‘Y&R’: Roger Howarth Warns That Matt Clark’s Plan for the Newmans Turns Dangerous

Matt Clark steps up his plan to terrorize the Newmans this week on The Young and the Restless, and his portrayer, Roger Howarth, previews the chaos ahead.

The action moves to the outskirts of Las Vegas, where Matt has already taken Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) and Noah Newman (Lucas Adams) captive, setting the stage for a dangerous showdown. “Matt is in full-on destructive, rageful mode,” says Howarth. “He’s just getting started with the Newmans, and his plans to scorch the earth include every one of them in no particular order. He feels very confident that things are going to go his way, but life always has a way of interfering with plans.”

That sense of volatility has defined the character for decades. Matt’s reign of terror began in 1994, when Eddie Cibrian played the role, and more than 30 years later, his hatred for the Newman family still runs deep. “He’s triggered and stays in this headspace of, of constant conflict,” observes Howarth of his alter ego. ‘He’s constantly in the fight of his life and takes things intensely personally. I don’t think he spends a lot of time in his best self.”

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For Howarth, tapping into that mindset began well before the details of the role were clear. He is no stranger to playing soap villains but didn’t know what to expect when he first spoke with head writer and executive producer Josh Griffith last year. “I wasn’t told the specifics of what it would be, but I could read a sense of excitement in the voice of a guy who I totally trust, and Josh seemed really enthusiastic about it,” recalls Howarth. “I was just really pleased that he thought of me at all. It was kind of alluded to that Matt was a villain in the best sense, but I didn’t really realize the scope or the magnitude of his evil until I got until I got here, and then I was really happy to see just what a colorful past he’s had. It’s a great part.”

Once on set, that initial excitement only grew. “I’ve had so much fun,” he enthuses. “From the minute I got here, I felt lucky to be here and I’ve enjoyed meeting people. I’ve enjoyed working with people. I think it’s a talented, hardworking cast, and I’ve gotten to play around with some beautiful actors. It’s been a pleasure.”

Among those scene partners is Joshua Morrow, whose Nick Newman remains one of Matt’s primary targets — and the two will face off again this week. “Josh and I have both been really vocal about what fans we are of one another,” Howarth notes. “I think he’s just the best. I think he’s such a, such a great actor, and I think he’s doing such a great job playing this latest story of Nick’s addiction and the darker parts of that character’s humanity.”

Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Taking on Matt also meant following in the footsteps of the previous actors to play the part, Eddie Cibrian (1994-1996) and Rick Hearst (2000-2001), yet putting his own stamp on the role came naturally. “I trust the writing and I think that the writers have a clear vision of who this guy is,” Howarth says. “I really just try to stick to what I could figure out from what they were writing rather than try to do what the other two actors who’ve played the part did. I’m a fan of both of them. I have a huge respect for them. I know Rick a little bit and he’s a lovely guy, but on some level, you have to just do your thing with what the writers give you. That’s probably the best way to go about it.”

That trust is rooted in a long-standing creative relationship with Griffith, whom he previously worked with on One Life to Live, where Howarth played the deeply complicated Todd Manning. “Josh Griffith was a really big part of the team that created Todd Manning, and he has a really good understanding of the darker parts of humanity and how they intermesh with the classic soap villains,” Howarth points out. “But he never loses sight of what motivates people and the human side to all humans.”

It’s a role that still defines him in the eyes of many viewers. The Daytime Emmy-winning Todd, which he began playing in 1992 and last played in 2013, remains the one he’s most recognized for. “I think that has to do with a lot of different things, including the volume of shows and years, and the impact that that story had,” he reflects. “One Life to Live succeeded at bringing lots of different characters into each story, and I think that it also happened at a time when there were a lot of people still at home in front of their TV sets.”

Ann Limongello/©ABC/courtesy Everett Collection

Even now, fans continue to associate him with Llanview. “If somebody says hi, it’s always a pleasure,” Howarth says. “I was in Trader Joe’s and somebody said hi to me and it’s always nice, but mostly they begin the conversation by calling me Todd.”

Looking at the bigger picture, Howarth is grateful to have built a meaningful, lasting career in the daytime world. “It’s pretty clear to me that I’m just I’m super lucky and that I’m also lucky that I feel as lucky as I feel,” he acknowledges. “It’s always really sweet for me to think of soaps as being unifying and something that people watch together in this day of single screens, and that like people still chat about the show with other people and communicate with other people about their stories. That makes me feel like I’m a part of something that’s pretty cool.”

As for what lies ahead, Howarth would welcome the chance to keep exploring Matt’s story in Genoa City. “I really hope so. That would be really fun,” he concludes. “Is it possible for person to change? It’s a really valuable question, and as an actor, it’s such a pleasure to think about those things.”

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