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PROFILE

Yani Gellman

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SOAP STAR STATS

Yani Gellman (Rafe, Y&R)

— JPI

Vital Statistics

Birthdate:: September 2, 1985
Hails From:: Miami, FL
Marital Status:: Single
Years On Show:: 2008-Present

The 411

Though he was born in Miami, FL, Yani Gellman's family moved around to Australia, Spain and Texas before settling in Toronto, CA.

Gellman began acting when he was just 13 years old. In 1998, he landed roles on the popular children's programs ANIMORPHS and GOOSEBUMPS. From there he went on to guest star on the teen series THE FAMOUS JETT JACKSON, had roles in the horror films Urban Legends: Final Cut and Jason X ( which was part of the Friday The 13th series), and appeared in several TV movies, including THE ROYAL DIARIES: CLEOPATRA — DAUGHTER OF THE NILE.

His star rose in 2003 when he was cast as Hilary Duff's love interest, Paolo, in Disney's The Lizzie McGuire Movie. After that, he went on to star in several other teen-oriented series, including WILD CARD, MONSTER WARRIORS and LINCOLN HEIGHTS. He also attended the University of Toronto and got a degree in political science during this time.

In November, 2008, Y&R cast Gellman as no-nonsense attorney Rafe, who was also the nephew of Victor's housekeeper Estella. In early 2009, Rafe revealed to his friend Colleen that he's gay, making him Y&R's first homosexual character (a back-from-the-dead Phillip III would soon follow). Gellman's story then took an exciting, albeit controversial, turn when the evil Adam duped Rafe by pretending to be in love with him in order to keep Rafe from finding out that he was the one who was gaslighting Ashley and had set up Estella for the crime. Though there was an abrupt cast change when Chris Engen quit as Adam and Michael Muhney took over the part, Gellman held his own and has proven that he has what it takes to handle an adult role.

Et Cetera

— Was named after family friend, writer Jan Joors.
— His father is Canadian and mother is Australian.
— Speaks Spanish.
— Appeared as a model in ads for Omega watches.
— Played the love interest of Matthew Shepard in THE MATTHEW SHEPARD STORY.

Other Roles

TV Roles
LINCOLN HEIGHTS (Marco Gutierrez, 2009)
TRAPPED (Carlitos, 2007)
MONSTER WARRIORS (Antonio, 2006-2007)
WILD CARD (Ryder, 2003-2004)
GUINEVERE JONES (Michael Medina, 2002)
MENTORS (King Tutankhamen, 2002)
BLUE MURDER (Patrick Lee, 2001)
THE FAMOUS JETT JACKSON (JB Follower, 2000)
ANIMORPHS (Brad, 1998)
GOOSEBUMPS (Young Man, 1998)

TV Movies
THE MATTHEW SHEPARD STORY (Pablo, 2002)
TRU CONFESSIONS (Billy, 2002)
BOSS OF BOSSES (2001)
SEX, LIES & OBSESSION (Romeo,2001)
THE ROYAL DIARIES: CLEOPATRA — DAUGHTER OF THE NILE (2000)
CHILDREN OF MY HEART (Mederic, 2000)

Film Roles
The Lizzie McGuire Movie (Paolo, 2003)
Jason X (Stoney, 2001)
Urban Legends: Final Cut (Rob, 2000)

Memorable Quotes

"This is definitely one of the first adult roles I've played. It's been a little bit of a challenge. Ironically, I attended university to become a lawyer before the acting bug bit me. This Y&R gig is a dream come true in more ways than one. The legal situations Rafe is assigned is something I can relate to, so the dialogue comes easy."
— www.out.com

"I had some questions about the story line and where they saw it going and really standard questions you would have for any character you play. They assured me that the role was going to be written in a way that would be quite sensitive and conscientiously written, so that really appealed to me. I gravitated toward it and having this great new character to play. I am just like the viewer, wanting to know what's it going to be and what they are going to throw my way. I am ready for any of the great twists that come my way in the story.
— On playing a gay character on Y&R, www.advocate.com