Matt Clark (The Young and the Restless)

Last updated
Matt Clark
The Young and the Restless character
Portrayed by
Duration1994–96, 2000–01
First appearanceJune 1994
Last appearanceNovember 28, 2001
Classification Past, recurring
Introduced by Edward J. Scott
In-universe information
Other namesCarter Mills
OccupationWorked at Crimson Lights (2000–01)

Matt Clark is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless . The role was originated by Eddie Cibrian in May 1994, who left the show in 1996. After Russell Lawrence briefly playing the character in 2000, Rick Hearst took over the role that year, departing in 2001 after the character was killed off. Hearst returned for several appearances as an apparition. Matt was known as an antagonistic villain who created problems for Nick and Sharon Newman, beginning when they were teens in high school. He raped both Sharon Collins and Amy Wilson, and framed Nicholas Newman for multiple crimes.

Contents

Casting and characterization

Rick Hearst played Matt Clark from 2000 to 2001. RickHearst cropped.jpg
Rick Hearst played Matt Clark from 2000 to 2001.

Eddie Cibrian was hired to portray recurring character Matt Clark in May 1994. In October of that year, he signed a three-year contract with the series. [1] Cibrian said that he believed the writers "were going to turn the story into something bigger" and wanted to keep it going. [1] The character exited in 1996 after nearly three years. Russell Lawrence became the next actor in the role, portraying Matt in 2000. [2] However, he was replaced a few months later with Rick Hearst who debuted in October 2000. Hearst was familiar with the soap opera genre, having played Alan-Michael Spaulding on Guiding Light for several years prior. TimesDaily wrote: "Expect the storyline of the vengeful Matt to be stepped up with Hearst in the role". [3]

In April 2001, it was announced that Hearst would exit, [4] and the character died onscreen the following month. [5] However, due to Hearst's popularity with viewers, the actor returned for several recurring guest appearances beginning July 2001 as a vision being seen by the insane Tricia Dennison after his character's death. [5] [6] Speaking on his exit and appearances afterward, Hearst said: "I look at every opportunity as a gift. When I was let go (...) and was brought back as a freaking apparition for six months, I looked at it as, they called me for work this week." [7]

Matt has been characterized by Soaps In Depth as the show's previous "bad boy", [8] and a "cocky jock-turned rapist" by Star-News . [1] Cibrian called him "horrific", stating: "I've never encountered anybody like him in my life. Nor would I ever want to." [1] The character started out as a "regular guy" on the show, but after Cibrian became a regular cast member, he began doing "awful things" and became "the bad guy", beginning with raping Sharon Collins (Sharon Case). Cibrian found the role challenging and said: "Unfortunately there are people in the world like Matt. That’s why they put this in the script, so people could be aware." [1]

Storylines

As a high school senior in 1994, Matt Clark dates Sharon Collins and develops a bitter rivalry with Nicholas Newman (Joshua Morrow) who ends up winning Sharon from him. A fight between Matt and Nick results in Nick being badly beaten. Shortly thereafter, Matt rapes Sharon, causing her to sink into a depression. Matt then dates Amy Wilson (Julianne Morris), Sharon's best friend. Reacting to Nick and Sharon becoming king and queen of their high school Polynesian dance, Matt exposes Sharon's secret: that she is not a virgin, and had given up a baby for adoption when she was 16. While Nick is briefly angry at Sharon, he forgives her and the pair become engaged. After Sharon confesses to Nick that Matt raped her, just prior to their planned wedding, Nick goes after Matt, but instead finds him lying in a pool of blood on his apartment floor, having been shot. Nick is arrested, while Matt survives and falsely claims that Nick shot him. After a trial, Nick is found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Nick's father Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) tracks down Amy in a mental institution, who has been suffering from PTSD. Amy reveals that she was the person who shot Matt after he raped her. Nick is acquitted and Matt leaves town in 1996. [9]

In 2000, Matt Clark resurfaces in town under the alias of Carter Mills, having had plastic surgery to change his appearance, and begins working at Nick and Sharon's coffeehouse. Carter uses Tricia Dennison (Sabryn Genet), a woman he slept with, to frame Nick for selling drugs. Sharon grows close with Carter while Nick is in jail. Carter nearly succeeds in raping Sharon by using a date rape drug, but Nick arrives home and his plans are thwarted. Paul Williams (Doug Davidson) begins searching for Matt Clark, realizing that he may have had plastic surgery. [10] Carter later meets Sharon at a cabin in the woods and tries to rape her there, but is stopped when Victor arrives. Tricia drives off with Carter in her car but deliberately drives off a cliff in an attempt to kill them both. While Tricia survives the crash, Carter had fatal injuries. Carter pulls out his own breathing tube, killing himself, and framing Nick for his murder. Nick is implicated in Carter's murder, but is ultimately found not guilty. [9] [11]

Just before Matt's death, he lied to Nick, telling him that he had raped Sharon. Sharon becomes pregnant, and Nick demands a paternity test, which she refuses (not wanting to harm the child). After a fight with Nick, Sharon runs after him and trips over a chair. The fall causes her to give birth prematurely to a stillborn baby. A paternity test confirmed that Nick was the father, not Matt.

Reception

Both Cibrian and Hearst became popular for their portrayals of Matt. [12] In 1996, soap opera journalist Seli Groves of The Beaver County Times newspaper opined that it was likely for Matt to return one day, writing that "characters with this sort of seething history are often recalled from soap limbo". A message published in the newspaper by a viewer named Andrea P. described the character of Matt as "a real rat", but with the observation that Cibrian "played it so well". [13] When Lawrence was cast in the role, Toby Goldstein of TimesDaily noted that Matt was "likely to bring misery to Nick and Sharon's lives". [2] Global TV's Aaron Hagey-MacKay included the character's death on a list of the "Top drunken, brutal, mysterious and volcanic deaths of Y&R". [11] Entertainment Weekly called Matt an "evil rapist", [14] while Sara Bibel of Xfinity argued in 2009 that the character was written out due to being a rapist, stating that the soap opera was "the one show with a zero tolerance for sexual assault". [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan McNeil</span> Fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless

Ryan McNeil is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by William J. Bell, the character was portrayed by Scott Reeves, who made his first appearance on June 26, 1991, as a businessman who wanted to "work his way to the top of the corporation ladder". The character gained popularity upon his relationship with Victoria Newman, which initially received criticism due to the characters' age gap. He was also involved with Nina Webster and the insane Tricia Dennison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Hearst</span> American actor (born 1965)

Rick Hearst is an American actor. He is known for roles in American soap operas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Queen Victoria</span> Fictional pub in the television series EastEnders

The Queen Victoria is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Allen</span> Fictional character from EastEnders

Ruby Allen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Louisa Lytton from 18 March 2005 to 23 November 2006, and then again from 18 September 2018 to 17 September 2021. The character and casting were announced in February 2005, and Ruby was introduced in March that year by producer Kathleen Hutchison. She was featured in storylines surrounding her gangland father Johnny Allen, with whom she shared a problematic relationship with due to his criminal lifestyle. Other storylines included a close friendship with Stacey Slater, and an engagement to Stacey's brother Sean - which affected their friendship. In July 2006, Lytton was axed from the show due to limited possibilities for the character following the death of her on-screen father, and Ruby departed on 23 November 2006. In July 2018, it was confirmed Lytton would return after a twelve-year absence. Ruby returned on 18 September 2018 and departed again on 17 September 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilary Robinson</span> Soap opera character

Hilary Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Anne Scott-Pendlebury. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode broadcast on 25 June 1987. Hilary departed the show on 28 February 1990, following Scott-Pendlebury's decision to quit in 1989. Scott-Pendlebury reprised her role in 2005 for the serial's 20th anniversary episode, and again in February 2015 ahead of the 30th anniversary. Writers established that Hilary is back living in Erinsborough, so she can continue to make sporadic appearances. She is characterised as a bossy and meddling woman who lacks romance and seeks comfort interfering with her Neighbours' personal lives. Hilary's main storyline was mothering an illegitimate child, Matt Robinson. He arrives in Erinsborough to forge a relationship with his birth mother. The character's "hard-edged approach to life" mellowed during the storyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Newman</span> Fictional character in The Young and the Restless

Nicholas Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Created and introduced by William J. Bell, he was born onscreen in 1988 as the second child of supercouple characters Victor and Nikki Newman. Portrayed by a set of twins and later two child actors for his first six-year period, the writers of the series decided to rapidly age the character to a teenager in the summer of 1994. That June, Joshua Morrow began portraying Nick, and has remained in the role ever since. The character was reintroduced with the purpose of developing a relationship with another character, Sharon Collins, who was introduced around the same story arc. The pairing, which yielded three children, Cassie, Noah and Faith Newman, proved popular with viewers. They are regarded as a prominent supercouple by the soap opera media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Newman</span> Character from the soap opera The Young and the Restless

Sharon Newman is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network, currently portrayed by Sharon Case. Created by William J. Bell as a love interest for Nicholas Newman, the character debuted on June 27, 1994. Before Case took over in September 1994, the character was portrayed briefly by Monica Potter and then by Heidi Mark. When first introduced, Sharon was a young girl from the poor side of town; her early storylines included being raped by Matt Clark and the revelation that she had given up a child for adoption. Nick and Sharon married, had a son named Noah, and later won custody of Cassie, the daughter she had as a teenager. Their marriage faced a number of problems, including infidelity on both sides. Following Cassie's death in an automobile accident, Nick cheated on Sharon with Phyllis Summers, resulting in a pregnancy which ended their 11-year marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllis Summers</span> Soap opera character

Phyllis Summers is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network. The character was created and introduced by William J. Bell, and debuted in the episode airing on October 18, 1994. Phyllis was originally and most notably portrayed by actress Michelle Stafford, until 1997, when Stafford was replaced by Sandra Nelson. Nelson continued in the role until 1999, when the character left; upon the character returning in 2000, head writer Kay Alden rehired Stafford. Stafford has been praised for her portrayal, for which she has won two Daytime Emmy Awards, but left the series after nearly sixteen years, with the character being written into a coma; Stafford last appeared on August 2, 2013. The role passed to Gina Tognoni, who debuted on August 11, 2014, and continued for nearly five years until she departed in June 2019, when Stafford re-claimed the role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick and Sharon</span> Soap opera character

Nicholas and Sharon Newman are fictional characters and a supercouple from the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Nick is portrayed by Joshua Morrow and Sharon is portrayed by Sharon Case. The characters of Nick and Sharon first met in 1994 and soon became involved. They were faced with a range of problems, such as their different levels of class, Sharon's ex-boyfriend Matt Clark, and Sharon's secret past: she was pregnant three years earlier and gave up the child, Cassie, for adoption. The couple married in February 1996, and after having a son, Noah, Sharon was reunited with Cassie. Nick grew to love Cassie and became her adoptive father. Sharon's best friend Grace Turner developed an obsession with Nick and slept with him twice. In the following years, the couple dealt with the return of Matt Clark and infidelity on both sides among other obstacles, which Nick and Sharon managed to eventually move past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Turner</span> Fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless

Grace Turner is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Originated by actress Josie Davis, the role has been most-recognized by actress Jennifer Gareis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxy Mitchell</span> UK soap opera character, created 2007

Roxanne "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decides to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two sisters. She is described as the "fire", as opposed to Ronnie's "ice". Simons took a temporary hiatus in 2016, with Roxy off screen from 1 January until 4 May 2016. Following the announcement that Womack would be leaving the series, Simons' departure was also announced. Roxy departed the series in scenes broadcast on 1 January 2017, when she drowned in a swimming pool along with Ronnie. Simons returned in 2019 to record a voiceover as Roxy, which was broadcast on 3 May 2019. A younger version of Roxy, played by Elodie de Rohan Willner, appeared in a flashback episode broadcast on 5 September 2022, which focuses on the Mitchell family in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Newman</span> Soap opera character

Summer Newman is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by head writers Lynn Marie Latham and Kay Alden, the role is currently portrayed by Allison Lanier. The character was introduced during the episode airing on December 19, 2006, as the daughter of Phyllis Summers and Nicholas Newman, but for one year was believed to be the daughter of Jack Abbott because of Sharon Newman, Nick's former wife, tampering with the paternity test results.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diego Guittierez</span> Fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless

Diego Guittierez is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless. He was originated by Diego Serrano on December 18, 2001, before being replaced by former model Greg Vaughan in April 2002. Vaughan was let go as well, and the character departed on February 17, 2003.

Faith Newman is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network. She is currently portrayed by Reylynn Caster, who assumed the role following the departure of Alyvia Alyn Lind, who played Faith for almost ten years from 2011 to 2021. Introduced during the September 30, 2009, episode, Faith is the youngest daughter of supercouple Nick and Sharon Newman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avery Bailey Clark</span> Fictional character

Avery Bailey Clark is a fictional character from the American CBS Daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless, portrayed by actress Jessica Collins. She made her appearance as Avery on July 27, 2011, as a high-class attorney. Avery first came to Genoa City after being hired by Victor Newman to be Sharon Newman's lawyer during the character's murder case. She was later revealed to be the estranged sister of Phyllis Summers. Her storylines have predominantly included her legal work, feuding with Phyllis, a romance with Phyllis' ex-husband Nicholas Newman and a history with Dylan McAvoy. Collins left the series on July 21, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dexter Hartman</span> Soap opera character

Dexter Hartman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Khali Best. His debut was on 7 January 2013. Dexter is the grandson of Cora Cross and son of her illegitimate daughter, Ava Hartman. Dexter's storylines include his friendships with Jay Brown and Lola Pearce

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariah Copeland</span> Soap opera character

Mariah Copeland is a fictional character from the American soap opera, The Young and the Restless, portrayed by Camryn Grimes. Introduced by executive producer Jill Farren Phelps, the character made her first appearance on January 27, 2014. Grimes had previously played the role of Cassie Newman from 1997 to 2005, when the character was killed off.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cast changes sweep the world of daytime TV". Star-News . Wilmington, North Carolina: New Media Investment Group: 11. May 10, 1995. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Goldstein, Toby (July 14, 2000). "Lots of fresh faces around time". TimesDaily . Tribune Media Services . Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  3. ↑ Goldstein, Toby (October 27, 2000). "Soaps make important additions". TimesDaily . Florence, Alabama: Tribune Media Services . Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  4. ↑ Kroll, Dan J. (April 8, 2001). "Hearst released as Matt Clark". SoapCentral. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Kroll, Dan J. (June 1, 2001). "Encore! Never say die for Rick Hearst". SoapCentral. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  6. ↑ Novakovich, Lilana (June 23, 2001). "Born to play detective on As the World Turns". North Bay Nugget . Quebecor Inc. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  7. ↑ Ciaccia, Maria. "Rick Hearst - No Regrets". About.com . IAC . Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Meet Y&R's Newest Legal Eagle!". Soaps In Depth . Bauer Media Group. July 25, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Revenge: Matt Clark". CBS.com . CBS Interactive. March 25, 2013. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Soaps". The Item . Osteen Publishing Co.: 9 April 6, 2001. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  11. 1 2 Hagey-MacKay, Aaron (September 16, 2014). "Top drunken, brutal, mysterious and volcanic deaths of Y&R". Global Television Network . Shaw Media . Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (July 27, 2009). "Deep Soap: Power Plays". Xfinity . Comcast Corporation . Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  13. ↑ Groves, Seli (September 8, 1996). "Speaking of Soaps". The Beaver County Times . Calkins Media . Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  14. ↑ Carter, Alan (May 15, 2002). "Who'll win Daytime Emmy Awards?". Entertainment Weekly . Time Inc. Retrieved April 5, 2015.

6

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.