Vivica A. Fox<\/a> will return to The Young and the Restless<\/a><\/em> on Tuesday, April 7, reprising the role of Stephanie Simmons.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cStephanie is back,\u201d Fox declares. \u201cAnd Stephanie has a lot of secrets that will be revealed.\u201d<\/p>\n For Fox, who originally played the role from 1994-95, the return wasn\u2019t planned<\/a>, but the timing ultimately felt right. \u201cIt was a total surprise, to be very honest with you,\u201d begins Fox. \u201cI\u2019ve just signed with a new agent, Innovative Artists, and was just sitting at home chilling, and my head agent hit me and said, \u2018Hey, guess who called looking for you today?\u2019 And I was like, \u2018Who?\u2019 And they\u2019re like, \u2018Young and the Restless<\/em>.\u2019 I was like, \u2018Young and the Restless<\/em>? Really<\/em>?\u2019 And they were like, \u2018Yeah, they want to know, do you want to come back as Stephanie Simmons.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Christine Bartolucci\/CBS<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That initial shock quickly turned into excitement once she learned the show was also bringing back <\/a>Shemar Moore<\/a>,<\/a> who previously portrayed Stephanie\u2019s love interest, Malcolm Winters. \u201cI thought, \u2018Get out of here. The genius of that would be incredible,\u2019\u201d she recalls. \u201cAnd I said, \u2018Well, if they can make it happen, sure, I\u2019m interested. That\u2019s amazing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n From there, the pieces began to fall into place creatively. Fox met with executive producer and head writer Josh Griffith<\/a> via Zoom, where he outlined the storyline that would reunite the characters. \u201cHe said, \u2018So, Malcolm is going to reach out to Stephanie, and he\u2019s going to need some assistance. From there, the story unfolds,\u2019\u201d she relays. \u201cSo far, it\u2019s been surprise after surprise after surprise. The audience is really going to be on the edge of their chairs as Stephanie and Malcolm come back, and I\u2019m glad that I\u2019m back and that Stephanie is back to finish her business with Malcolm.\u201d<\/p>\n CBS<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Despite the three-decade gap since her last soap stint, Fox found stepping back onto the set remarkably seamless. \u201cWhen I filmed the first day, I saw that some of the actors from 30 years ago are still here,\u201d she marvels. \u201cSo, it was like a wonderful homecoming for me. I got starstruck when I saw Melody [Thomas Scott<\/a>, Nikki Newman].\u201d<\/p>\n Still, she had to adjust to the demanding pace of daytime television. \u201cI\u2019m not gonna kid you, that first week was like boot camp,\u201d she reports. \u201cIt was like we were doing a mini movie a week, but it\u2019s really helped me that I do my Lifetime films, and we kind of shoot those quickly. So that muscle is still here.\u201d<\/p>\n Her return also stirred some deeply personal memories, particularly of late costar Kristoff St. John<\/a> (Neil Winters). \u201cI walked into the producers\u2019 offices, and there was a huge portrait of Kristoff,\u201d she says. \u201cKristoff and I started Generations<\/a><\/em> together years ago. I did my first little love scene with him and freaked out, ran out of the bed, \u2019cause I never did that before in my life. Kristoff and I did a Lifetime film together called A Christmas Cruise<\/em><\/a>, and we were about to do a sequel because it was so popular, and then he passed away [in 2019]. So, it brought tears to my eyes. My whole heart just welled up, and I cried a little bit. I was like, \u2018Gosh, excuse me for being so emotional, but that\u2019s like your first love in a way, and my love for him will never die.\u2019 They said, \u2018Get it out, it\u2019s cool. We miss him, too.\u2019 And then we proceeded to move on, and here we go. Let\u2019s get back up on the bike again.\u201d<\/p>\n Revisiting Stephanie herself came easily. \u201cShe was into becoming the best doctor ever,\u201d Fox recalls. \u201cShe loved her career and got a little sidetracked with Malcolm, like, \u2018Yes, you\u2019re gorgeous, but I gotta get this career off the ground.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n As it turns out, Stephanie has become a success. \u201cStephanie today is a very accomplished doctor who lives in Manhattan, whose career is going absolutely amazing,\u201d Fox shares. \u201cShe unfortunately lost her husband, so she\u2019s still career-driven and successful, and here comes Malcolm back into her life to bring some drama.\u201d<\/p>\n At the center of that drama is her enduring dynamic with Moore, which picks up right where it left off. \u201cIt\u2019s so funny because I\u2019ve seen Shemar throughout the years, and it\u2019s always love and, \u2018Hey, what\u2019s happening?\u2019\u201d she relays. \u201cI call him Shemarsky, and he goes, \u2018Do you know you\u2019re the only person that calls me that?\u2019 I said, \u2018I can imagine, but that\u2019s who you are to me.\u2019 Besides Young and the Restless<\/em>, we also did a film together called Motives<\/em> [in 2004], but I hadn\u2019t seen him in a while since Criminal Minds<\/a><\/em> and S.W.A.T<\/em>.<\/a>, so it was good to work with him again.\u201d<\/p>\n Christine Bartolucci\/CBS<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Their off-screen familiarity translated effortlessly on screen. \u201cEveryone checked their ego at the door, so there were no barriers to break back through,\u201d she notes. \u201cExcept he has a Ferrari now, and I couldn\u2019t believe it. I was like, \u2018Whose racecar is this?\u2019 Shemar, you have a Ferrari? Really?\u2019 He\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s one of my eight cars.\u2019 Meanwhile, I get in my Tesla and drive off in my electric car. But we both have grown and been very successful, and I\u2019m very proud of him, and he\u2019s a good daddy to his daughter Frankie.\u201d<\/p>\n Interestingly, Fox\u2019s return to daytime nearly took a different turn. \u201cWell, to be honest with you, I actually introduced the two ladies who created Beyond the Gates<\/a><\/em>, Michele Val Jean<\/a> and Sheila Ducksworth,\u201d she reveals. \u201cMichele and I were trying to plan for me to get in with Beyond the Gates<\/em>, but they film in Atlanta, and it just didn\u2019t work out for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Fox has been aware of Val Jean\u2019s plans for years. \u201cMichele and I did Generations<\/em> together \u2014 Michele wrote that epic catfight scene [between Fox, who played Maya, and Jonelle Allen<\/a>, who played Doreen],\u201d Fox points out. \u201cOver the years, we always stayed in touch, and she had that dream of creating that soap opera that we would talk about over dinner. And then with Sheila and me, our paths crossed, and she was like, \u2018Hey, I\u2019ve got some shows I\u2019m trying to sell,\u2019 and I said, \u2018My friend Michele has written this show. Why don\u2019t you guys connect and see if you guys can get it going?\u2019 Boom. A year later, it\u2019s the hot show that\u2019s kind of bringing back daytime television.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris Haston\/\u00a9NBC\/courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Ultimately, however, coming back to Y&R<\/em> carries special significance, as the series played a pivotal role in launching her career. It was Fox\u2019s final show before landing a part in Independence Day<\/a><\/em>, which helped propel her into Hollywood stardom. \u201cOh, gosh, it was the beginning of my destiny,\u201d she reflects. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful for Young and the Restless<\/em> because Young and the Restless<\/em> led to Independence Day<\/em>, which then led to now having over 270 credits. It literally opened the doors.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, that journey comes full circle. \u201cThere was no question to come back home again,\u201d she adds. \u201cThey\u2019ve just treated me so well, and it\u2019s been excellent. I\u2019m forever grateful to them and want to make some daytime magic.\u201d<\/p>\n The Young and the Restless<\/em>, Weekdays, CBS, Check Local Listings<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Shemar](\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shemar-vivica-yr-775x570.jpg\")
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