These days, on The Young and the Restless, Christian LeBlanc's character of Michael is involved in a key story line: the search for his father.

We already know his dad will be played by former Family Ties star, Michael Gross. It was one of a number of topics LeBlanc touched on during a recent interview with Michael Fairman:

Q: What does Michael hope to achieve when finding his father?
A:I think he wanted to be a whole person and have a point of reference. You have a whole picture, and even if it’s a bad father you get it. It’s thinking this guy will come save us one day. This goes all the way back to when I would write letters to this man thinking Gloria was mailing them, and realizing she never mailed them. She kept them just to keep this fantasy. That’s where the push-pull comes, and as long as you don’t know its fantasy, but it’s very specific things happening.

I find it with adopted people. It’s an interesting dynamic. I need to know, genetically. I am a huge genealogy freak in real life. That’s what I love about Michael. He is so complex, and it isn’t any push over to be him. The easy part is just to be myself, and the writers have stayed true to his character. You want to stay true to his dark side and his humanness, and it’s good and evil. You can reform yourself, but you cannot deny your history.

Christian LeBlanc cradles an Emmy for his work on The Young and the Restless.

Q: Were you in the audition process when they were casting Michael Gross as your on-screen dad, Lowell?
A: No. That poor man just got thrown into the Baldwin’s and this huge cast! We talked a little the first day of taping, but we were thrown into these really intimate scenes, and it kind of worked. He is the consummate professional.

Q: Will there be a big showdown between the two characters once they meet?
A: Not quite a showdown, just a discovery, and going through the myriad of emotions of when the fantasy dies and the truth stands before you.

Here's a mini spoiler for tomorrow's episode of The Young and the Restless:

Jennifer Rhodes will be appearing on the show as Lalani, a hostess at Greg and Jana's wedding in Malibu. The character will have the undesirable job of informing the group about the no meat, no cellphones, no shoes policy.

Rhodes previously appeared on a number of TV shows, including Party of Five, Friends, Boston Public.

Attention fans of The Young and the Restless:

The fourth installment of Restless Style magazine will feature Jessica White on the cover. The model will soon be appearing today as herself on the show. Here's how:

Watch for White to insult Chloe, who once worked with Jessica... but Jessica doesn't even recall her; she can't even get her name right!

Super model Jessica White is a soap opera cover girl.

On Friday's The Young and the Restless, Jana and Kevin attempt to pull off a wedding replete with hope and promise after all the death and despair that followed Sabrina's death.

When their guests arrive at the ashram in Malibu, the guide hits them with the rules of the ashram, which include bans on meat, cell phones, and shoes. Jana and Kevin are excited, but Michael and Jeff would rather be anywhere else.

Confused? Excited? Visit Entertainment Weekly now for an exclusive sneak peak at the event.

Jeanne Cooper is still on a high after winning her first Emmy Award earlier this year. How do we know? A reliable source recently went on record with an update.

"I don't think she's going to come down, ever," said her son, actor Corbin Bernsen.

After 35 years on The Young and the Restless and nine daytime Emmy nominations, Cooper is taking it all in stride... while still reacting with shock over the news.

"She's one of these people — it means something, but it doesn't, really," Bernsen said. "She does it all for the thrill, for you guys, for the fans. That's how she is... She was actually truly, truly shocked, and it was a great night."

It looks to be an interesting week ahead on The Young and the Restless. Here's a look at the action...

• Adam won't back down from running Newman Enterprises.

• Cane receives an offer he can't refuse.

• Jana celebrates her upcoming nuptials.

• Jana and Kevin (Greg Rikaart, pictured) finally tie the knot.

As previously reported, formerly Family Ties patriarch Michael Gross will be appearing on The Young and the Restless. We now have a bit more information on the role Gross will be playing:

The character's name is River Baldwin and he's a former Vietnam-era activist who was connected to a group of student terrorists.

So far, viewers have been led to believe that River — the missing dad of Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) — was a drifter, druggie and draft dodger who abandoned Michael and his mother, Gloria (Judith Chapman), fleeing to Canada.

"But the truth is not so black and white," The Young and the Restless head writer Maria Arena Bell told TV Guide. "In trying to track down his father, Michael fears he's going to find a very amoral guy. What he ends up finding is someone totally unexpected."

Adds the actor himself:

"River is a very different character than you're accustomed to seeing on a soap — it's like he's from another planet. He was part of a political movement that greatly affected his family. Now he'll be forced to examine the choices he made."

Ever wondered why The Young and the Restless is set in the fictional version of Genoa City, Wisconsin?

It's because show creators William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell wanted to focus on a town near their annual vacation home in Lake Geneva.

Soon, though, the highest-rated soap opera on TV will present viewers with a change of scenery: the series is going to Paris, France!

The Young and the Restless will be shooting in Paris for the show's first-ever, on-location shoot in the City of Lights. It will coincide with the  program's upcoming 20th anniversary in France. 

While the specific actors participating in the Parisian storyline are yet to be confirmed, the week of filming is scheduled for October.

When those in charge of The Young and the Restless cast Raya Meddine as Sabrina, they incorporated actual information from the actress's life into her character: Both women have fathers who were diplomats, both were raised in Europe, and both speak several languages and are well traveled.

Such traits should help the actress move on, now that the series has let her go.

"Life is constant change," Meddine said. "You need to be ready to pick up, move on, be strong, adapt and go on to the next phase without resisting."

Raya Meddine has been let go from The Young and the Restless.

What's coming up on the nation's top-rated soap opera next week? Here's a look at The Young and the Restless...

• Nikki wants to go back to her old habits after Victor lashes out at her.

• Much to Karen's dismay, Neil (Kristoff St. John, pictured) and Tyra realize they have more in common than they realized.

• Might Adam's worst fears about Skye come true?

• Michael (Christian LeBlanc) has more questions than ever about his father.