MEET Y&R'S PTOSHA STOREY

According to Ptosha (the “P” is silent) Storey, coming aboard Y&R to play Amanda’s long-lost biological mother, Naya Benedict, is what she calls a full-circle moment.

“I remember when I was a little girl, my mother stopped everything she was doing to watch YOUNG AND RESTLESS,” the actress explains. “It was such a staple in our house. So, when I told her I was going to be on her soap opera, she literally cried. That show has always been a part of our fiber. For years, I felt like Mrs. Chancellor, Victor and Nikki were part of our lives and our hearts. This is really a beautiful celebration for me.”

With safety restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus outbreak, trying out for the part was a different experience. “I couldn’t go to an audition in person like it’s usually done, so I had to make a self-tape to send in as my audition,” Storey recalls. “They sent me the sides for me to learn, and I had a fun time just figuring out who the character is based on their material. The scene was so well-written that I could really connect and resonate with it. It was just really juicy and exciting. It turned out to be about a two-and-a-half minute scene that I did with a friend of mine for the tape.”

Storey describes her character as “an elite, very dignified and honorable woman who has made some mistakes in her life. Who she is and who she represents in terms of her family is really important to her, but we all have skeletons in our closets and Naya has been given the opportunity to reckon with her skeletons.”