you do at CBS?’ I said, ‘I’m on Young and the Restless.’ After 12 hours of talking, she said, ‘I’m gonna call you.’ And that’s kind of how this came into play.”
Working with Flynn for Floyd’s last month on Y&R proved to be a fruitful experience. “First of all, Billy’s the freaking man,” he raves. “I was kind of bummed, like, ‘I wish you were here for the other four years I was here; we could have had a good time.’ But it was really cool just getting to talk to him and pick his brain about how things work over there, about the character and the sets and the family and the schedule. He had the nicest things to say. It was very serendipitous, which I love.”
Flynn had a helpful note for the Salem newcomer. “When we had our first scene together [on Y&R], I said a couple words to him and then after they said cut, he goes, ‘You and I sound just alike,’ — we have this low, gravelly voice and kind of talk low and slow — ‘I guarantee you the first note you get over there is more voice.’ And sure enough, first scene I had over there, my first note was, ‘Uh, Conner, we need more voice.’ I texted Billy and said, ‘You called that, man.’ The more we hung out, it seems we’re very cut from the same cloth, and it’s good casting on Marnie’s part, I ain’t gonna lie.”
While fans won’t see Floyd on Days until 2026 because of the show’s unique filming schedule, he is settling in well. “Salem’s great,” he concludes. “Everyone’s awesome and very welcoming and very helpful. I’ve hit the ground running, and it’s been going great so far. Just like Y&R, everyone over there is very hardworking, and there’s a very talented cast and crew, and I’m going to bring it for them.”
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G
Chance is the hottest guy on Young and Restless. Really bummed he is leaving!
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G
Why he was wrote off
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B
I wish you luck.sad to see you go I like the character that you played.
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B
Going to miss you Chance, enjoy your new character.
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R
Conner did the best job as chance but Y&R should not have killed the character off. It is disrespectful to the show's history and legacy and will backfire in the long run.
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G
Why they had to kill Chance us beyond me! I mean he did a great job at dying, Y & R should not have killed off a legacy character like Chance!
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B
Right! I thought he would leave, and be recast at a later date if they decided to bring him back.
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C
Poor choice by Y&R. Chance was the hottest guy on the show. Billy Flynn is a dweeb compared to CF, Chance.
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R
Good luck at Days of Our Lives. It was the first soap opera I ever watched. Changed to Y&R and watched the younger set become adults. You should have fun!
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B
I stopped watching Days of our lives about 10 years ago.You make me want to watch it again. I wish they didn't kill off Chance .
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R
I'm also sad he's leaving Y&R. But excited to see him in Days.I wish you Conner Floyd best at Days. See you in 2026 😊
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O
Should have recast him instead of killing him
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B
So does this open the door for a Paul Williams return?
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J
Connor Floyd did a great job on "Y &R". I did not start watching "Days of our Lives" untill it was on Peacock only. There's been a lot of actors and actresses who go from soap opera to another soap lately.
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B
You did do a great death scene. I kept reading your eyes, hoping that it was not you that got shot. So sad. Best of luck on Days.
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S
I watch both soaps! It's a little head spinning but both Flynn & Floyd are fine actors. It's an adjustment for sure!
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G
Wow! This is so cool! I loved the character Chance, he didn't get enough storyline. But you will be awesome as Chad, and in many storyline and oh my...EJ's brother??? This will be a fun role! Congratulations! I can't wait to watch! I already do, it will be exciting with you as the new Chad! ❤️❤️❤️
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C
Connor Floyd leaving Y&R is a HUGE LOSS & mistake for Y&R. Chance was a very underrated character not to mention CF was the biggest think on the show!!!! Billy Flynn is a wimpy actor just like the character he plays, Cane Ashby. A real loss for Y&R. The character Amy needs to go now- she’s always been played by a poor melodramatic actress and has no storyline now that Damian is gone. That was a good move also- the chat Damian added nothing to the show. Holden is a much more interesting character and better actor. Get rid of Amy-please!!! Y&R is on the right track of trimming down the cast- Ashley, Tracy, Jill, Miriah all having limited appearances.
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B
I’m sad to see Chance leave, he did a great job! I think it’s time that Diane and her son Kyle needs to leave. I find them boring!
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B
Yes I agree Chance was a great actor. Really going to miss his character. I wish young and restless stop killing so many people off the show.
Just so sad Chance can never come back to Young in the Restless. Have to see him on another soap that I stopped watching long ago.
Best wishes Chance you will be missed!!
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B
Chance as a character was awful- the most incompetent detective in television history (y&r’s writers- the most incompetent in soaps to blame). Never gave the character anything to do except bumble and investigation but then again because the writers of the show are so incompetent, they don’t know how to action create a mystery where we don’t already know who the killer is or what’s happening. I don’t know why I keep watching Young and the restless because it is so terrible, but if they were gonna let the character languish killing him off was the best thing to do
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B
They never really gave Chance a clearly defined identity - not when John Driscoll was playing him, either.
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R
Well if the show and Chance in particular why do you keep watching. You are so wrong about Chance Conner Floyd was great in the roll don’t know what writers were thinking to kill him off. But they continue to keep Phyllis and Devon and Abby none of them add anything to the show Phyllis just causes trouble and Devon and Abby are so boring they need to be gone not killed just gone
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