The Young and the Restless' Michael (Christian LeBlanc) and Lauren (Tracey Bregman) have grown to be one of Genoa City's most stable couples, even working together to help set up lovelorn characters like Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman). But does the couple really have what it takes to stand the test of time?
LeBlanc was recently asked whether or not there will be a potentially new love interest for Michael on the horizon -- whether brand new, or a blast from the past like his ex-love Christine (Lauralee Bell). Fans of Michael and Lauren can breathe a sigh of relief, because his answer was a definite no.
"I think Lauren is the one he settled on," LeBlanc told Global TV. "Christine was still kind of an old trajectory that Michael had. Now professionally they turned into good friends, as well as Paul [Doug Davidson]. Because back in the battle days they couldn't have been worse, but he's been engaged to Christine, he's come a long way."
As for what makes Michael and Lauren such a great couple, LeBlanc says it has a lot do with their separate pasts as outsiders.
"The way they brought Lauren in, which is so interesting, is they both were long term characters, and it was wonderful that it was two adults with kind of shady pasts who knew what it was like to be the outsider had found each other. And it wasn't like a children's relationship, it was two seasoned people going into it with their eyes open," he says, adding, "I know the exact moment he fell in love with her was when Michael was looking for a way to bail out Kevin [Greg Rikaart] because of his claustrophobia and Lauren came with the money, even though he stalked her. No greater love than she helped save his brother."
Speaking of that stalking Michael did, one wonders whether or not LeBlanc misses Michael's "bad boy" days, when the character did atrocious things like sexually harassing Christine or juvenile things like putting sugar in gas tanks and poisoning a dog.
"I came on as someone deeply troubled, but if they hadn't given him humanity he never would have come back and gave him the love of a good woman," the actor opines. "What was wonderful was that the writing provoked all those things. A control freak falls in love, what's he supposed to do with that? Had an in-affectionate mother....They expanded it all by casting the mother later on. They filled in the dots with what happened throughout the years. He was a well rounded character and that's what gave it legs. It could have been a cartoon, and they're fun, but they made him human so that for some reason the audience related to him, or they wouldn't have brought him back. He wasn't supposed to be longer than two years. Phyllis' [Michelle Stafford] character was the same way. Something clicked with the audience and you've got to find something human about him."
For the full Global TV interview with LeBlanc, click here.
What do you think about Christian LeBlanc's thoughts on Michael's love life and past shady behavior? Do you think Michael and Lauren will stand the test of time? Would you like to see Michael return to his villainous past? 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.
