Robert Newman. Photo Credit: LPKim
Actor Robert Newman (“Guiding Light” fame) chatted about starring in the play “Winter Street,” as well as his 2023 Daytime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Guest Performer.”
He is known for playing the role of Joshua “Josh” Lewis on the defunct soap opera “Guiding Light.” He played opposite Kim Zimmer (who portrayed Reva).
‘Winter Street’ play
Newman stars in Elin Hilderbrand’s “Winter Street” at the Theatre Workshop Of Nantucket, which runs until Sunday, December 3rd. “It is really going well. It is based on the novel by Elin Hilderbrand, who is known for her ‘beach reach’ novels,” he said.
“There are all kinds of inside jokes about the various bars, restaurants, and different places in Nantucket so the audience has been eating it up. I love the cast; the actors are terrific,” he added.
2023 Emmy nod for ‘The Young and The Restless’
Newman scored a 2023 Daytime Emmy nomination for his acting work on the CBS daytime drama “The Young and The Restless.” He is up for “Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series” for his portrayal of Ashland Locke. “This is not my first rodeo,” he said with a sweet laugh.
“It is a nice feeling that there are people out there, in this case a blue ribbon panel, that they looked at my work as Ashland Locke and they appreciated it,” he acknowledged.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Newman said, “That is an interesting question. We just came through a very complicated strike, and a lot of that was around digital media.”
“I have served on the national board of SAG-AFTRA for many years, and I was a part of the negotiating team for that contract on three separate times,” he elaborated.
He noted that he foresaw that the strike was going to happen at some point.
Daytime Stars & Strikes
Newman shared that he enjoyed being a part of the “Daytime Stars & Strikes” fan event this past October, which benefitted an autism charity. “That event was good… it was a lot of fun,” he said.
“Wendy is just fantastic. The concert with Bradley Cole was fun too. I did an acoustic version of ‘Born to Run’ with Bradley accompanying me,” he said.
This event was hosted by Elizabeth Keifer, Ron Raines, and Michael O’Leary. It also benefits the Jerry verDorn Scholarship Fund, which is in memory of the late Emmy award-winning actor Jerry verDorn (“Guiding Light” and “One Life to Live”).
“One of the great things was that we all got to see each other because we don’t get together that often as a group,” he said.
“The fans were terrific too; they were very sweet,” he exclaimed.
Autism awareness
Newman noted that autism awareness is very important to him because he has relatives and people close to him that have been impacted by autism, one way or another. “It is important to everybody. It has to be important,” he underscored.
“Autism awareness, ALS, and cancer are all very important causes to me,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Newman said, “Grandpa.” “My wife and I recently moved to Massachusetts to be closer to our two grandsons. There is another one on the way,” he revealed. “They are a big part of our lives.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, he said, “Success is a sense of playing a character that is complex, and it doesn’t matter what the format or the stage is.”
“I am always interested in the journey that the character takes, whether it’s a big theater or a small theater. I want a complex, intimate journey with a character… that feels like success to me,” Newman explained.
To learn more about actor Robert Newman, check out his official website, and follow him on Instagram.