Paul Leyden to join Y&R cast

Former As the World Turns star Paul Leyden has been hired by The Young and the Restless to play a newly created role. Leyden worked at ATWT with soon-to-be Diane, Emmy winner Maura West. The Emmy-nominated Leyden will debut on Y&R in early October.

Emmy-nominated actor Paul Leyden will join the cast of The Young and the Restless this fall.

Leyden, who played Simon Frasier on ATWT, is the second former As the World Turns star to be added to The Young and the Restless' canvas in the past month. In early August, the CBS soap announced that two-time Emmy winner, Maura West, had been cast as its new Diane Jenkins. West and Leyden's Oakdale personas were lovers, which has many As the World Turns fans wondering if Y&R will try to recapture the duo's on-screen chemistry.

According to Soap Opera Digest, Leyden will play the newly created role of Blake. No additional details have been released about the part.

Y&R fans are questioning if Leyden, a native of Melbourne, Australia, will be involved in story with the show's other resident Aussie, Daniel Goddard (Cane Ashby). As Y&R's writers craft story that explores more of Cane's past, it seems a logical inference that Cane and Blake might have some sort of link.

Unlike his former As the World Turns castmates, Leyden did not have to pack up and head West after the series wrapped production. Leyden was already living in California. The actor set up residence in Los Angeles several years ago, though he admits to missing certain aspects of New York living.

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Leyden received an Outstanding Younger Actor Daytime Emmy nomination in 2002.

Soap Opera Digest reports that Leyden begins taping his first Y&R scenes on September 7. Those scenes are expected to air on October 6.

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