The 2026 Daytime Emmys are October 30, & Young & the Restless has three guys up for Supporting Actor. Nate is a nice guy with no storyline. Daniel only works for family. Then there’s Matt Clark (Roger Howarth).
Of the three, Matt wins. I can’t believe I’m typing that.
A Villain Genoa City Never Forgot
Longtime fans know exactly who Matt Clark is. Back in the ’90s, he raped Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) after she chose Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) over him. Then he was presumed dead for decades.
In November 2025, he showed up alive, & Genoa City hasn’t been the same. Half the town is trying to hold him accountable for something. Earlier this month, he strolled right into Sharon’s house in that leather jacket & scared her half to death.
Roger Howarth Made a Rapist Likable
Let that sink in. Matt Clark is a rapist, & some fans are rooting for him. Not all of them, but enough to make me ask what in the hell happened.
Confession: I’ve caught myself rooting for him too. When he sat across from Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) & asked for a snack? I laughed out loud. Since Tucker McCall (Trevor St. John) & Cameron Kirsten (Linden Ashby), better known as Dead Cameron, nobody on this show has been this much fun to watch.
It’s messed up. It’s also acting. Taking a character fans should hate & making them laugh with him takes real talent.
Fans once begged for a Tucker McCall show. At this rate, Matt should get one too: How to Redeem a Rapist. Don’t ask me how we got here. Ask head writer Josh Griffith.
Related: Y&R’s Dead Cameron is WAY More Fun Than Alive Cameron
That Beats Nate & Daniel by a Mile
Nate’s big challenge is looking pleasant in a button-down. Daniel’s is strumming a guitar while Mom & Dad hand him jobs. Roger Howarth had to make Genoa City forget what Matt did, & somehow he’s pulling it off.
Even Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) fell for it. On Young & the Restless, she hooked up with him, & she’s Sharon’s friend.
Will Matt Win?
Of the three Y&R guys, my money’s on Matt. Should a show be redeeming a rapist? Absolutely not, & that’s on Josh Griffith. The performance, though, is all Roger Howarth.
Matt isn’t done, either. Nick gets an update about him this week.
Tomorrow, #3: Eric Braeden as Victor Newman.
Should Matt Clark take home the Emmy, or be run out of Genoa City for good? It’s not my first day watching Y&R & it isn’t yours either. What’s your take?
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