After her fake death, many fans were wondering, “Is Phyllis leaving The Young and the Restless?” One of the longest-running TV shows of all time, The Young and the Restless first premiered in 1973 and has produced over 12,500 episodes. In the seminal soap opera set in the fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin, characters go in and out of the main cast constantly. This revolving door of major players means there are constant rumors about which characters are leaving The Young and the Restless and which have managed to survive the turbulent plots that twist and turn daily.
Phyllis Summers, played by multiple actors over three decades, has been the scheming, fiery redhead since her debut on the series. She was first introduced in 1984 as a groupie of Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian) and his rock band, and claimed that Daniel (Michael Graziadei) is her son. Since then, she’s had a number of paramours and made even more enemies. Constantly plotting, Phyllis fakes her own death in a 2023 Y&R episode and, despite fans’ greatest fears, the character returns, proving it will be a while before she’s gone for good if she ever is.
Phyllis “Dies” After Collapsing At The Bicentennial Gala In The Young And The Restless
She Had A Heated Conflict With Diane Moments Prior
In the Bicentennial Gala storyline from 2023, a gala is being prepared for the 200th anniversary of Genoa City, and all the cast of The Young and the Restless is invited. It serves as a meta celebration for 50 years of the show itself. Critically, in the build-up to the gala, Phyllis was hired and quickly fired by her daughter Summer at their family business, doing so at the behest of Phyllis’ enemy Diane, who had had enough of Phyllis’ meddling.
Then, when Summer sided with her brother Daniel against Phyllis, she, along with Stark, turned all her ire on Diane, and plotted to get back at her. At the gala, Phyllis picks an argument with Diane that leads to the two fighting in a closet. Witnesses burst in, and in the commotion, Stark steals an engagement ring from Diane’s boyfriend, Jack. Despite losing the ring, Jack still proposes to Diane in the middle of the event, only to have Phyllis angrily and publicly berate the pair. As she does so, she begins having chest pains and collapses.
She is taken to the hospital having apparently suffered a heart attack, but the gala’s attendees soon learn that Phyllis’ ambulance crashed and she did not survive. The attention turns to Diane, whom many begin to blame for Phyllis’ death considering the clear animosity towards each other exhibited over the past few days. Phyllis, a long-time character on the show, is beloved by many and to take her out was a huge surprise. She had never had a fake-out death before this moment, so as far as many The Young and the Restless fans were concerned, Phyllis was gone.
Why Phyllis Faked Her Own Death In Y&R
She Regrets Her Choice When She Sees All Her Mourners At The Funeral
The Young and the Restless does more fake-out deaths than even Marvel, including the comics, and so, while it was nerve-wracking at first to think Phyllis might be dead, the reveal that she was alive was not completely surprising. While everyone else is trying to figure out what happened, Phyllis is in a motel room, very much alive. She decides to attend her own memorial and, instead of being smugly proud at seeing all the people there, she realizes she may have made a mistake.
She considers revealing that she’s alive, but when Stark catches wind, he threatens to kill her for real to keep their plan safe.
Phyllis considers that perhaps putting people, particularly Summer, through this pain is a step too far. She considers revealing that she’s alive, but when Stark catches wind, he threatens to kill her for real to keep their plan safe. Now truly scared for her life, Phyllis ends up killing Stark in self-defense and hides the body. Despite taking care of that problem, it becomes abundantly clear she cannot come out of hiding, having faked her death and also killed someone.
Underneath Phyllis’ plotting and schemes is the simple desire to be loved and find a family, but she often gets in her own way when it comes to forming lasting relationships. Phyllis went too far in this fake death plot, and now she’s reaping the rewards. Seeing Summer and others cry at her memorial service reminded Phyllis that people do care about her, and if she opened herself up to them, she’d never need to get herself involved in schemes like this one.
Every Actress Who Played Phyllis Summers
Current Phyllis Actress Michelle Stafford Has Had The Longest Tenure
The Phyllis in the 2023 fake-out death storyline is not the same Phyllis for the entire run of the character’s arc on The Young and the Restless. Michelle Stafford has played the character the longest, dating back to her first appearance in 1994 and stopping in 1997, when Sandra Nelson picked up the role for two years until 1999. Then, from 2000-2013, Stafford resumed playing the character, only to stop again and be replaced by Gina Tognoni, who played the role from 2014-2019, at which point Stafford came back to the series and has played Phyllis since.
Nelson is a fine actor in the role, but her portrayal of Phyllis feels like she’s a different character, which makes some sense considering the character was relatively new when she took over. Tognoni brought a softer side to Phyllis and made her more complex and conflicted. However, Stafford has to be considered the most “Phyllis” of the three actors. It’s her portrayal that has created the foundation for the character and she’s the actor the others are compared to. Stafford has also been nominated for 12 Daytime Emmys, winning twice.
| Actors Who’ve Payed Phyllis Summers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Actor | Years | Episodes |
| Michelle Stafford | (1994–1997, 2000–2013, 2019–present) | 2307 |
| Sandra Nelson | (1997–1999) | 116 |
| Gina Tognoni | (2014–2019) | 651 |
Is Michelle Stafford Tired Of Playing Phyllis?
Some sites have rumored that Michelle Stafford has grown tired of playing Phyllis on The Young and the Restless. That’s not a totally far-out rumor. She’s left the series twice in the past, for no other reason than wanting to try something new. Memorably, after leaving the series in 2013, she went on to play the recurring character Nina Reeves in another long-running soap opera, General Hospital. So, it’s not as if Stafford has ever tired of the soap circuit. Further discrediting these rumors is an Instagram post from Stafford for the show’s 50th anniversary.
The post’s caption reads,
“Some BTS from our 50th Anniversary cast photo… it’s clear that these are some happy shining people
And I am obviously in love with @gregrikaart ENJOY ❤️ #YR @brytonejames @lauralee_bell @swaltersashby @ameliamheinle @mel_ordway @thecourtneyhope @christianjleblanc”
For someone supposedly tired of her role, Stafford sure seems happy to celebrate The Young and the Restless and the people she works with. Considering her current, exciting plotline, and her and the show’s clear love and appreciation for the character, it doesn’t seem like Stafford or Phyllis are going anywhere anytime soon.
What’s Next For Phyllis In The Young And The Restless?
She Has Many Romantic Avenues To Pursue
Since her fake-out death in early 2023, Phyllis has re-revealed herself to the world, first starting with Summer, who helped her prove that she was acting in self-defense when she killed Stark. Sentenced to community service and probation, Phyllis sheepishly went back to her friends and family, who eventually accepted what she did. In 2024, Phyllis is back to her old games, however, and is once again in a love triangle with Danny and Christine, a triangle that dates back to her first appearance on the show.
It seems, though, that Danny will end up with Christine, and Phyllis will once again be pushed to the wayside. From there, The Young and the Restless could take her character in any direction. She could end back up with Nick, whom she shares a daughter with and has had a fiery romance with in the past.
Phyllis could also once again pair with Jack, who was at one point thought to be the love of her life. If the series wanted to introduce a new romance, Summer’s ex-husband Kyle would be a particularly scandalous union, considering he is also the son of Phyllis’ ex-husband. Whatever The Young and the Restless chooses to do with its redheaded firebrand, it’s sure to stir the pot.
