Lauralee Bell’s initial reaction when she learned that her The Young and the Restless character Christine “Cricket” Blair would be getting engaged to Michael Damian’s Danny Romalotti? “Finally,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Bell, 56, and Damian, 63, spoke with PEOPLE ahead of the big engagement episode airing July 10 on The Young and the Restless. “We were really, really thrilled,” Bell shares, “because this moment has been 35 years in the making.”
In fact, 35 years might even be an understatement—this marks the anniversary of when Cricket and Danny first tied the knot during a destination wedding in Hawaii. Their love story began years earlier, starting with teenage Cricket’s crush on Danny that eventually blossomed into a relationship. Their marriage ended after Danny had an affair with a fan, Phyllis Summers (played by Michelle Stafford), who later gave birth to their son Daniel (who Danny later discovered was not biologically his).
Decades later, Cricket and Danny are rekindling their romance. Bell believes the timing is perfect since many of their longtime fans are now “at a different stage in life” and reminiscing about times when they “felt safe and happy.”
“We were part of those moments for them, and now we’re coming back when maybe their kids have moved out or gone to college,” Bell explains. “We bring back memories of those fun days when everyone felt young and wished they could relive those times. We’re truly grateful that our fans have stuck with us and will be thrilled about this.”
Damian adds about their fans, “I think the nostalgia really resonates with them. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, finally.’”
Bell jokes, “We couldn’t wait any longer because if one of us had to propose, it might not look any better 10 years from now.”
When Cricket and Danny reached supercouple status in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Bell recalls, “We used to do public appearances on weekends, and that’s when we really saw how passionate the fans were.”
“That was such a fun time,” Damian remembers, whose own musical career was woven into Danny’s storyline. Reflecting on their characters’ appeal, both actors believe part of it is how much fun they had.
“The scenes were often playful,” Bell shares. “We chased each other around, put ice on each other’s backs, tickled each other, played strip poker — moments that drew viewers in because they felt like intimate glimpses into our lives.” The fact their love story spanned so many years helped fans become deeply connected, they agree.
Bell adds, “It was sweet how, at first, you wouldn’t think the little groupie girl would win the rock star’s heart. That’s part of the excitement — could it really happen?”
Damian credits Bell’s father, William J. Bell — who co-created the show with Lee Phillip Bell — for beautifully crafting their romance.
As for the upcoming on-screen wedding, neither Bell nor Damian knows what to expect. “It’s fun imagining it might be just six people or maybe half the cast. I really have no clue,” Bell says. She plans to share behind-the-scenes moments of their wedding journey on Instagram. Damian jokes maybe Phyllis will let them get married at her house.
But don’t count on Phyllis being supportive. Bell reveals that during Cricket’s time off-screen — while Danny was on his world tour — Cricket “became a badass.” She’s no longer affected by Phyllis’ scheming and even jokes she might “just backhand her.”
Despite their characters’ tense relationship, Bell and Damian enjoy working with Stafford, 59. “We were rehearsing last week and were laughing so hard we had to finally stop and run lines,” Damian says.
Bell notes Stafford was nervous when she joined the show in 1994 because she was coming between the “inseparable” Danny and Cricket. “And she nailed it from day one,” Bell admires.
“For fans waiting for the wedding, I hope Phyllis will be plotting something, but nothing will stop the actual ‘I do,’” Bell says.
“Something will definitely happen,” Damian adds with a grin. “Maybe someone will impersonate the priest.
