Exclusive: Y&R’s Mark Grossman On Adam and Chelsea’s Infidelity

Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea) has already given Digest her take her take on what led Adam and Chelsea to cheat on their respective partners while trying to cope with their son, Connor’s, OCD. Now Mark Grossman (Adam) is weighing in exclusive to Digest about his side of the salacious storyline.

Soap Opera Digest: What was your reaction when you found out that Adam and Chelsea were going to have this one-night stand?

Mark Grossman: Honestly, my first reaction … I wasn’t thrilled that they were going to cheat. Before my time [in the role of Adam], I think he kissed Sharon when he was with Chelsea, but the way I always read Adam, he historically wasn’t a cheater, and he was with the woman he was with. That’s just who he was. So I was kind of bummed that he was going to cheat.

Digest: Did you eventually come around or does it still bother you?

Grossman: Once I read the storyline, it made sense that [the circumstances] would lead someone to be unfaithful, and what Adam and Chelsea were going through with Connor was really sad and traumatic, so it’s actually very realistic, the fact that Adam and Chelsea obviously have a special relationship because they share a son, plus there’s nobody that can understand what they’re going through except for them and you put them in the situation where they don’t know what to do. They’ve never experienced something like this with Connor, so they’re scared and then they get hit with this terrible news [that Connor is regressing], things just keep getting worse and they’re trying to be there for each other. And then of course, when you throw alcohol into the mix, you’re not doing yourself any favors, especially when you’re reminiscing about the happy times when they were all together and happy. At the end of the day, they’re Adam’s family.

Digest: And what makes it even more interesting is that Adam truly does love Sally, which must make him feel worse that he cheated on her.

Grossman: Absolutely. I mean, Adam and Sally have been through so much and it took a lot for them to finally get back together again. Adam loves Sally, so for something like this to happen is heartbreaking. Adam knows if Sally finds out about this, it would crush her and she probably wouldn’t want to be with him anymore because the trust is gone. There was already trust issues from the first time when Adam broke up with her for her own good and it took a long time for them to come back from that.

Digest: What was your first conversation like with Missy about this storyline?

Grossman: We were like, “Oh, my gosh, this is so juicy and it’s going to be so much fun to play.” So, we were excited about it. I love the Adam/Chelsea relationship and I love working with Missy and this is so much drama to play. And with Courtney [Hope, Sally] and Jason [Thompson, Billy] involved, there’s this big secret for the four of us to play and I just love working with all three of those actors. They’re so talented.

Digest: For now there’s no telling what direction this story will take or the impact Adam and Chelsea’s tryst will have on the various characters.

Grossman: I’m not sure either, which I love. Is it going to happen again with Adam and Chelsea because they do have a relationship that nobody else can relate to? They share a child and at the end of the day they’re a family, and Adam would always do what’s absolutely best for his son. So, maybe Adam and Chelsea will start having feelings again. I just don’t know, so I’m really curious to see what will happen next.

Digest: On top of dealing with their guilt, Adam and Chelsea are still struggling with how to help their son. How much did you know about OCD before Connor’s diagnosis?

Grossman: I didn’t know a ton about it. I had friends that, if they were leaving a room, they would have to touch the doorknob two or three times or have things in a certain place, so I was aware of that. I wasn’t aware that OCD could get really bad, where you could hurt or cut yourself. I know that this story is very personal to [Executive Producer/Head Writer] Josh Griffith. There are a lot of people who deal with this on a daily basis. So, I’m glad that we’re telling it and it’s playing out in its beats, and it’s not a short storyline that wraps up quickly. They’re taking their time with it and people can see how terrifying this can really be. I have fans reaching out to me on social media and sharing their experiences about their own battles with OCD. So, if it makes people feel less alone or enlightens people so that they understand better, then I think that that’s a good thing.

Intimacy Issues: Adam’s (Mark Grossman) one-night stand with Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) is poised to drive months of story.