It was only two years ago when Allison Lanier took over the role of Summer Newman from Hunter King, who had played the character off and on since 2012. She quickly brought her own flair to Nick Newman and Phyllis Summers' only child together and became a fan favorite.
That two-year journey has now earned Lanier a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, something the actress never expected, which made her joy at learning she got a nod all the more special.
"I [thought I] had zero chance, like literally zero," Lanier told Soap Central's Dan J Kroll. "So, I was kind of like putting it out of my mind. I also was working, so it was easy to put out of my mind. I was first up on set, so I actually was on set when the announcement came out...I'm not checking my phone or anything like that. And when my scenes were over, our head writer and executive producer, Josh Griffith was coming out onto set, and I was like, 'What's going on here? Like, why is he out here? He's not usually out here during this time. Are we in trouble?' And then, just based on the smile on his face, I started to put the pieces together, and I was like, no, no, no. I was honestly shocked."
Lanier definitely had enough meaty material to submit to the television academy, as Summer thought she lost her mother and then ultimately, lost her husband. When creating her Emmy reel, she dove into the moments when Summer was at her lowest and then let out her rage.
"I ended up putting on my reel the conversation of Summer confronting Diane directly after the gala and finding out her mother was dead and those like accusatory scenes that were rage, mixed with shock and grief," Lanier explained. "I also put in like this quieter moment between Summer and Kyle when they agree that they are going to get a divorce and that's like the nail in the coffin for them. And then I put in some of the moments where Summer found out that Phyllis was alive and then also a moment where she was talking to Daniel about knowing that Phyllis was alive and where I screamed off of the side of the park overlook or something that was in there."
Lanier admitted that she felt being new to soaps meant you had to "earn your stripes," but she was proud of her 2023 work at Y&R and felt comfortable submitting her name for nomination consideration.
Now that the shock of being nominated has worn off, Lanier is already looking ahead to the night of June 7, when the Emmy ceremony will take place. She even knows who she is bringing, someone she considers her good luck charm.
"My good luck charm is gonna be my mom," Lanier said. "I'm excited as a nominee to get to bring a date, and it's just gonna be such a fun experience for her. So, I already know I'm bringing my mom, and I'm already helping her pick out her dress."
But what about her own dress for this very glam occasion?
"I haven't gotten to me yet if I'm on it. I'm just kind of funny about these things. I have like such an interest in fashion and, and style. I'll definitely be particular about what I wear. I just don't know what that is yet because usually, I try to find something a little bit off the beaten path, like maybe an indie designer or vintage. So, we'll see."
Are you glad Lanier got an Emmy nomination? What do you want to see for Summer next? 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.
