She may be new to Genoa City, but Gina Tognoni has already made her mark by earning an Emmy nomination for her work as Phyllis.
They say two is company and three is a crowd, but that surely couldn't apply to Daytime Emmy wins. After all, fans of The Young and the Restless' Gina Tognoni (Phyllis Summers) are hoping the two-time Emmy winner will bring home yet another trophy come the end of April, when she vies against some of daytime's most talented actresses for the coveted Outstanding Lead Actress award. What does Tognoni think will be romantic about this year's ceremony? And what past Emmy mistake did it take her an entire year to get over? Read on to find out.
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Where were you when you found out?I'm so psyched. I'm in New Jersey. I had a dentist appointment, so I ran home after that. I got something to eat, and I turned on the TV and watched [The Talk]. My mom's been so excited, too. She called me this morning and goes, 'Today's the day!" Then she called just before it started and said, "Okay, it's time." I tell you, I'm psyched about all the nominations... I'm just so grateful.
Who did you first call?My mom, but I couldn't get ahold of her, because she was telling all her friends! I finally spoke with her, and she said, "Yeah, I was calling Suzie from the club." My mom is the biggest cheerleader of my life. Both my parents are, but she really loves all this. And all my family called me -- my dad, my brother, it was so nice.
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What scenes did you submit?I submitted a scene with Peter [Bergman, Jack Abbott] where Phyllis confronts Jack about being involved with Kelly [Cady McClain] while she was in a coma. Basically, it's a scene of, "Did you love another woman?" It had many levels and was a well-written scene, and Peter is just magic. He ups the game. It's all because of him. He's just the most amazing partner to have in a scene.
Was it difficult for you to narrow it down?I remember when I taped it, the level of truth, and the way that we were doing it, stuck with me. And usually when that happens, it means it was probably honest. Doing this for a while, that's the kind of stuff you want to submit. That's the kind of stuff where you want to say, "I'm proud of this, I'm proud of the writing," and it had a lot of good elements. Like anything else, when you hand something in, you want to hand in something that you're proud of, and that was something I was very happy with.
Who were you really excited to hear was nominated?Christian LeBlanc [Michael Baldwin] has always been such a neat friend of mine, even the years I haven't been on Y&R -- and I haven't even been there a year yet -- but Christian is just a special person, and I was happy to see him celebrated. He texted me this afternoon, and we spoke a bit to say congratulations. He's always just so supportive, even before we got the announcement. He [told me], "I really like your reel and I like what you submitted." He just pays attention, and he cares, so I'm very happy he got nominated. Kristoff St. John [Neil Winters], oh my gosh, I'm happy, happy, happy. I was glad to see him nominated and I'm very proud of him. He had a difficult year this year with his son, so I'm glad he was nominated. And Linsey [Godfrey, Caroline Spencer, The Bold and the Beautiful]. It's really heartwarming to see it. And of course my little sweetheart, Hunter King [Summer Newman, Y&R]. She's so beautiful. Sometimes it's hard for me to think of her in the younger category. She so mature, emotionally, when she works, I'm like, "Really?! Wow." And Amelia [Heinle, Victoria Newman]. I'm blown away by her. She's the most amazing spirit.
Who are you disappointed that didn't get nominated?That's a great question. I was surprised Cady wasn't nominated. She's so good. I'm surprised that Peter didn't get nominated. He's so celebrated, and he really is a big part of what I submitted. I'm so proud of it because he's so incredible to work with and I can't do it alone.
What do you think of the venue?I think it's fantastic. I'm just so thrilled that it's going to be back on air. I wasn't working in daytime when the Emmys weren't on air, and that broke my heart a little bit. I'm so glad it's back by demand, and I think it's going to be really special this year. I know my friends and family are thrilled that they'll be able to watch it on TV. I think on the Warner Brothers' lot, there will be some romance and magic to it.
What will you be wearing?I'm meeting a dear friend tomorrow, Angelique O'Neil, who has dressed me for every show. She was the lead editor for CBS Watch! magazine, and we met in the days of Guiding Light. She always helps me find the perfect dress for me to wear. I have an idea what color, but I don't want to say it. I want to keep some mystery. We have to see what we can get our hands on.
Will you prepare a speech or wing it?I tell you, when I did wing it, I forgot to thank my husband, and that took a lot of therapy and a year to get over [laughs]. I'm not doing that again, so I think I'm going to be as organized as possible and yet still have that anticipation of the moment.
MORE DAYTIME EMMY REACTION• Kristoff St. John discusses the old-fashioned story that earned him an Emmy nod• Y&R star Amelia Heinle discusses the possibility of back-to-back wins• Elizabeth Hendrickson on her final Y&R goodbye and Melissa Claire Egan's "bold" move• Max Ehrich on the real-life tears his Emmy submission caused• Christian LeBlanc on the blood, sweat, and tears (of others) that landed him an Emmy nomination• Gina Tognoni celebrates her first Y&R Emmy nom• They're no longer a B&B couple, but Linsey Godfrey and Jacob Young are co-nominees• DAYS star Alison Sweeney on her first-ever Daytime Emmy nod• GH overcome with emotion after first Emmy nom• Nominee jokes, "Do I just show up" at the Emmys?• Lisa Locicero on her first Emmy nom and being pregnant on the Red Carpet
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