In early June 2004, Young and the Restless fans were introduced to Devon, a teenager from an underprivileged background who was quickly taken under their wing by the Winters family. Played by Brighton James, the character has established itself over the years as an iconic figure in the American soap opera.
In 2023, the iconic series celebrates its 50th anniversary (and is changing with new editions)! In this exceptional case, AlloCiné had the opportunity to speak with the actress. In our company, she shared her fondest memories of filming, especially with the late Christophe St. John, who played Neil, her on-screen father.
AlloCiné: Do you remember the first day of filming “Les Feux de l’amour”?
Brighton James: I was 17 years old then. I was quite comfortable, felt almost at home straight away as I had done other series over the years. Therefore, being on the set was very familiar to me. And the studios I used to work at were the same as Young and the Restless! I knew a few people like Christel Khalil who plays Lily. I also passed exams with him…
Still, I was trying to see if I could go on. I have never had so many dialogues to learn! My first day I was playing Eric Braden, we had five scenes together. They asked me if I knew Victor and I said no because I didn’t watch the show (laughs) They told me to act like I do and be respectful so that everything goes well! And he couldn’t have been more welcoming to me.
Do you have a favorite story about your character?
When Devon went deaf. I had to lose my hearing due to meningitis. He passed out and woke up in the hospital unable to understand! I played this for five months and it was a real challenge. As an actor, you dream as hard and as far as you are. Trying to make it believable was a very fun challenge.
What do you think was the craziest scenario for Devon?
I know ! The environment was also created directly for this story: the teams of the series built a zoo! There were five different species of animals on the set. At this place, Devon was running and fell into the lion’s den! And there was a real adult lion on the set that I had to stand in front of…
Before filming, Shemar Moore, Christophe St. John and I were taken to where the animals and this lion grew up. We need to get to know and be comfortable with this beast.
The lion was there, huge, held by a simple leash! We couldn’t listen to what the animal husbandry was telling us, we just had to listen, “What if this lion goes crazy?!” (laughs) It was an intense experience!
Christoph St. John (died 2019) played your father in The Young and the Restless. Were you close in real life?
Oh, absolutely. I miss him every day and I know I can speak for everyone on the show. We were very close, he was like a second father to me on the set. Here we see our colleagues more than our own families… (laughs) As soon as I arrived, he supported me and took me under his wing. He always told me how proud he was of me and my progress. He was trying to get better at my job.
What we miss the most is the joy he brought to the set. He was one of the funniest, funniest, funniest and funniest people to spend time with. No matter what I went through in my personal life, ups and downs, he brought back only positivity to us.
Victoria Rowell Played Drucilla, Devon’s adoptive mother. The actor left the show in 2007. Do you want it back?
Yes! We still talk to each other and I’d love to share scenes with him one way or another. He is a fabulous person and I owe it to him to be here because it was his idea to introduce the story of the foster family.
Victoria spent the first 18 years of her life in foster care. That’s what Devon exists for, and my character’s first two years were based on what he went through. He took me aside and explained what he had experienced and how he felt in certain situations. He owes me everything and I loved every moment with him.
The soap opera “Les Feux de l’amour” celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023. What does this mean for you?
I am grateful and feel lucky to be a part of this historic event in entertainment. You can count on one hand how many shows have lasted that long! Being an actor and doing this job is just a dream.
To be on this show that has entertained people for 50 years, to know that we still value what we do and to see that the fans love our characters so much is a real honor. This is a blessing.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
