Vail Bloom Opens up About Returning to THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS
When Vail Bloom received the offer to come back to THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS to reprise the role of Heather, she didn’t have to think very long or hard about it before saying yes!
“It wasn’t a think-about-it kind of thing because it was presented to me as it was for Y&R’s 50th anniversary and I immediately felt nostalgic and pride for an institution that’s been around that long,” Bloom revealed to Soap Opera Digest. “I’ve done other things. I produced some films and then focused on entrepreneurial and business ventures, so the last two years have been about building a brand, creative marketing, and launching a company.
“Still, I missed being part of a story in film and television that connects people,” she added, “and what can better do that than a 50-year running show with history and consistency that has a viewership crossing generations? I immediately thought it was an honor and accepted.”
Bloom got her big break playing Heather Stevens on Y&R in 2007, and before her exit in 2010, she had earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress for her work on the soap. She went on to appear in episodes of primetime series like COLD CASE, CASTLE, and even appeared as herself on the reality series VANDERPUMP RULES.
After Bloom vacated the role of Heather, Y&R recast the character twice, first with ALL MY CHILDREN’s Eden Riegel and then with AS THE WORLD TURNS’ Jennifer Landon. So although Heather left Genoa City with Daniel, Bloom wasn’t playing her at that time so she never worked directly opposite Michael Graziadei.
“When I was first here, we were only in group scenes and not anything terribly substantial,” Bloom confided, “but we’ve always been friends outside of Y&R. I couldn’t have picked a better person to have a storyline with now than Graz because we’ve had so much fun together and really respect each other.”
And while this particular stint is just a brief visit for the soap’s golden anniversary, who knows what the future may hold? “It’s been a really heartwarming and fun experience,” Bloom declared, “so I absolutely would entertain the idea of coming back.”
