‘Young and the Restless’: Mark Grossman Killing It As Adam Newman – Eric Braeden Weighs In

Young and the Restless spoilers reveal Mark Grossman is embracing the role of Adam Newman. Scene partner Eric Braeden (AKA Victor Newman) seems thrilled and fans are reacting positively too. The first issue at hand when Josh Griffin took over the helm on the popular CBS soap was to do what fans have been the most vocal about and that was to bring back Adam Newman.

But Griffin went against the grain bringing onboard a much younger actor to play the dastardly Adam. The majority of Y&R fans were appalled and not willing to give Grossman a chance when they first glimpsed him before he even started the role. Many said there was no way he could do justice to the role once played by Justin Hartley and Michael Muhney. No one could possibly fill those big shoes, right? Now, CBS soap fans are changing their tune.

Young and the Restless’ Mark Grossman Filled Big Shoes as Adam Newman

The role of the Y&R character Victor Adam Newman Jr has been played by three strong actors. In 2008, Chris Engen originated the character of Adam Newman. But the actor left within a year, reportedly uncomfortable with some of the material. Then, Michael Muhney took over in 2009. CBS fired Muhney abruptly. We won’t dive into that. Two years later, Adam came back with yet another face as Justin Hartley stepped into the role.

Hartley gave Adam a more sensitive side. And now, the latest Adam Newman is being played by a much younger Mark Grossman. But he’s got much more of an edge – like in the Muhney days. After many complaints about his age and Young and the Restless bringing in a much-younger actor, it seems Mark Grossman has won over the masses and won praise from veteran soap co-star Eric Braeden.

Mark Grossman Faced Fan Fury From The Start on Y&R

Mark Grossman stepped into big shoes taking on the deep Young and the Restless role. Muhney’s sudden departure left fans a huge void. Then Hartley ditched to hit prime time show This is Us. And of course, there was a passionate faction that lobbied on social media constantly for Michael Muhney’s return since he’s not working on another TV project.

At first, fans were not happy. Fans complained how young Grossman is considering Adam Newman is supposedly 35. The previous actors were in their late 30’s so reversing the age of Adam stunned fans. Y&R is well known for their SORAS (Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome) habits. But not so much reversing the age of a character. So, from the get-go, viewer opinion was piled against the younger actor’s recast at Young and the Restless.

Young and the Restless Fans and Co-Stars Embrace Mark Grossman

But there’s no doubt Mark Grossman hit the ground running at Y&R. The negative talk soon (and mostly) faded away as his portrayal of Adam lit up the screen. Grossman quickly won over fans and critics alike with his portrayal of an amnesiac who had no memory of his life as Adam Newman. Thankfully, they restored his memories quickly and then he jumped into an increasingly dark prodigal son as the episodes progressed.

The actor picked up where Justin Hartley left off, but he isn’t a Hartley knock-off. He has made Adam his own. Grossman deftly blended Muhney’s darker Adam with Hartley’s laid back style. And added his own bit of sinister to create the magic we’re seeing on the screen. Mark Grossman easily goes toe-to-toe with soap icon Eric Braeden Gudegast. Scenes with these two are converting even skeptical fans.

Eric Braeden has no problem praising the new kid on the Young and the Restless block. He lauded the younger actor and recently tweeted: “Mark Grossman is a damned good actor!!”

Y&R Shakeups – Some Good, Some Bad – Wait and See

Young and the Restless has gone through massive changes in the past year including firing Executive Producer Mal Young, who most fans hated. Now, Josh Griffith is in charge and recast Adam Newman, and also recently, Phyllis Abbott (Michelle Stafford). Things were a little rocky with the regime change, but now the show seems to be improving and fans are happier. In particular, Y&R viewers seem to have accepted Mark as the new Adam.

While it isn’t fair to compare Grossman to the older, more experienced actors who played the outcast son on Y&R, it can’t be helped. Justin Hartley certainly faced criticism when he was the recast. Mark Grossman stepped into a Daytime-Emmy winning role that also won rave reviews. That’s tough but more fans are swapping from outrage to praise, so it’s a good sign that this recast could wind up being a fan-favorite. Wait to see what Mark Grossman does next as Adam Newman on the CBS sudser.

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