On her 2017 daytime Emmy win for “Outstanding Lead Actress,” Tognoni said, “That was awesome! To this day, I still pinch myself for something like that. You work hard, but to have your community give you a pat on the back, is something really special. There are a lot of submissions, and a lot of awesome work. The stories are great on all the shows and the girls I was up against this year were amazing. It was a real honor and an amazing blessing.”
Each day, Tognoni is motivated by her drive to be better. “I always wanted to be better! I could never sit very long, with where I was at. In fact, I had to practice appreciating even more where I am at, because I am so inclined to constantly push myself and to constantly grow. My faith motivates me, because that is living and growing, and it is always getting stronger, and sometimes, it can go the other way. I am motivated by becoming comfortable in my skin, and exactly who I was designed to be,” she explained.
For aspiring actors, Tognoni’s advice is as follows: “Love what you do, cause you’re going to have to love it in order to keep with it. Acting is a way of life. If you are an artist, you need to express and honor that. Get into a class with a group or with a teacher and get on stage, and start! From there, audition, and get the agent. Everything you see on television is all scenes, and you need to understand how the scenes are structured. Get up, and do it, and don’t sit back. If you love it, it will find you, and you will find it.”
On the impact of technology in the entertainment industry, she said, “It is instant. Not only do we have instant imaging of what is going on in the world, and our entertainment business through social media, but there is another entity out there, which are people’s reactions, feelings and judgments, which are broadcasted in an instant. In the past, we heard and read about them and watched them on the news. Now, it is on our phones and it is close to us constantly. We are figuring out where the boundaries are, and how to keep our privacy.”
Regarding the key to longevity in the entertainment industry, she said, “I’ve always wanted to get better and stronger. Always protect and maintain your heart and your confidence, and believe in yourself. Have faith in yourself. Learn how not to give your power over to the rejections and the opinions of the business, since the right job and the right moment will all find you. Be patient!”
On balancing a family life with her acting career, she said, “Communication is No. 1. It’s all about balance and keeping our priorities straight. We make the most of the time my husband and I have together. It’s all about quality and not quantity. We enjoy the moments we have.”
When asked to reflect in a rear-view mirror over the last two decades, she said, “I see this girl that keeps going. I see her becoming more and more clear. I can see her now better. She’s got a great guy next to her (her husband) and a lot of great blessings and friends around her. I think I’ve never seen her so clearly as I do today.”
For her dedicated fans, she concluded, “Their support means so much. I could not do it without them. They send the most thoughtful gifts, and they are the most loving people. I love their responses and they care. We love doing it for them, and we love entertaining them every day. Keep watching The Young and the Restless!”
Tognoni defined the word success as a “Job well done.” “Success means hitting the mark, and doing what you set out to do, and doing what was in your heart,” she said.
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