14 Days of Swooon
Will Billy & Sally’s Romance Last on ‘Y&R’? Jason Thompson & Courtney Hope Tease ‘Explosive’ Future (VIDEO)
Billy Abbott and Sally Spectra are in the throes of a new romance on The Young and the Restless, and their portrayers, Jason Thompson and Courtney Hope, are excited about where their story is going. While they may not remember the first time they met, the two are in sync about how they feel about each other on and off-camera.
“She’s one of the most playful, sweet, kind, actresses you’re ever going to work with, so it’s fun,” says Thompson. “Courtney is a very fun person to work with, so it makes the job even that much better.”
Adds Hope, “He’s super fun to work with, and I’ve been super excited from the day I found out that we were going to be working together. I respect him and his work so much, and also him as a person. So, it’s been a blast.”
The duo has enjoyed playing out the moments that have built the foundation of this coupling. “Right in the beginning, it’s all lovey dovey and it’s good and it’s fun, but we’re starting to find these nuances of a little bit of toying with each other, or a little bit of pressing each other’s buttons,” reveals Hope. “And I’m excited to see where that goes, because I think that will really expand what I believe makes them such a good pair, which is they’re both very headstrong, and they’re very passionate, and they’re in pursuit of the truth and what’s right. I think that it could be very explosive in good and bad ways, and it could be fun.”
Thompson appreciates the comfort level between Billy and Sally, and that they allow each other to be their true selves. “I don’t feel like she’s trying to change Billy or correct [him] or whatever, and I would say vice versa,” he notes. “I think they’re big fans of who they are individually… I also like how playful they can be at times, and how kind of, I don’t know, for lack of a better word, sexy with each other they can be as well. They allow themselves to live in those worlds, which I think is really important for both characters. I think that is ultimately what brings them together. It’s the spark of not knowing and the anticipation of that it could go so many ways, because they’re both passionate people in whatever it is: business, love life, everything. So, I just think there’s a lot of potential.”
The pair is aware that the audience is divided about their burgeoning relationship. “I think that that’s natural,” offers Hope. “I mean, that happens in life. It kind of is what it is. It’s kind of fun. I love seeing people flip, too. That’s super fun. Like, they’re super gung-ho about one thing, and then you have one episode and all of a sudden, they’re, like, your biggest fan. It’s entertaining to flip back and forth.”
While Thompson would prefer the fans to like “Silly” together, he also feels the tide could turn as the story unfolds. “When we go to do the job, we want people to like us together,” he says. “You want it to work in whatever way, but you also know that the story is long. You know, it’s not just now. I mean, we’ve been doing this for 50-plus years, so this is an ever-evolving story within a larger storyline. We could be together for two years, and ultimately, the biggest payoff might be when we break up down the road, so you got to just kind of stay in it and stay committed to it, and at the same time, yeah, root for whoever you want, because that’s the fun of it all, and let the chips fall where they may.
He continues, “But as far as the two of us, I think there’s a lot that these characters could do together, however it goes, but I think there’s a lot of passion between the two of them. So, I’m personally a big fan of the two of them together.”
For more from the two, including their favorite Sally/Billy moments, their favorite soap supercouples — GH fans, Thompson has a surprise for you! — and more, check out the video above and be sure to tune in to The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.
