Joshua Morrow reflects on 30 years as Nick Newman on The Young and the Restless: ‘Role of a lifetime’

The Young and the Restless celebrates 30 years of Joshua Morrow playing Nick Newman this week.

Despite being born in 1988, Nick aged quickly, becoming a teen in 1994 when Joshua stepped into the role.

On Friday, June 21, Y&R will air a stand-alone episode dedicated to Joshua’s 30th anniversary on the show.

Plenty of flashbacks will give The Young and the Restless viewers all the feelings of nostalgia.

Ahead of the Nick special episode, Joshua has done some reflecting.

The actor has opened up about playing Nick for three decades and the rollercoaster ride it has been for him.

Joshua Morrow reflects on 30 years as Nick Newman on The Young and the Restless

Speaking with Today, Joshua didn’t hold back gushing over how lucky he was to land the role of Nick at age 20.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the show. It changed my life forever, and I’ll never, ever take it for granted,” he expressed.

Joshua revealed he had auditioned for The Bold and the Beautiful three times, ultimately leading him to land at Y&R. It was such an honor and shock for Joshua at his young age.

“I just sort of kept rolling in to the studio every day waiting for them to finally figure it out that I had been fooling them. They kept me around and I’m still stunned by it, but also incredibly appreciative and grateful. It’s been the role of a lifetime,” the actor explained.

Over the years, Joshua has worked with many talented actors who have impacted his life. However, Joshua has learned most from Eric Braeden (Victor) and Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki).

“We throw around the term legends and icons all the time, but these two people literally embody that. They’re as big as it gets, as talented as it gets, and they’re just incredible. To be able to learn from them was just the break of a lifetime,” Joshua shared.

Aside from having a great working environment, Joshua knows one very important reason for his longevity in Genoa City is because of the fans.

Y&R star Joshua Morrow praises fans

Joshua calls The Young and the Restless fans the Genoa City army, expressing they are the most rewarding part of his job. Luckily, the actor was accepted by fans early on, and that has only gotten stronger during his 30 years on the daytime drama.

“Our fans are everything to us, and (we feel) incredible gratitude that they have decided to spend and contribute as much time as they have with us over the years. It’s sort of staggering the amount of love we get from them and it’s everything. We’re nothing without them,” he spilled to Today.com

Along with showing gratitude to Y&R for giving Nick a stand-alone episode to celebrate Joshua’s 30 years in the role, the actor shared that the fans played a big part in that because of their loyalty.

Joshua Morrow marks a major milestone on the show this week, and he isn’t planning on leaving. The actor is all in on The Young and the Restless for as long as the show and fans will have him.

Be sure to tune in on Friday, June 21, to enjoy the Nick special episode.

The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS.