The Young and the Restless is one of the oldest-running soaps in American TV history. One of the characters we're looking into in this explainer guide is Danny Romalotti and whether he's a real singer.
Here's what we know about the actor who plays Danny Romalotti, Michael Damian.
Who is Danny Romalotti in Y&R?
Danny Romaltotti (played by Michael Damian) is one of the much-loved characters of The Young and the Restless.
The character first appeared in Genoa City in 1981 and has since been played by the same actor. Throughout the duration of the soap's run, the character has exited and returned on several occasions.
When Danny first appeared on Y&R, he was a teenage rock star performing in local concerts.
He performed on stage a few times and was joined by his sister, Gina Roma (played by Patty Weaver), and his friends, Lauren Fenmore (played by Tracey E. Bregman), Amy Lewis (played by Stephanie E. Williams), and Traci Abbott (played by Beth Maitland).
He eventually became a rock star, recorded several albums, and went on a tour. After the series of bumps and turns in his life, Danny always considered Genoa City his home and returned every summer for a concert.
In the later days of the soap, Danny became the legal/adopted father of Daniel Romalotti (played by Michael Graziadei) and Lucy Romalotti (played by Lily Brooks O'Briant).
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Is Danny Romalotti a Real Singer? Meet Michael Damian Weir
With Danny's role as a rock star, we can't help but ask: is Danny Romalotti a real singer? With this, we're referring to Michael Damian Weir, the actor who has played Danny since 1981.
The answer is, yes, Damian is a real singer and recording artist. Prior to landing his breakout role, Damian started his career as part of The Weirz, a family band. They were able to release a couple of self-titled albums in 1975 and 1979.
It was his 1981 appearance on the TV program, American Bandstand, that landed him the role of Danny Romalotti in The Young and the Restless. He did a cover of Eric Carmen's She Did It.
Twelve years after landing the role, Damian starred in the Broadway musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He landed the role of Joseph.
Between his soap camera and Broadway performances, Damian continued to work on his music. He was able to release a total of five studio albums and earned three top 40 hits, including his cover of David Essex's Rock On.
He later ventured into writing and directing. He has been credited as the director of various films like Marley & Me: The Puppy Years, A Princess for Christmas, and many more.
You can follow him on Instagram.
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