Chelsea Lawson

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Chelsea Lawson
The Young and the Restless character
Portrayed by Melissa Claire Egan
Duration 2011–
First appearance November 11, 2011 (2011-11-11)
Introduced by Maria Arena Bell
Classification Present, regular
Profile
Occupation Fashion Designer
Home Genoa City, Wisconsin

Chelsea Lawson Newman (formerly McAvoy) is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Portrayed by Melissa Claire Egan, she was created by former head writer Maria Arena Bell and made her debut during the episode airing on November 11, 2011. Egan was said to be joining the soap opera as a mystery woman involved with Billy Abbott (Billy Miller). Egan and Miller previously acted together on the ABC soap opera All My Children.

Initially a con artist and "bad girl", Chelsea has developed into a loving person. She arrived in town revealing that she had become pregnant with Billy's child, later giving up all her parental rights. She then began a romance with Adam Newman (Michael Muhney), which has garnered significant fan attention. They later married, which ended shortly after due to Adam's lingering feelings for his ex-wife Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) and inability to abandon his corporate life. After becoming pregnant with Adam's child, Chelsea decided to pursue a relationship with Dylan McAvoy (Steve Burton) and pass the child off as his. Egan's portrayal has garnered a positive response, for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 2013.

Casting

In October 2011, it was announced that actress Melissa Claire Egan, previously known for her role as Annie Lavery on ABC's All My Children, had been cast in a contract role named Chelsea.[1][2][3][4] Egan's character was to be "a mysterious woman named Chelsea who is connected to Billy’s arrest in Myanmar".[2] On the topic of Egan working with her former co-star Billy Miller, the actress said: "We are buds from way back, of course, from our days on All My Children, and so we have been hanging out even before I came to Y&R. Now being here with Billy I get to see him double."[5] Egan debuted onscreen on November 11, 2011.[6]

Development

Characterization

Chelsea was originally portrayed as a con artist and bad girl. Egan said that she "knew some people hate her",[7] and she finds Chelsea "fun because she's a con artist".[7] Catherine Bach was cast in the role of Anita Lawson, Chelsea's mother, to "play a vital role in Egan's character storyline".[8][9][10][11] Egan said that "you see where Chelsea gets it from because her mom is a con artist, but way worse than Chelsea", and that "Chelsea has more of a conscience than Anita".[7] Jeffrey Bardwell (Ted Shackelford) was then revealed as Chelsea's father, after which Egan said "it came out of nowhere", though "it’s great to have so many people to be intertwined with, if you will."[5] On the topic of her character's personality, the actress said: "The viewers met Chelsea as a schemester and pregnant with child. She did not have any friends. And now, you will be able to see her personality. We can see her finally in some hot clothes, maybe a skirt, and high heels. She is no longer the beached whale at the bar."[5] In an interview in 2013, Egan stated that she thought Chelsea had "certainly evolved a lot", saying: "Well she’s certainly evolved a lot; I mean she’s done a complete 180 as far as her intentions are. When I started, like you said, she was kind of a con artist, and manipulative, and doing things for money, and you know – completely, kind of not a very good person. But since then, she’s fallen in love, she’s gotten married – she’s gotten divorced! –and experienced life, its highs and lows and ups and downs and learned about family she didn’t know she had. She’s gotten closer to certain members of her family and gained friendships. I don’t think Chelsea was someone who had girlfriends before when she was on the road and cons don’t really have good relationships. So she’s just a better person; a better human being. She’s kind of lived life a little bit and definitely become more of a genuine, well-rounded person."[12]

Relationships

After giving birth to Billy's baby, Chelsea's next love interest was Adam Newman (Michael Muhney). On the topic of working with Muhney, Egan said: "I love working with Michael. I heard about him because my mom had watched Y&R before I joined. So when I told her my character was going to be mixed-up with Adam, she went, 'Oh! He is so good, but so bad'".[5] Egan noted that her mother "told me he was a great character, but an evil one, so I was really excited. And now knowing Michael, it has been so much fun."[5] She said that "everyone seems to think we have good on-screen chemistry" and that "it’s an interesting energy between Chelsea and Adam being the “bad guys” in town."[5] Egan said that through Chelsea having Billy's baby and giving him up, Adam was her biggest support.[5] The pair eventually married.

However, trouble arose following Chelsea's miscarriage of their child and Adam's ex-wife Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) re-entering his life. Muhney was glad that Chelsea had a miscarriage because he did not want to work with young children, saying they have "strange hours".[13] Adam felt responsible for her being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, because of all of the hurt he caused her in their relationship. He even tried to cover up Sharon causing a fire to Victor Newman's (Eric Braeden) home, working under the law to do so. Chelsea became outraged at him, creating cracks in their marriage; she warned a fragile Sharon to stay away.[14] While telling Chelsea he wasn't attracted to Sharon, Adam later kisses her, which is witnessed by Chelsea.[15][16] Egan stated it was "devastating" to Chelsea to realize that Adam was still in love with Sharon. After the couple divorced due to Adam's inability to abandon his corporate life, Egan stated that she was sad to see Chelsea and Adam breaking up, but was excited for the material as an actress.[12] When asked if Chelsea or Sharon was Adam's "true love", Muhney stated: "It’s this back and forth. And if anyone has noticed since I have been on the show, I like to play as much ambiguity in scenes as possible, because then you keep the audience guessing."[17]

After Chelsea's separation from Adam, she discovered she was pregnant with his child, but was hesitant to tell him. Of the storyline, Egan said: "Chelsea’s just really scared that she’s seen this other side that she’s been hearing so much about – the manipulative, Newman side to Adam, and she’s scared he’ll take the baby."[12] After sharing a one-night stand with Dylan McAvoy (Steve Burton), Chelsea decides to pass Adam's child off as Dylan's, and the two are later married. Egan described the character's decision to keep the child's paternity a secret as a "ticking time bomb". Burton stated that Dylan is "not the sharpest tool in the shed", as he was believing was Chelsea was telling him. When asked about the child, Burton said: "This kid is everything to him, so once we figure out whose it is, if it’s not his, it’s not going to be a good situation for anybody." When asked if Dylan could forgive Chelsea, Burton added: "That’s a tough one. I don’t know what kind of mental state this is going to put Dylan in, to even think about that."[18]

Storylines

When Billy Abbott (Billy Miller) was in Myanmar and away from his family, he met Chelsea at a beach bar she was working at. After returning home after being arrested there, Billy enlists the help of Cane Ashby (Daniel Goddard) to go to Myanmar and find Chelsea to help prove his innocence. Cane talks to a woman at a bar, and unbeknownst to him, the woman was actually Chelsea but she disappears before she can talk to him. Two months later, Chelsea shows up on Billy and his wife Victoria’s (Amelia Heinle) doorstep looking for “Liam”, an alias Billy used. She reveals she is pregnant with his son after he forced himself onto her while intoxicated, and a DNA test proves that Billy is actually the father. Afterward, Billy secretly records Chelsea admitting that their one night stand was consensual and that her rape claim was a con she used against tourists. After Chelsea moves in with Billy and Victoria, Chelsea’s mother Anita Lawson (Catherine Bach) arrives in town, creating conflict. Billy and Victoria later learn that Victoria’s father, Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) brought both Chelsea and Anita to town to thwart his daughter’s marriage.

Chelsea later discovers that Jeffrey Bardwell (Ted Shackelford) is her father and confronts him; a paternity test is conducted proving Chelsea’s accusations, but Jeffrey attempts to make everyone believe that his deceased twin brother William was her father. Chelsea then befriends Adam Newman (Michael Muhney), and although he tells her he isn’t good enough for her, she persists and they form a friendship, even after Victoria’s warnings. After Victoria finds Chelsea having had dinner with Adam, she storms off and falls into a frozen lake; Adam rescues her and ends up delivering her baby. After the birth of Johnny, Chelsea terminates all of her parental rights and allows Billy to raise the child with Victoria. After declining Victor’s offer of $10 million to leave town, she moves in with Adam and develops their relationship; he helps study for exams to receive a high school diploma, and while Adam’s feelings for her are unmet, he proposes to her in the rain and she accepts. They decide to elope to Adam’s childhood home in Kansas (where Sharon unsuccessfully attempts to stop the wedding), and return home to join in a business venture with Chloe Mitchell (Elizabeth Hendrickson) and Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart), a website called TagNGrab. Chelsea then becomes pregnant and while leaving town on a trip, their car crashes with that of Summer Newman (Hunter King), causing Chelsea to miscarry her son, who she named Riley.

Adam then helps nurse his ex-wife, Sharon Newman (Sharon Case), back to health after feeling responsible for her bad mental state. Chelsea suspects that Adam still has feelings for her, and considers leaving him after witnessing them kiss. Adam then promises Chelsea they can move to Paris, but due to his inability to abandon his corporate life at Newman Enterprises, she leaves him and asks for a divorce. After their separation, Chelsea discovers she is pregnant with Adam’s child, and while attempting to tell him on several occasions, her new friend Chloe convinces her not to do so. Chelsea and Chloe later start a fashion business, which is picked up by Jabot Cosmetics. After sharing a one-night stand with Dylan McAvoy (Steve Burton), Chloe convinces Chelsea to pass the child off as Dylan’s, despite Adam’s suspicions. After Chelsea moves in with Dylan, he proposes and she accepts, and later has to pay off Jeffrey to keep his mouth shut about the child’s true paternity. After their wedding, Chelsea goes into labor and Dylan delivers her child, a son named Connor McAvoy. Soon after Connor's birth the truth about Adam being his father comes out after finding out he'll go blind from eye disease. Adam is furious with her and wanted to sue for full custody, but on the advice of Avery didn't. Adam forced Chelsea & Connor to move in with him while there she gets served with divorce papers by Dylan.

Reception

"Egan imbues Chelsea with the perfect mix of vulnerability and spunk that makes her both linkable and sympathetic. You can't help but root for Chelsea in spite of the baby ruse, which is a testament to Egan's layered, committed performances."[19]

—Soap Opera Digest on Egan's portrayal (2013)

Egan's portrayal of the role has garnered praise. Michael Fairman of On-Air On-Soaps wrote: "With so many stories yet to play out, the Y&R writers and producers are certainly ready to put it in the more than capable hands of Egan."[5] The character's romance with Adam has received significant fan attention (who refer to them as "Chadam") as well as a positive response from critics; the website Daytime Confidential placed Adam and Chelsea number three on their "Top 10 Soap Opera Couples of 2012" list. They wrote: "The Young and the Restless made a smart move in pairing sexy grifters Adam Newman (Michael Muhney) and Chelsea Lawson (Melissa Claire Egan) in 2012. By building first a friendship, then a love affair for Chadam, Y&R managed to save Chelsea from becoming yet another boring, cookie cutter, lady psycho (Daisy, anyone?)"[20] Luke Kerr of Zap2it felt that Chelsea was "out of her league" when competing against Sharon for Adam's attention, and thought the storyline was "fun".[21] Kerr later wrote that of the possible pairing of Chelsea and Dylan: "I’m not sure what to think about the obvious Dylan and Chelsea chemistry test going on."[22] The character's romance with Dylan has received a negative response, criticized for being "boring"; Kerr wrote that their storyline was "everyone’s favorite storyline for curing insomnia".[23] In 2013, Egan received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Chelsea,[24][25] but lost to General Hospital star Julie Marie Berman for her portrayal of Lulu Spencer.[26]

References

  1. ↑ Fairman, Michael (October 7, 2011). "Melissa Claire Egan lands contract role on The Young and the Restless!". Michaelfairmanonsoaps.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kroll, Dan J. (October 3, 2011). "Y&R inks Melissa Claire Egan as mystery woman". Soap Central. Soapcentral.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012. 
  3. ↑ Rice, Lynette (October 7, 2011). "Another 'All My Children' star joins 'Young and the Restless' -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved June 25, 2012. 
  4. ↑ Abrams, Natalie (October 7, 2011). ""Young and the Restless" Recruits Another "All My Children" Star". TV Guide. Retrieved June 25, 2012. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Fairman, Michael (April 12, 2012). "The Melissa Claire Egan Interview – The Young and the Restless". On-Air On-Soaps. Retrieved November 16, 2012. 
  6. ↑ "Comings and Goings". Soap Opera Digest. November 1, 2011 (Vol. 36, No. 44). p. 13. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Young, Candace (January 23, 2012). "The Young And The Restless Interview: Melissa Claire Egan.". Soaps.sheknows.com. She Knows Soaps. Retrieved November 21, 2012. 
  8. ↑ "HAZZARD-ous Time For Y&R". Soap Opera Digest. January 6, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012. 
  9. ↑ Kroll, Dan J. (January 6, 2012). "TV's Daisy Duke lands in Genoa City". Soapcentral.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
  10. ↑ Simms, Richard M. (January 6, 2012). "Y&R's Chelsea Gets a HAZZARD-ous Mom!". CBS Soaps In Depth. CBS.soapsindepth.com. Retrieved January 12, 2012. 
  11. ↑ "Catherine Bach, 'Daisy Duke', joins Y&R!". Theyoungandtherestless.com. January 11, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 White-Nobles, Omar (May 5, 2013). "INTERVIEW: ‘Y&R’s’ Melissa Claire Egan on Chelsea’s Evolution, Breakup and Baby Daddy Drama". TVSource. SoSource Media. Retrieved August 14, 2013. 
  13. ↑ Brar, Jeevan (April 17, 2013). "Y&R's Michael Muhney on his character's "game changing" moment". MSN Entertainment. Retrieved August 14, 2013. 
  14. ↑ "Y&R Explodes!". Soaps In Depth (Bauer Media Group). November 19, 2012. 
  15. ↑ Series Producer: Jill Farren Phelps; Writer: Josh Griffith (December 7, 2012). "Episode 10049". The Young and the Restless. Series 40. CBS.
  16. ↑ Series Producer: Jill Farren Phelps; Writer: Josh Griffith (December 10, 2012). "Episode 10050". The Young and the Restless. Series 40. CBS.
  17. ↑ Fairman, Michael (April 5, 2013). "Y&R’s Michael Muhney Interview: Adam Takes A Game-Changing Bullet … But Who Has His Heart?". On-Air On-Soaps. Retrieved August 14, 2013. 
  18. ↑ Bibel, Sara (August 2, 2013). "Deep Soap: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Stars Tease Twists in Controversial Storylines". Xfinity. Retrieved August 14, 2013. 
  19. ↑ "Editor's Choice: Performer of the Week". Soap Opera Digest. September 16, 2013. p. 29. 
  20. ↑ Daytime Confidential (December 17, 2012). "DC's Top 10 Soap Opera Couples". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved December 22, 2012. 
  21. ↑ Kerr, Luke (November 26, 2012). "Sharon and Chelsea go Toe-to-Toe Over Adam on The Young and the Restless!". Zap2It. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved December 2, 2012. 
  22. ↑ Kerr, Luke (March 13, 2013). "A Good Fake Man is Hard to Find on The Young and the Restless". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved August 14, 2013. 
  23. ↑ Kerr, Luke (August 13, 2013). "Come on Down For a Family Feud on The Young and the Restless (PROMO)". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved August 14, 2013. 
  24. ↑ Young, Candace (May 28, 2013). "Y&R Daytime Emmy Reels: Melissa Claire Egan And Jessica Collins". She Knows Soaps. Atomic Online. Retrieved August 14, 2013. 
  25. ↑ Jancelewicz, Chris (June 11, 2013). "2013 Daytime Emmy Awards: Nominees and Hopefuls". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2013. 
  26. ↑ Harris, Beth (June 16, 2013). "Daytime Emmy Winners 2013: 'Young And The Restless' Star Wins After 35 Years, 'Ellen's' Big Win And More". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 28, 2013. 
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