Let’s face it — Neil and Malcolm’s dance cards have been pretty empty lately. Neil had a blink- and-you-missed-it romance with Ashley, while Malcolm’s been flying solo since his return to Genoa City. This could all change, however, with the debut on Y&R of Julia Pace Mitchell, on Tuesday, July 20. She plays Sofia Dupre, Tucker’s chief financial officer.
How’d she land the role? “I auditioned like every other actress in Los Angeles who got the breakdown and wanted to be a part of Y&R,” Mitchell enthuses to Soaps In Depth. “It was a long five-week process, trying to look my best and do my best every time I went in to meet with [everybody at the show].”
Acting 101
Mitchell, a Los Angeles native, brings an acting pedigree to the business. Her parents are professional actors Judy Pace (Brian’s Song) and Don Mitchell, best known to TV viewers for his series regular role on the Raymond Burr crime drama IRONSIDE.
Today, soaps tape at a fast pace, but Mitchell is embracing the challenge. “I’m a theater junkie,” the classically trained actress says. “The ‘one take’ thing has been working fine for me. I’m used to knowing my lines. Doing a show seven days a week on stage has been very helpful to me. It’s prepared me for this.”
Who’s Sofia?
Mitchell’s still discovering who her TV alter ego is, but she’s pleased that daytime’s opening its doors to more diverse types. “Let’s just put all this on the table,” she laughs. “When I got the [casting] breakdown for this role, honestly, as a full-figured, African-America, dark-skinned woman, I was like ‘Really? This is surprising!’”
While sources tell In Depth that Mitchell did her final audition with Kristoff St. John (Neil) and Darius McCrary (Malcolm), the actress is open to an interracial romance if that’s what the writers have in mind. “It could be Victor,” she muses about who’ll be her on-screen love interest. “Who knows? It could be Tucker or anyone else on the show!”
Julia Pace Mitchell
