Exclusive: Justin Hartley Joins The Young and the Restless

The Young and the Restlesshas finally found its Adam Newman! TV Guide Magazine can exclusively report that, after an extensive casting search, the part of the presumed-dead Genoa City troublemaker has gone to former Smallville and Revenge star Justin Hartley. The actor will report for work at the CBS soap in late September and is scheduled to hit the air during November sweeps.

"I'm so pumped about joining Y&R — I watch it all the time and can't wait to get in there and get my hands dirty!" says Hartley, who kicked off his career in 2002 with the daytime serial Passions. "I have great respect for daytime drama. I love the branding. I love the style. What can I say? I love good soap!"

And he doesn't see this Y&R gig as a step back. After a string of terrific performances in primetime — he was Green Arrow on Smallville, Victoria Craig's illegit gay son Patrick on Revenge, and Scott, the kinky plastic surgeon on Mistresses — Hartley says, "It's all about story and character with me and I don't care if the job is on daytime or primetime or the web. Hey, give me a good character and someone to listen and I'll do my acting on a street corner."

Hartley says he met with Y&R exec producer Jill Farren Phelps and CBS Daytime czarina Angelica McDaniel to talk about the Adam role and "came away feeling very excited. The powers that be are smart, lovely people with kind hearts. It'll be wonderful going to work knowing I'm really wanted." Bonus perk: The L.A.-based job keeps Hartley near 10-year-old Isabella, his daughter from his former marriage to actress Lindsay Hartley.

Truth be told, he is a little nervous. "Y&R is the No. 1 show and the acting company is exceptional," Hartley says. "There's no period of adjustment with these people and that's daunting. I don't just have to be fantastic, I have to be fantastic right now!"

Hartley replaces Michael Muhney, who was fired from the soap last December.

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