The last year has been rough for The Young and the Restless' Kristoff St. John (Neil Winters), whose life has been riddled not only with demanding scenes at work but also personal tragedies that no doubt took a toll on the actor. But perhaps the recent news of his Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy nomination will serve as a silver lining (or maybe even perhaps a gold lining) to the trials and tribulations the past year has thrown his way. No matter what the future may hold regarding his nomination, one thing remains clear: St. John is just as gracious and humble as he's ever been.

What were you doing when you found out you'd been nominated?

I was on my patio, watering some of my plants. Because I lost my phone a few days before that, I didn't have any of my contact numbers in my new phone. So, when someone called, I decided to be bold and answer it, even though I couldn't tell who it was. It was someone congratulating me, and I was very happy. I was going to watch The Talk to find out the nominations, so it was a wonderful feeling to find out sooner.

Who did you share the news with first?

I first shared the news with a cousin of mine, Charles Smith, on the East Coast, and that was it, so far. You know, you take these things with a grain of salt. I've been in this business for a long time, and it's a wonderful feeling to be part of the pack, but the truth is, all the actors and actresses and all the people who work behind the scenes, we're all doing it for the same reasons, so we're all part of that elite group. It's just for this brief shining moment, that in my category, someone will be singled out and get to hold the gold trophy for the night and the rest of their lives.

What scenes did you submit?

When Shemar [Moore, Malcolm Winters] came back after his duties at Quantico. Our first episode together, Malcolm knew that Neil was blind already, and he had come back to town to give his brother some advice and care. We did two episodes, and the second I had considered as well [to submit] but I just thought the first one had a little more substance to it. It was just a consistent and steady, back-and-forth duel between two brothers. I felt it had a better chance than the other episode.

Who are you disappointed about not being nominated?

I haven't seen the nomination list yet, but I'm very disappointed that Bryton [James, Devon Hamilton] didn't get a nomination. He did such raw and moving work last year. So that was a disappointment for me, personally. I also have respected Steve Burton's [Dylan McAvoy] work, as well as Sean Carrigan [Ben Rayburn]; he's new, but he's more than gotten his feet wet. It's a tough thing to run a race with guys who you share time with on stage. It's always disappointing to see people who you love and care for not get into the same dance. But it is what it is. It's a crapshoot.

What will you wear?

I have a tux somewhere in storage. I've been twice married and twice divorced, so somewhere, once upon a time, I had a really nice tux from Armani. But in between the two marriages, three houses, and five storage containers, it's tucked away somewhere, so I don't know if I'll find it in time.

Will you write an acceptance speech?

I've never written anything down. I always leave it to chance. It's an emotional thing, so it happens at the spur of the moment. I can only speak for me, there's always a list in my mind of people I feel necessary to thank. I try my best to remember all those who contributed to the wonderful rollercoaster ride of that year. Of course, there's always a few people who you forget. But I'm going to cast fate into the wind, should I be so lucky as to walk up on that stage.

MORE DAYTIME EMMY REACTION
• Kristoff St. John discusses the old-fashioned story that earned him an Emmy nod
• Y&R star Amelia Heinle discusses the possibility of back-to-back wins
• Elizabeth Hendrickson on her final Y&R goodbye and Melissa Claire Egan's "bold" move
• Max Ehrich on the real-life tears his Emmy submission caused
• Christian LeBlanc on the blood, sweat, and tears (of others) that landed him an Emmy nomination
• Gina Tognoni celebrates her first Y&R Emmy nom
• They're no longer a B&B couple, but Linsey Godfrey and Jacob Young are co-nominees
• DAYS star Alison Sweeney on her first-ever Daytime Emmy nod
• GH overcome with emotion after first Emmy nom
• Nominee jokes, "Do I just show up" at the Emmys?
• Lisa Locicero on her first Emmy nom and being pregnant on the Red Carpet

What do you think about St. John receiving an Outstanding Lead Actor nomination this year? Are you rooting for him to take home the Emmy gold? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our message boards, or by submitting Feedback.