The Young and the Restless had to do some last-minute shuffling to fill the role of Chance Chancellor, because actor Donny Boaz has contracted COVID-19.
Boaz took to Instagram to reveal his diagnosis, sharing, "A few weeks ago, I tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, I did not have any symptoms. In following guidelines, I quarantined at home so you may not see me on Y&R for a bit. I'm happy to say I've returned to work and will be back on the air very soon. Thank you for your continued support."
Y&R really lucked out when it came to recast options for Chance. The most logical choice would be someone who doesn't pose an infection risk to the character's on-screen love interest, Melissa Ordway (Abby Newman) -- and it just so happens that Ordway's real-life husband, Justin Gaston, is an actor! Not only that, he has previous soap experience, having played Days of our Lives Ben Weston. So, Y&R jumped at the chance to cast him while Boaz recovers. According to Soap Opera Digest, Gaston will reportedly be making his debut the week of November 23.
On her Instagram page, Ordway warmly welcomed her real-life hubby as her reel-life man. "Who better to step in than my incredibly talented, handsome husband?! Love you @jmichaelgaston," she wrote.
As Soap Central previously reported, two people connected to Y&R tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, but the CBS soap opera was able to continue production. The individuals affected were asked to self-isolate, the affected areas of the production were deep-cleaned and disinfected, and contact tracing was completed. Production took steps to respect all affected workers' privacy and did not release the names of the individuals who tested positive -- which means Boaz could have been one of the people on the list.
Justin Gaston played the role of DAYS' Ben for a short time in 2014 before actor Robert Scott Wilson took over the role. Some of Gaston's other credits include The Client List, Single Ladies, Glee, and Nashville Star. He has been married to Melissa Ordway since 2012, and the couple have two daughters, Olivia and Sophie.
What do you think about Y&R having to briefly recast the role of Chance? What are your thoughts on the CBS soap choosing Justin Gaston to fill in for Donny Boaz? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
