The Young and the Restless Exclusive: Roger Howarth on His First Emmy Nomination in 21 Years

Roger Howarth scored a 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in his first year of eligibility as Matt Clark on The Young and the Restless — the fifth nod of his storied soap career. He chatted with Soap Opera Digest about why he decided to submit, finding out he was nominated, and what the recognition means to him after more than three decades in daytime.

Roger Howarth Reveals Why He Submitted for a Daytime Emmy Again
In 1994, Howarth won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Younger Actor for his breakout role as Todd Manning on One Life to Live on his first nomination. He was last nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor in 2005, when he was playing Paul Ryan on As the World Turns. During his subsequent run on General Hospital (as Todd, then Franco Baldwin, then Austin Gatlin-Holt), he rarely submitted his name for consideration.

The reel that secured his nomination for Y&R is focused on scenes he shared with Tamara Braun (Sienna) and Lucas Adams (Noah) when his notoriously evil character held Sienna and Noah hostage — and the fun he recalled having on set when that episode was filmed convinced him to throw his hat into the ring.

“I’m really proud of what we did,” he says. “Tamara and Lucas and I had a really great day and I really like playing Matt, so I threw my name in.”

He learned that the nomination was his during a work day at Y&R. “I was in hair and makeup and Michelle Corona, an Emmy-nominated hairstylist, looked at her phone and then she looked at me and said, ‘Congratulations, Roger.’ It was really sweet and I was really happy.”

Howarth says that he will most remember the day for the camaraderie he felt among his Y&R colleagues as he traded heartfelt congratulations with fellow nominees like Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Christian [J. LeBlanc (Michael) and Sean Dominic (Nate). “Everybody was really happy for each other and it’s nice to be part of a team that’s so supportive of one another.”

Which is not to say that the honor of the nomination itself is lost on him. “I’m just happy to be still in consideration and above ground,” he teases. “Both of those things are pretty great. I mean, I was barely old enough to drive when I won the first one!”

What does he remember about the night of his first Daytime Emmy victory? “Oh, that Cari [Stahler, his wife] and I had so much fun,” the actor says. “It was really fun and exciting to meet Big Bird and Oprah. Not many people have seen Big Bird and Oprah in the same room, but I have!” In fact, that night, he scored Sesame Street legend Carroll Spinney’s autograph for his son, Julian, who was a toddler at the time. “Now, he’s husband and a father,” marvels Howarth.

He’s looking forward to attending the Daytime Emmy ceremony this October to cheer on Y&R’s nominees — and also to reconnect with former GH castmate Jeff Kober (ex-Cyrus), who is nominated as Outstanding Guest Performer at both the Daytime Emmys and the Primetime Emmys (for The Pitt). “I’m so stoked for Jeff,” he enthuses. “He’s a good friend. Actually, I should give him a call and take him out to lunch to congratulate him.”

Howarth says he would be tickled if he won a second Daytime Emmy (“I’d love that — it would be fun!”) — and notes that the one he took home in 1994 one has seen better days. “That one is definitely old enough to drink,” he points out with a laugh. “And one of the wings is broken. It’s held together with blue painter’s tape.”

He doesn’t think he’ll be battling nerves on the big night. “I’ll be excited to be there, but I don’t anticipate being nervous because it’s really nice to be thought of and recognized, and I’m glad the show’s done so well, but [winning] is not really super-important to me. I love what I do. I’m lucky to get to do it. I feel included in a community that I’m proud to be part of. That matters to me more.”

Even with that perspective, Howarth admits he’ll be preparing an acceptance speech just in case his name is called. “I would 100 percent think about what I was going to say and write it down. I’m not good on my feet and I know that about myself [laughs], but I am genuinely grateful for the situation I have at Y&R and wouldn’t want to leave anyone out.”

And, in keeping with a tradition he started back when he won in 1994, Howarth will make it a point to take home a special memento from the ceremony. Asked which celebrity autograph he’ll be zeroing in on this time around, the actor doesn’t miss a beat before replying: “Thorsten Kaye [Ridge, The Bold and the Beautiful, who played his on-screen nemesis, Patrick Thornhart, on OLTL].”