
Photo Credit: Steven Bergman
On-Air On-Soaps caught up recently with The Young and the Restless, Sharon Case and chatted about damsel in distress, Sharon Newman’s current state of affairs! As many know, Genoa City’s Sharon went on the run, faked her own death, ended up on a farm, met a handsome stranger, and from there the story seems to get even more complex!
If you watched yesterday’s Fourth of July episode of Y&R, the series gave an amazing history lesson into the perils of Sharon including: the time she first came to Genoa City, her rape by Matt Clark, being reunited with her long-lost daughter Cassie …only to lose her in a tragic death… which in turn tore apart her storybook romance with Nick Newman. From there the episode tells how Sharon’s life spun out of control. And then, even though Adam switched her baby and made her believe her daughter had died, she came to love this man. Sharon reveals how she feels Adam accepted her for who she is and was not trying to be her “Knight in Shining Armor”, but someone who saw her as a strong woman capable of taking care of herself. Now, finding herself more involved with another man, Sam, what is she going to do next?
Here is what Sharon Case had to say about the men in her on-screen characters life, plus her thoughts on the flawed Emmy voting system, and much more.
How have you liked the story arc with Sharon on the run, and then all of a sudden ending up at a farm? We have seen similar plot devices on soaps before where characters fake their deaths or run away, and end up out in the countryside!
SHARON: I have always really liked Maria Arena Bell’s (Y&R head writer and executive producer) storytelling and I like this story. It is funny, when I found out Sharon was going to break out of prison, I did not expect it to take this turn in the story. I had so much fun because I liked that she was getting more aggressive and then she attacked this prison guard and jumped out of a window and took off in a car. Through all this recklessness, I kind of imagined that the recklessness would continue while she was a fugitive, and Adam would meet up with her and then continue the pace of this “Bonnie and Clyde” on the run as fugitives. That is what I had imagined. So I was surprised that the pace just changed on a dime and I am in a barn with a lamb. (Laughs) I thought the storyline turned out really lovely, but what a 180 degree turn in energy – that the storyline was going in one direction and all of a sudden it was going in another direction. I thought it was an interesting choice and the story turned out really beautiful.
In the past you have been vocal about your support of the coupling of Sharon and Adam. Are you still a “Shadam” fan?

Photo Credit: Steven Bergman
SHARON: Of course! The pairing took us all by surprise. And that is what I was referring to with this storyline because of the pace and the vitality that “Shadam” has. That is where I guess I imagined the story carrying on, but it didn’t. I end up in a barn with Sam! And the thing with Sam turned out great, and kind of what we are shooting now, where we are sort of moving out of the barn, I can see the relevance of Sam into the relationship with “Shadam” for future storyline that is coming down the road.
Now that Sharon and Sam have seemingly moved their relationship to another level, is Sam truly going to be a romantic turn and love interest for Sharon?
SHARON: I think he is for a certain time and for a certain reason. It adds an obstacle into “Shadam”, and it ends up creating a lot of good storyline for “Shadam”. It is still a love story. You know what, here is the thing: A lot of people ask me, “You have done so many storylines. What would you love to do that you haven’t done?” And, I have always wanted to do this “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” storyline. And so when Sharon broke out of jail and became a fugitive, I went, “This is it! This is my chance.” And then I end up in a barn. (Laughs) But again, all the storylines I have had have been great, and this one is just as wonderful. I love the writing and it was a pleasure to play it. I love Sean Patrick Flanery (Sam), and so next time I will get my “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” storyline, when I break out of prison…. the second time. (Laughs)
Your hair color seems to be lightening a bit on the air shows after you had to dye it darker and become Sheri (AKA Sharon on the run). Do you like the color it is now?
SHARON: I like the hair color that I have now, because originally for the story, it had to be really dark… as dark as I could tolerate it for the story at first. But I knew it only had to be like this for just a certain point in the story. I knew then I would be able to lighten it back up. So it is much lighter now and heading back to my original color slowly… but nothing too sudden.
The industry recently came together for the 38th Daytime Emmy Awards. In the past we have discussed how flawed the Emmy system can be and how politics still seemingly enter into the Emmy game. Being a past Emmy winner, how do you feel about the Emmy voting system now?
SHARON: It can be a political game and people vote for people for other reasons some times, and one not being who are the best actor and actress. So that has always been frustrating to me, whether I was competing or not. I think that after all these years I just lost interest in all of that.
Remember when you won your Supporting Actress Emmy and you looked like a real –life Cinderella in that pink gown?
SHARON: It was fun when I won. And it would be fun again if they could change the system. I was talking to Michael Muhney (Adam) about it and we both agree that you simply can’t change some of the rules around and tweak it. Those tweaks have done nothing but make it worse, literally. It is maddening. What really needs to happen is no more of these little tweaks. The system is not going to work, unless we take the entire vote out of the hands of the actors.
I believe that journalists who watch the performances day in and day out should be in on the first round of voting.
SHARON: I agree. Bring in the journalists, bring in the fans, or bring in a portion of the academy that are not on a daytime show. What is wrong with the system is how biased it is in very skewed and bizarre ways.

Photo Credit: Steven Bergman
What is happening with your jewelry line Pomp, which you launched last year? Is there more to come with that?
SHARON: We are working on Pomp and hoping to launch the second part of the jewelry line in September.
OK in closing…. the big question: Are “Shick” (Sharon and Nick) finally over?
SHARON: I don’t think “Phick” or “Shick” are over, and “Phick” are still happening now. I don’t think “Shick” will ever be over. “Shick” is not on right now, because we have “Shadam” and… “Sham”! I just made that up, “Sham” (For Sharon and Sam). And for Sharon and Adam, Michael Muhney and I actually like to call them “Shazam” instead of “Shadam”. All I can say is that Sharon Newman has a lot going on, that is for certain.
So soapers, who is the ultimate man for Sharon Newman? Adam, Nick, or Sam? Let us know. And if you missed yesterday’s Y&R, here is a clip from the episode where Sharon recounts her history in Genoa City which led her to the farm where she met Sam!