INTERVIEW: Meet Y&R's new Charlie, Noah Alexander Gerry

The Young and the Restless' Noah Alexander Gerry (Charlie Ashby) talks traveling, twins, and "juicy" Ashby family drama

Summertime on any soap means the daytime drama's teens rule the screen, but this season on The Young and the Restless is unlike any Genoa City summer before it due to the exciting addition of Lexie Stevenson and Noah Alexander Gerry in the roles of Cane and Lily's SORAS'd twins, Mattie and Charlie. Soap Central recently brought you a "getting to know the new Mattie" interview with Stevenson, and now it's time to get to know Gerry, who's been scorching up the screen as overprotective yet lovable Charlie.

soapcentral.com: We're going to try and extract as much information out of you as possible, because there is hardly anything online about you!

Noah Alexander Gerry: I know! I think it's because I wasn't on social media. But I'm starting to get into it now. Lexie is helping me with it. She helped me with my Twitter and everything.

soapcentral.com: It's pretty rare for someone your age to not have been on social media a lot.

Gerry: That's what I've been hearing. It's fun though. I'm starting to get hooked and see why everybody is on it all the time!

soapcentral.com: Did you have something against it before?

Gerry: I never had anything against it, but I did think it was crazy that so many people were online and having the same conversation. I thought it was weird [laughs]. I always had an Instagram, and I made a Facebook account when I was younger, but I just didn't really use it that much.

soapcentral.com: I'm sure you gained lots of new fans after the news came out that you had joined Y&R. Does it feel strange to have all these people suddenly interested in every little thing you're doing?

Gerry: Yeah, it does. Especially when my first episode aired, I was just sitting there reading all the tweets, and it was wild. It was the wildest thing I have ever experienced, all these people tweeting about me and Lexie. I was like, "What is going on?!" It was fun.

soapcentral.com: I'm hoping all the comments have been positive?

Gerry: Yes, a lot of positive support. I think people have been happy.

soapcentral.com: So there's actually not too much on your IMDb page yet, so when exactly did you start acting? Have you been in the business for long?

Gerry: I was about ten when I came out here to Los Angeles with my little sisters. They're actresses and singers and dancers, and they do pageants and stuff. So they came out here to pursue that, and I came out here with them. I wasn't really all that interested in acting, but then I got my first drama script, and I was like, "Whoa! This is really fun! I might as well give it a try." And that's why I'm really enjoying doing Y&R, because there is a lot of drama. It's really juicy.

soapcentral.com: Did you ever have any other ideas or dreams for your future? Like, was there ever a moment of, "Okay, I could be a scientist... or I could be an actor"?

Gerry: [Laughs] My mom was a dentist, and I always wanted to help her out behind the scenes. But I also thought it would be kind of cool to be a lawyer. Just to be able to say, "Hey, mom, if you ever need a lawyer, I've got you!" [Laughs] I don't know why, but I think being a lawyer always sounded fun. And then I wanted to be a police officer for a while. I don't know why, but the justice system has always interested me. But then this acting thing kind of just took over in my life, and I was like, "Yeah, I know what I want to do!"

soapcentral.com: I think it's actually pretty funny that you listed dentist and lawyer, because Lexie told us her mom is a dentist and a lawyer! I mean, what are the odds?!

Gerry: Yep! That was the first thing I said when [she told me that].

soapcentral.com: You're from Jacksonville, Florida. So did you and your whole family move to Los Angeles specifically so your sisters could pursue their acting dreams?

Gerry: Kind of, yeah. My dad came out here, and we would come out here in the summers and during pilot season. And then as we started booking more commercials and stuff, my dad came out here with us full-time, but we'd all fly back and forth about two or three months out of the year. It was a weird situation. There was a lot of flight!

soapcentral.com: I'll say! That's a long trip, too, all the way from Florida. It's not like coming from Nevada.

Gerry: Yeah, and at first, I really hated it. I kind of like it now; it's nice, and you're really excited the whole time. Either it's, "Yeah, I get to see my family!" Or it's, "Yeah, I get to go out to California." So it's a fun trip there and back.

soapcentral.com: I'll bet you've got the best travel tips with all those miles you've racked up!

Gerry: I do have a lot of travel tips. Honestly, the best one is to stay up all night the night before you're about to fly. I know it sounds crazy, but I stay up all night, and then as soon as I land, I can sleep whenever I want, and my time schedule is not messed up.

soapcentral.com: Do you do that both ways?!

Gerry: I do it both ways. Because it's a three-hour split, so it's big. If your schedule gets messed up, then it's going to be really messed up!

soapcentral.com: Are you still flying back and forth now, or are you staying put in Los Angeles because of Y&R?

Gerry: I'm staying put because I'm filming for Y&R. I'm really trying to focus on this and do the best that I possibly can for everyone. But my family is visiting a lot from Florida; they're being really supportive. And we're doing a lot more Facetime and a lot of Skype and things like that.

soapcentral.com: So is your whole family back in Florida at the moment?

Gerry: Yeah, everyone is back in Florida. When we got older, we could stay by ourselves a lot more, like with our cousin. But they're all coming in July, and I'm really excited about that. I'll get to bring them on set.

soapcentral.com: What were your initial thoughts about joining a soap opera? Were you happy to jump on board, or was it a bit of a question in terms of where you wanted your career to go?

Gerry: No, I was really happy! I look at every audition like, "Hey, it's an audition." I got the thing for Y&R, and I told my aunt, who helped me run lines, and apparently she watched a lot. So I did the audition and tried my best, and now I'm Charlie.

soapcentral.com: It was that simple, huh?

Gerry: [Laughs] That makes it sound simple, but it didn't feel like that.

soapcentral.com: Did you do a lot of auditions before you landed Y&R?

Gerry: I did soooooo many auditions. I did so many. [Laughs] When I booked it, it was the best. I didn't even know how to react. It was probably the best day of my life. I was like, "FINALLY!!!"

soapcentral.com: What were you doing when you got the call?

Gerry: I was sitting in my friend's closet, and they were all yelling at the TV, playing video games.

soapcentral.com: Wait, what? Why were you in the closet?!

Gerry: Because my agent and manager called to tell me I'd booked it, and my friends were yelling too loud at the TV! So then I came out, and I said, "Guys, I booked it!" And they all started screaming. And then my agent and manager screamed. And then I called my mom and my grandma and my dad, and they screamed. Everyone screamed.

soapcentral.com: What did your friends think about you being on a soap opera?

Gerry: They're watching it now! They tune in every time they think I'm going to be on, because it's summer and they're not at school. They watch and send me Snapchats of me on the TV and stuff. It's pretty funny.

soapcentral.com: Okay, so I'm happy to hear you have Snapchat! You're not totally in the dark ages of social media.

Gerry: Oh, definitely!

soapcentral.com: So, Lexie told me that the two of you guys pretty much bonded like glue immediately, even before the audition started. Do you remember meeting her and why you liked her so instantly?

Gerry: Yeah, she walked in, and she was like, "Hi!" as soon as I walked into the audition room, and so it was really nice. And now I can't get rid of her. [Laughs]

soapcentral.com: Because you have younger sisters in real life, do you relate to what Charlie is feeling? The overprotective feelings?

Gerry: Yes, especially because Lexie is just like my seventeen-year old sister. I want them to meet. They'd literally be best friends, and I can't wait for them to meet. They're the same person. I'm like 99 percent sure. It's so weird!

soapcentral.com: That's probably another reason why you were able to bond with her so quickly.

Gerry: Yeah, that's actually true. I was just telling Lexie that, too. We were in the car, driving back from set, and I can pick up on her mannerisms really easily. I know if she's upset or not, just because of the way my sister acts. It's weird!

soapcentral.com: What are your sisters' names?

Gerry: Jirah, who's the oldest, and Katia.

soapcentral.com: Are you just as protective with them as Charlie is with Mattie?

Gerry: You know what, I kind of am. It's weird. With my oldest, she can drive now and do her own thing. But with Katia, I'm very overprotective. I'm like, "Who are you going with? When are you going to be home?" [Laughs] I drive her everywhere, and yeah, I would say I am. But all three of us kind of look out for each other.

soapcentral.com: Do they get annoyed when you're being the protective older brother?

Gerry: Yeah! They do. But you know what, they've got to deal with that!

soapcentral.com: Charlie seems super protective of Mattie though. What's his deal? Does he not think Cane and Lily are doing their jobs as parents?

Gerry: Charlie loves his family, and he's going to protect the things that he loves. I think he thinks Cane and Lily are doing a perfect job, but he's there, so he wants to help them out the best he can. And they're both the same age, and they're from the same environment, so I think it's easier for Charlie to take a hands-on approach in making sure Mattie is doing okay.

soapcentral.com: So what does Charlie really think about Reed?

Gerry: They butt heads! They didn't get off on the right foot at all. But he's just protective. Charlie didn't like Reed to begin with, and he likes him less now that he's trying to date his sister.

soapcentral.com: Speaking of Cane and Lily, what's it been like getting to know Daniel Goddard and Christel Khalil?

Gerry: It's been really fun. Daniel and Christel always help with everything, on and off set. I can text Daniel whenever, and I can talk to Christel if I ever need something. So it's almost like I have some parents on set. And they are the most talented actors I've ever worked with. It's really crazy. I have to pinch myself every time I get to walk on set and work with them.

soapcentral.com: That's so sweet! And the funny thing is, I think Lexie said pretty much the exact same thing.

Gerry: Well, we're twins! [Laughs]

soapcentral.com: Cane and Lily are having some serious marital problems -- some of the biggest they've ever faced in their relationship. Now that Mattie and Charlie are old enough to understand, will they get more involved in their parents' marriage and issues?

Gerry: I think if they find out, the way the family is and how close they are, they'll definitely get involved. I don't know if it's going to be pretty; I think it's actually going to be pretty messy.

soapcentral.com: Like any good soap opera should be!

Gerry: Yes! It's super juicy. I get the scripts, and when I read them, I'm like, "What?!?" We've got some very talented writers.

soapcentral.com: Are we going to see Charlie get a love interest of his own?!

Gerry: You've got to tune in to find out!

soapcentral.com: Okay, fine! If you can't talk about that, how about this: every character on a soap opera brings something special to the canvas. What would you say is Charlie's defining thing?

Gerry: I'm trying to figure Charlie out as I play him, but I would say right now, he cares a lot. He's a very passionate person. But he's also got a lot of stuff to deal with at home, and he kind of brings that to the outside world, and it's not always the best version of Charlie. But I would say he's a passionate kid. He cares about a lot of things, and if he cares about it, he's not going to let it get taken away from him easily.

What do you think about our interview with Gerry? Do you like his portrayal of Charlie? What kind of storylines would you like to see develop for Cane and Lily's son in the months ahead? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.