Miguel Rodriguez (The Young and the Restless)

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Miguel Rodriguez
The Young and the Restless
Portrayed by Anthony Pena
(1984-)
Profile
Gender Male
Occupation Butler
Residence 421 Larkspur Trail
Genoa City, Wisconsin

Miguel Rodriguez is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by actor Anthony Pena from April 1984 through 2006.

[edit] Character

Miguel was a domestic employee of Victor and Nikki Newman (Eric Braeden and Melody Thomas Scott) for nearly thirty years. He left the ranch for only a few years after the Newman children were grown to work for Victor at his penthouse in Newman towers after Victor's divorce from Nikki and during Victor's marriage to Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson). He is also occasionally loaned out for other Genoa City functions. He met Katherine Chancellor's (Jeanne Cooper) maid, Esther Valentine (Kate Linder), at one of these, and they dated briefly.

In 1998, Miguel got his first (and, as of now, only) front-burning storyline. Miguel was working at the ranch for Nikki, who was now married to gynecologist Joshua Landers (Heath Kizzier). A new housekeeper was hired, a strange shy woman named Sarah (Candice Daly). But Sarah was really Josh's presumed-dead wife, Veronica. Escaped from a mental institution and unrecognizable after plastic surgery, wearing a wig and maid uniform, she was determined to win Josh back.

Josh thought Sarah was a good maid, for some reason anticipating his every need. Then she quit taking her mood medication and revealed her identity to Josh, convinced that she could win him back if he knew she was still alive. Josh was shocked and ordered Veronica to leave. Instead, Veronica shot Josh dead and ran downstairs, only to be confronted with Nikki returning home. Nikki saw the crazed look in Sarah's eyes and tried to call for help, but Sarah shot her and fled.

Some time later, Miguel met the attractive Veronica at his favorite Mexican restaurant. After many such meetings he fell in love with her. Miguel arranged for the out of work Veronica to waitress at the Mexican restaurant. But Veronica's boss, Barry, sexually harassed her. Miguel socked him and he fired Veronica. Miguel then persuaded Ashley's (then played by Shari Shattuck) novelist husband, Cole Howard (J. Eddie Peck) to hire her as his research assistant. Veronica accepted Miguel's marriage proposal, and he took her to meet his newly widowed recently recovered employer at the ranch to arrange for their post marriage living arrangements. Nikki didn't recognize her as Sarah.

Veronica was aghast to learn that Cole was researching the shooting of Josh for his new novel. Nikki mentioned to Victor that Veronica seemed familiar, and how concerned she was for Miguel who barely knew his new fiancé. Victor suggested he run a background check. Veronica was afraid Nikki would recognize her and resolved that Nikki had to die. When Nikki decided to take a moonlit horse ride, Veronica took her gun and headed for the stables. Meanwhile, Cole and Malcolm (Shemar Moore) compared Veronica and Miguel's engagement photo with Sarah's wanted poster and realized that they were the same woman. Victor stopped by the ranch just as an old photo of Veronica fell out of one of Josh's medical books Miguel was packing. At the same moment they realized Veronica was Josh's first wife, Cole called and told them that Veronica and Sarah were the same person. Victor and Miguel headed directly for the stables where they found Veronica holding Nikki at gunpoint. Miguel distracted Veronica, while Victor wrestled her for the gun. During the struggle, Veronica impaled herself on a hay hook.

Miguel continued to serve as the Newmans' butler/house manager until 2008, though he often wasn't seen onscreen. A new house manager, Estella Munoz, was introduced in April 2008; on June 5, 2008, it was revealed that he had officially left his position at the Newman Ranch in order to care for his aunt, who had been diagnosed with diabetes. The Newman family was saddened to see him go, but understood the necessity. As a farewell gift, Nikki and Victor decided to send him a small, gold clock that sat on the fireplace for many years, which Miguel would often wind-up. His departure, though surprising Katherine Chancellor, produced a much funnier thought and a laugh: "Dare we tell Esther? Remember when the two of them were dating?"