‘The Young and the Restless’: Michael Baldwin Was Written as a Temporary Character, Christian LeBlanc Reveals
Since 1991, The Young and the Restless fans have been enjoying (and sometimes loathing) the antics of Michael Baldwin, played by actor Christian LeBlanc. Aside from his nearly four-year hiatus (from 1993 – 1997), Michael has been a consistent character. Recently, LeBlanc sat down for an interview with Soap Opera Digest. The actor revealed some pretty interesting tidbits about his character, including the fact that he wasn’t always meant to last.
From stalker to beloved husband: The evolution of Michael Baldwin
Michael is the son of River Baldwin and Gloria Abbott Baldwin, and half-sibling to Kevin and Eden. When he made his first appearance in Genoa City in the early 90s, he served as a mentor to budding lawyer Christine. Micheal became enamored with Christine, kissing her after winning a court case and proceeding to stalk and harass her.
At one point, Michael tried to force himself on Christine, and when Paul WIlliams intercepted, Michael shot him. He was sentenced to four years in jail. When he was released, he vowed to get revenge on Christine. Needless to say, Michael was not the fans’ favorite character initially.
But when Michael returned to town, he convinced everyone — even Christine — that he was a changed man. Christine eventually forgave him, even working with him, dating him, and accepting his marriage proposal. While Christine dumped Micahel after learning he’d done some scheming in order to win her over, Michael redeemed himself by saving her and Paul’s lives when a jealous Isabella tried to kill them.
Michael and his wife, Lauren, are one of Y&R’s longest-enduring couples. While they’ve had more than their share of ups and downs, they always seem to find their way back to each other. While Michael can be rather cold and cruel at times, he can also be a very loving husband and stepfather.
Believe it or not, most of this was never originally intended for Michael Baldwin, who was not originally meant to be one of the show’s long-term characters. But after seeing how LeBlanc brought him to life, the writers decided to keep him around.
LeBlanc’s interview with ‘Soap Opera Digest’ had some surprising revelations
During his interview, LeBlanc was asked what his favorite thing was about his character. He answered, “That he wasn’t written as a single dimension character.”
This is accurate, to say the least. Michael is quite complex, off-color, and unpredictable at times. This is because of LeBlanc’s unique portrayal. He added:
“When I started playing this kind of off-color character, I played him as a human being who does the right things for the wrong reasons and the wrong things for the right reasons. I loved that people noticed enough for Bill [Bell, the head writer at the time] to keep me, because Michael was not supposed to be a long-term character.”
It’s impossible to imagine Genoa City without Michael Baldwin — the show would be missing one of its top super couples, for starters. Luckily, it seems as if he’s here to stay.
