Avery Bailey Clark
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Avery Bailey Clark is a fictional character from the American
CBS Daytime CBS Daytime is the division of the CBS television network that is responsible for the daytime television block programming on the network's late morning and early afternoon schedule. The block has historically encompassed soap operas and game sh ...
soap opera, ''
The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...
'', portrayed by actress
Jessica Collins Jessica Collins (born Jessica Lynn Capogna; April 1, 1971) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Dinah Lee Mayberry on the ABC soap opera '' Loving'' (1991-1994) and Avery Bailey Clark on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and th ...
. She made her appearance as Avery on July 27, 2011, as a high-class attorney. Avery first came to Genoa City after being hired by
Victor Newman Victor Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. He has been portrayed by Eric Braeden since 1980. Initially a guest character who was to last for eight to twelve weeks, Victor has evolved ...
to be
Sharon Newman Sharon Newman is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network, currently portrayed by Sharon Case. Created by William J. Bell as a love interest for Nicholas Newman, the character debuted o ...
's lawyer during the character's murder case. She was later revealed to be the estranged sister of
Phyllis Summers Phyllis Summers is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. The character was created and introduced by William J. Bell, and debuted in the episode airing on October 18, 1994. Phyllis w ...
. Her storylines have predominantly included her legal work, feuding with Phyllis, a romance with Phyllis' ex-husband
Nicholas Newman Nicholas Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Created and introduced by William J. Bell, he was born onscreen in 1988 as the second child of supercouple characters Victor and Nikki Ne ...
and a history with Dylan McAvoy. Collins left the series on July 21, 2015.


Casting

In June 2011, it was announced that former '' Loving'' actress
Jessica Collins Jessica Collins (born Jessica Lynn Capogna; April 1, 1971) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Dinah Lee Mayberry on the ABC soap opera '' Loving'' (1991-1994) and Avery Bailey Clark on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and th ...
had been cast in the role of Avery. Collins was previously also known for her roles in television shows such as ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...
'' and ''
American Dreams ''American Dreams'' is an American drama television series that ran on NBC for three seasons and 61 episodes, from September 29, 2002, to March 30, 2005. The show tells the story of the Pryor family of Philadelphia during the mid-1960s, with m ...
'' and guest appearances on ''
Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
'', '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' and ''
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''. Speaking of her casting, Collins said that "I always open to returning to daytime" but it "had to be for the right role". She explained: "This one happened really quickly. Y&R called me and I read the part and I was interested in the character immediately. The timing was right. I felt this was a good fit for me." There were circulating rumors that Collins' character could be related to a previous character, Matt Clark, who had been portrayed by actors
Eddie Cibrian Edward Carl Cibrian ( ; born June 16, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Cole Deschanel on the television series ''Sunset Beach (TV series), Sunset Beach'' and List of Third Watch characters#James 'Jimmy' Doherty, Jimmy ...
and
Rick Hearst Rick Hearst (born January 4, 1965) is an American actor. He is known for roles on ''Days of Our Lives'' as Scott "Scotty" Banning II, ''Guiding Light'' as Alan-Michael Spaulding, ''The Young and the Restless'' as Matt Clark, ''The Bold and th ...
. Speaking of the rumor, Collins stated: "That’s the first I’ve heard of that. I don’t know much Eddie and I look alike but that’s never stopped anything in daytime". In May 2015, ''
Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional ...
'' reported that Collins was leaving the show, with Avery's last appearance on July 21, 2015.


Development


Characterization

Prior to her debut on the series, it was revealed by soap journalist Michael Fairman that she was a "high-powered attorney who will represent the accused murderess Sharon Newman. Who hires Avery? The Mustache! (And we know how much he likes hot blondes!)". The character is a famous attorney; known for defending the wrongly accused. On whether Avery could get Sharon's ( Sharon Case) guilty verdict reversed, Collins said that these types of cases are what "Avery lives for". Collins said "She's dedicated her life to righting the wrongs of the system. She's started up an Innocence Project. She's not in it for the money." Describing the character, she said that she isn't a "glamorous lawyer", but more on the "clunky side". Additionally, the actress describes her "more as a 'broad' than a lady." In October 2012, after over a year on the series, Avery's residence was shown. The apartment designed by the show's
production designer In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...
Bill Hultstrom was an "eclectic" home which was made to reflect Collin's real-life background as a professional
gourmet chef Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by their high level of refined and elaborate food preparation techniques and displays of balanced meals that have a ...
. In the apartment, Collins stated that Avery mostly "cooks and fantasizes". Avery in her apartment unveiled a different side to the character; Collins said she enjoyed playing the "awkward, goofy, fun side" of Avery who is usually so "serious in her business life". Luke Kerr of ''
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'' described Avery as a "cupcake-baking, legal eagle". Michael Logan of ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' called her a "
Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American pu ...
wannabe".


Family and relationships

Upon her debut, ''
CBS Soaps In Depth ''Soaps In Depth'' was an American entertainment magazine, formerly published as a series of biweekly print publications and currently as an online-exclusive publication, that is dedicated to coverage of daytime soap operas. Founded in 1997 by ...
'' stated that "Any familial dynamics Avery may – or may not – have will unfold over time." In a twist, it was revealed that she was the younger sister of
Phyllis Newman Phyllis Newman (March 19, 1933 – September 15, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She won the 1962 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Martha Vail in the musical '' Subways Are for Sleeping'' on Broadway ...
(
Michelle Stafford Michelle Stafford (born September 14, 1965) is an American actress, screenwriter and producer. She currently plays Phyllis Summers on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', for which she has won three Daytime Emmy Awards. In ...
). They have a bitter relationship towards one another because of Phyllis leaving her as a child. A few months into Avery's reunion with Phyllis, their dying father George Summers (
Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in ''1776'' (1972) and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the televisi ...
) is introduced to the series. While interviewing Stafford, soap opera journalist Michael Fairman noted: "All of a sudden members of Phyllis’s family are sprouting up. First up was her sister Avery. And now with this recent storyline, Y&R is bringing back up the sins of the father, with Phyllis and Avery’s dad George, in the picture for just a brief time." Of Phyllis and Avery's relationship, Stafford said that Collins and herself are still "working it out", calling it an "interesting" relationship. She said "we wanted to make it a very complex and odd relationship, and even the scenes where we are at the facility with the dad at the end of the story arc are really interesting. What I like about those scenes, and how they play out, is that nothing has been resolved." Stafford said she enjoyed working with Collins, "Jessica is amazing. She is so professional and so great. She is so willing to work scenes out." Additionally, Stafford said that Phyllis is jealous of Avery being a successful attorney while she had "bounced around" to find a career for herself. Avery fell in love with Phyllis' ex-husband,
Nicholas Newman Nicholas Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Created and introduced by William J. Bell, he was born onscreen in 1988 as the second child of supercouple characters Victor and Nikki Ne ...
(
Joshua Morrow Joshua Jacob Morrow (born February 8, 1974) is an American television actor and musician. In 1994, he began his career when he was cast in the role of Nicholas Newman on ''The Young and the Restless''. In 1998, he joined the soul-pop group 3De ...
), their relationship was very complicated due to the fact that he was Phyllis' ex. They overcame all of their problems. Nick then began wondering about her past relationships. She told him that the man she loved, Dylan, died during the war in Afghanistan. However, it was revealed by executive producer
Jill Farren Phelps Jill Farren Phelps (born July 7, 1950) is an American television producer. She is known for her work with American soap operas, having served as executive producer of '' Santa Barbara'', '' Another World'', ''Guiding Light'', ''One Life to Live' ...
that Dylan "is a war veteran who was greatly traumatized by what happened to him in Afghanistan. He was severely injured and was rescued by a family who helped him recuperate. He's not been heard from for a couple of years, which is why people think he's dead". In January 2013, soap opera veteran actor Steve Burton joined the show's cast as Dylan McAvoy.
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noted that his "resurrection" "surely would derail" Avery's new life with Nick. Jillian Bowe of
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described Dylan as the "mysterious ex Avery keeps bringing up". Additionally, Phelps noted Avery to be "the great love of" Dylan's life, although she wasn't sure if Avery "had the same feelings for him". Flashbacks "to bring the audience into the history of the Dylan-Avery relationship" aired. Dylan came to town, initially posing under the name Mac. He got a job at Nick's nightclub, The Underground, and hoped to see Avery from afar. They eventually came face to face, shocking Avery. She was puzzled, but ultimately chose to remain with Nick instead of reuniting with Dylan. Nick and Avery soon became engaged which upset Phyllis.


Storylines

Avery is the younger sister of Phyllis. She was born in
Darien, Connecticut Darien ( ) is a coastal town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. With a population of 21,499 and a land area of just under , it is the smallest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast. Situated on the Long Island ...
. Growing up, the sisters were close. However their father George was bilking people out of their life savings. Phyllis turned him in and fled the family, leaving Avery behind and "triggering years of estrangement." Avery first appeared in Genoa City in 2011 after being hired by
Victor Newman Victor Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. He has been portrayed by Eric Braeden since 1980. Initially a guest character who was to last for eight to twelve weeks, Victor has evolved ...
(
Eric Braeden Eric Braeden (born Hans-Jörg Gudegast; April 3, 1941) is a German-American film and television actor, known for his roles as Victor Newman (fictional character), Victor Newman (from 1980) on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', as H ...
) to help
Sharon Newman Sharon Newman is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network, currently portrayed by Sharon Case. Created by William J. Bell as a love interest for Nicholas Newman, the character debuted o ...
( Sharon Case), who was wrongfully convicted of murdering Skye Lockhart (Laura Stone). Avery even pretended to flirt with Sharon's ex,
Adam Newman Adam Newman is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', a soap opera on the CBS network. Adam was created by William J. Bell as the son of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Hope Wilson (Signy Coleman) and was introduced on Ap ...
(
Michael Muhney Michael Muhney (born June 12, 1975) is an American former actor. His best known roles include Sheriff Don Lamb on the UPN/The CW television series ''Veronica Mars'' between 2004 and 2007 and Adam Newman on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young ...
) to get to the truth to find evidence. Avery was able to create a trial for Sharon, which could be her door to freedom. Her arrival in Genoa City also seemed to disturb Phyllis, as she recognized Avery when she researched her on the internet. They ran into each other, and it was discovered that she was Phyllis's younger sister. Sharon was initially going to plead guilty when offered only 18 months (and then freedom) if she did so, however Avery made sure her children were in the court room, so she wouldn't lie and say she committed murder when she hadn't; and it worked. Months later Sharon was freed. Avery formed a friendship with
Nicholas Newman Nicholas Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Created and introduced by William J. Bell, he was born onscreen in 1988 as the second child of supercouple characters Victor and Nikki Ne ...
(
Joshua Morrow Joshua Jacob Morrow (born February 8, 1974) is an American television actor and musician. In 1994, he began his career when he was cast in the role of Nicholas Newman on ''The Young and the Restless''. In 1998, he joined the soul-pop group 3De ...
), who was not only Sharon's ex-husband of eleven years, but involved with Phyllis at the time. Once Nick left Phyllis, he and Avery became involved. To get under Phyllis' skin, Avery agreed to become Daisy Carter (a psychotic person who had given birth to Phyllis' granddaughter, to whom Phyllis managed to get full custody of) lawyer and it also allowed Daisy to spend time with her daughter, Lucy Abbott Summers. Despite this, Avery's reasoning was more personal, as she didn't have full knowledge of Daisy's potential. Sharon was later set free to go and be with her family. Avery and Nick continued to see each other, but she left him knowing he only loved Phyllis and Sharon. He left her for Phyllis. Avery represented Nick when he was against Sharon's plea to the courts to gain joint custody of their daughter, Faith; but Sharon regained joint custody. It was revealed that their father George was dying. Avery visited him on his dying bed and mended things with him, however, Phyllis didn't. Out of pure spite, Avery helped reduce Daisy's prison sentence and vowed to get her custody of Lucy. Eventually, Phyllis and Avery's rivalry calmed down and they have been cordial to each other. Avery became Victor Newman's personal lawyer, handling business at Newman Enterprises, after
Michael Baldwin Mike or Michael Baldwin may refer to: * Mike Baldwin (''Coronation Street''), a fictional character in the British soap opera * Mike Baldwin (motorcyclist) (born 1955), American motorcycle road racer * A. Michael Baldwin (born 1963), American acto ...
was sworn in as
District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
. After Victor went missing following his marriage to Sharon, Sharon burned the
prenuptial agreement A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple before marriage or a civil union that enables them to select and control many of the legal ...
which Avery had drawn up, and then took over Newman Enterprises. Nick and his sister Victoria Abbott (
Amelia Heinle Amelia March Luckinbill (formerly Weatherly; born March 17, 1973) is an American actress known for her roles in American soap operas. Her best known role is Victoria Newman, who she has portrayed on ''The Young and the Restless'' since 2005. E ...
) initially want Avery's help, however, as Victor's lawyer she was obliged by law to help out Sharon, much to her dismay. Nonetheless, she helped Nick prove Sharon was an unfit leader for the company behind the scenes. Although the judge ruled that Sharon was fit to be CEO of Newman, Victor eventually returned, ending her reign of destruction. Recently following the breakdown of Nick and Phyllis' second marriage, she re-connects with Nick and they start flirting. Despite not wanting to be with him because of her sister, she continues to daydream about them being together. Avery also began connecting with her niece,
Summer Newman Summer Newman is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by head writers Lynn Marie Latham and Kay Alden, the role was most recently portrayed by Allison Lanier, from 2022 t ...
(
Hunter King Hunter Haley King (born Haley Ashley King; ) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Adriana Masters on ''Hollywood Heights (TV series), Hollywood Heights'' (2012), Summer Newman on ''The Young and the Restless'' (2012–2016, 2018 ...
).


Reception

In 2013 and 2016, Collins received
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...
nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Avery, winning in 2016.


References


External links


Character Profile
a
soap central.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Avery Bailey The Young and the Restless characters Television characters introduced in 2011 Fictional American lawyers American female characters in soap operas Fictional female lawyers Fictional lawyers in soap operas