“There’s something they don’t like about one another,” Jeff Branson previews of the relationship between his character, Detective Ronan Malloy, and his crime-fighting partner Chance, played by John Driscoll, on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS. “They rub each other the wrong way and it comes out right away.
“It’s probably going to be more adversarial than STARSKY & HUTCH,” he chuckles.
Branson — who won a Daytime Emmy for playing GUIDING LIGHT’s Shayne last August — debuts on Y&R on Tuesday, June 22. The actor moved to Los Angeles after GL wrapped production last summer, and discussions with his new soap soon began. “There was some talk with my manager and the people at Y&R about the length of time [I’d be here for] and we all made it happen,” he enthuses. Does the actor enjoy the sunny California climate? “Apples and oranges,” he responds. “[But] I don’t miss the 10-degree winters in New York. There are pros and cons to both [places.]”
Together Again
Playing Ronan reunites Branson not only with Driscoll (Coop, GL), but also his former ALL MY CHILDREN co-stars Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe; ex-Maggie) and Eden Riegel (Heather; ex-Bianca), whom he worked with during his 2004-’07 run as AMC’s Jonathan. His Pine Valley alter ego actually broke up Bianca and Maggie and did a subsequent domestic violence storyline with Hendrickson’s character. “All three of us have worked together before,” he says. “It’s nice to know who you’re working with. It makes the work richer and more personal. We have that from years and years at AMC.”
While Branson and Driscoll were on GL at the same time, Shayne and Coop’s storylines didn’t intersect. “Shayne and Cooper crossed paths once or twice, briefly,” Branson recalls. “We were just good buddies.”
New Horizons
It’s been almost a year since GL shot its last episode, but Branson says he remains in touch with his pals from Springfield. “We stick together,” he says fondly. “We remember each other. They’re focusing on their next chapters right now [just as] I’m focusing on Y&R.”
How would Branson compare Ronan to Shayne? “That’s a good question,” he responds. “I’m still slipping myself into Ronan’s skin so it’s hard to compare the two. [Ronan] is kind of a different character for me. I’ve come to town having a relationship or family in town [on other shows]. It’s different when you’re a rogue character [like Ronan] and you show up on canvas. You don’t know who they are or what their intentions are.”
Jeff Branson
