Brytni Sarpy Previews Her New Role on The Young and The Restless

As she prepared to make her debut as Elena on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS on Tuesday, March 19, Brytni Sarpy chatted with us about how the soap lured her away from her recurring role as Valerie Spencer on GENERAL HOSPITAL and what it’s like going from playing a cop to a doctor! “An opportunity came up for a series regular role on Y&R that kind of fit my type,” she confided to Soaps In Depth. “And my team came to me about it and asked if I was interested in it, then I met Nancy Nair, who does the casting, did a screen test, and the rest is recent history!”

Thankfully, Sarpy was already familiar with some of her new Y&R castmates, so she felt right at home in Genoa City. And not just Jason Thompson, who she worked with on GH where he played Patrick! “Christian LeBlanc (Michael), we’ve done some events together,” the actress recalled. “I actually went to college with Noemi [Gonzalez, Mia]. I know Camryn [Grimes, Mariah] from some fan events as well. It’s a small world for me!”

Sarpy is trading her uniform for scrubs! (Photo Credit: XJJohnson/jpistudios.com)

Although she couldn’t say too much about her new role without spoiling upcoming storyline, Sarpy is excited to be tackling the role of a doctor. “There are a lot of parallels with Valerie,” she teased, referencing her former GH role. “They are pretty similar in how they get on the scene and their interactions. I do like that she’s a doctor. Its a little different than playing a cop and a detective. It’s fun.” Of course, that could all change when she has to memorize pages and pages of dialogue filled with medical jargon! “Most of the scenes have been normal interactions and conversations,” the actress admitted. “But I will definitely feel a little nervous when I start talking about arteries or whatever!”

Although she’s only just started on the CBS sudser, it’s already going great. “I’m really excited,” Sarpy happily reported. “I feel really embraced. The thing with the soap community in coming to another soap is that as much as we get a lot of naysayers online, there is so much positivity and encouragement that I felt through this transition. It’s been really humbling and I feel very appreciated. I value all the fans who not only watch GH but watch Y&R or watch both. The role has shown me what a great community of fans that we have.”

Stay tuned to see Brytni make her debut in Genoa City and for more on your favorite Y&R stars, keep reading the CBS edition of Soaps In Depth magazine.

Reporting from Julie McElwain