THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Michael Mealor Reveals How He Lost His Southern Accent (EXCLUSIVE)
Fans might be surprised to learn that THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS star Michael Mealor (Kyle) is a little bit country, as he has no trace of it in his voice on the soap. Because after growing up in Georgia, the actor wanted to make sure he got rid of his Southern twang for his career in Hollywood. However, instead of hiring a dialect coach as many performers do, Mealor went a slightly different route. “For six months, I worked with speech therapists who work with stroke victims,” he revealed to Soaps In Depth. “They teach you to retrain your muscles, so you start with vowels and you build to consonants, and then to full words, and finally sentences.”
As for the accent he was going for, the young star admitted he didn’t want it to sound like anything too recognizable. “I wanted it to be mysterious, where you don’t know where I’m from,” Mealor mused. “It’s just a true American accent.”
Viewers of Y&R can attest that the training he underwent worked like a charm. Although it’s also had an amusing side effect. “Now, I don’t think about it, because the muscles are just trained,” Mealor smiled. “Now I have to think about using a Southern accent!”
For more on your favorite Y&R stars, keep reading the CBS edition of Soaps In Depth magazine!
More from CBS Soaps In Depth
Christel Khalil Returns to the Y&R Set
Joshua Morrow Opens up About Raising His Four Amazing Kids (EXCLUSIVE)
