‘The Young and the Restless’: Robert Newman Was Relieved When Ashland Locke Was Killed Off
When Richard Burgi suddenly left his role as Ashland Locke on The Young and the Restless, fans were concerned about the character’s fate. But a new actor was quickly brought in to take over as Ashland: Robert Newman.
As a veteran of the soap opera scene, viewers assumed he’d stick around for a while. But his time on the daytime drama didn’t last very long, and he’s pretty happy about that. Here’s why:
Robert Newman and ‘The Young and the Restless’
According to Soap Central, at the beginning of 2022, Richard Burgi made the stunning announcement that he’d left The Young and the Restless. He’d been with the long-running soap opera for a little less than a year. But he was let go for what he described as an inadvertent violation of the show’s Covid-19 requirements.
His departure left fans wondering what would happen to Ashland next. But their questions were soon answered when it was announced that the role would be played by Newman instead.
Newman wasn’t a newcomer to the world of daytime drama. He’d played the part of Josh Lewis on Guiding Light from 1981 until the show went off the air in 2009.
Ashland’s future was clearly in the hands of a pro–and one familiar with sticking with a character for the long haul. But their relief wouldn’t last long.
Leaving after only a few months
In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Newman revealed that when he joined The Young and the Restless, he was told that it was a limited-time role, but could possibly be extended. It’s not unusual for short roles to expand, sometimes dramatically.
But in July, he announced that his time on the daytime drama had ended. The producers told him they had decided to kill the character, so he was moving on. In fact, at the time of his announcement, Ashland had already died on the show, and fans had been wondering if his death could be real.
Considering that Newman had only started playing Ashland in February, his time in the role was very short. Some fans may assume that he’d be upset by the turn of events, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
The decision was a relief
When Newman got the news that his contract wasn’t being renewed, his immediate reaction was relief. He’d found being separated from his family very difficult.
“Another six months in LA, I think, would have really, really taken its toll on me,” he explained. “So I almost immediately breathed a sigh of relief because I don’t even know that I realized what a toll [being separated from my family] was taking on me.”
With his contract ended, Newman has returned home to Connecticut to be with his loved ones. He says the experience clarified that he’s not interested in the LA life.
“There are two bottom-line truths about L.A. One is that I don’t live there; I live 3,000 miles away. And the other is — and this is maybe going to offend people who live there — I don’t want to live there! I just don’t.”
Now that Ashland’s run on The Young and the Restless is over, fans no longer have to wonder which actor will play him next. Although Newman has said he’s enjoyed his time in the role, he’s relieved to leave him in the past.
