On his experience on the show, Grossman remarked, “It has been great. I feel so lucky. I can’t believe it has already been seven months. That is crazy, and time has gone by really fast.”
“It is amazing that The Young and the Restless has been No. 1 for 30 years straight,” he said about the success and popularity of the hit CBS daytime drama.
Grossman is drawn to his character, Adam Newman, since he is “an underdog.” “I love everything about Adam. He’s a chip off the old block,” he admitted.
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy on The Young and The Restless, he said, “In the beginning, that was a big shock since I’ve never done a soap opera before, and I didn’t realize the amount of dialogue involved being on five days a week. It’s a lot of dialogue. Initially, it was a shock, but it has gotten easier. I do a lot of work outside of the studio to be on top of it.”
“The memorization and retaining the dialogue really is a muscle and it has gotten so much better for me. It is crazy how much faster I can retain now than the first month I was on the show,” he explained. “Actors that never done soaps before will have a new respect for them once they come on the show. It’s a different pace,” he added.
On his daily motivations, he noted that he is “never really searching for motivation.” “I always want to get better,” he said. “Different things motivate me: just trying to grow as a person and never being content. Wanting to make my family proud as well. In the acting world, other actors motivate me. I see other actors doing great work and that really fires me up. I would consider myself a very driven person. I feel very lucky that I get to wake up, act, and I get to be on this show where I get to play this character. I can’t wait to go to work each day.”
He praised his on-screen son, Conner Newman, played by Judah Mackey, for his acting talent. “I love Judah. He is such a good actor for an eight-year-old and he is such a cute kid,” Grossman said.
Digital age of entertainment
On being an actor in this digital age, he acknowledged that “times are different these days, especially with social media.” “I remember when I was in high school, MySpace wasn’t even a thing. Things are different these days, and social media is kind of your brand. It is something you need to be conscious of, but it’s great since you get to interact with other people and your fans,” he said.
Regarding the impact of streaming services on the entertainment industry, he said, “The way people watch TV is constantly changing. They are always coming out with new things. I wonder what it’s going to look like in the next five years. As an actor, there is so much more content out there and there are so many more opportunities, so that’s a good thing. More stories can be told.”
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “If it’s something that you really want to do, honestly, you need to be proactive. That’s very important. It’s a very competitive business to pursue. Go to acting class and do plays. Get an agent and go on auditions. You can’t sit around waiting for the phone to ring. Being proactive is the only way that things are going to happen.”
In the little spare time that he has, Grossman enjoys hiking, going to the beach, going to the movies, and hanging out with his friends. “The Young and The Restless keeps me pretty busy, which I am glad. I am very happy that it takes up most of my time,” he said.
On December 8, 2019, Grossman will be a part of Kate Linder’s “Afternoon Tea” event in Toronto, Canada. They will be joined by co-stars Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin), Sharon Case (Sharon Newman), and Christel Khalil (Lily Winters). “I am so glad she invited me to her Vancouver event a few months ago. We had so much fun. It was for such a great cause, and I asked her if I could come to her Toronto event in December, and she agreed. I am really looking forward to that event,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to all of the dedicated fans of The Young and The Restless. “Thank you so much. The show has such a devoted fan-base. It is really nice when fans reach out online and you can interact with them directly,” he said. “I hope the fans enjoy that is coming up on the show. Stay tuned.”
Grossman defined the word success as “progress” and “doing what he loves” for a living. “It was a huge goal of mine to be a working actor, so this point in my life feels like a success,” he said.
To learn more about actor Mark Grossman, follow him on Instagram and on Twitter.
For more information on The Young and The Restless, or to stream the show online, check out the official CBS website.
