INTERVIEW: Y&R's Robert Adamson on fatherhood, filmmaking, and love

The Young and the Restless' Robert Adamson (Noah Newman) opens up about being a father, a filmmaker, and an actor about to go head-to-head with one of daytime's legendary characters.

All eyes have been on The Young and the Restless' Robert Adamson (Noah Newman), whose on-screen alter ego has taken quite a beating in the game of romance. His bride was murdered on their wedding day, and he's now dating a feisty woman that not only was once in love with a nefarious drug dealer but is also hated by his powerful grandfather, Victor (Eric Braeden). It's a whirlwind scenario that would be tough to play even in the best of circumstances, but portrayer Robert Adamson has even more pressure as he brings Noah's difficult situation to life. He's simultaneously juggling raising his one-year-old daughter, Aleda (whom he shares with his recent ex-fiance, The Bold and the Beautiful's Linsey Godfrey [Caroline Spencer]), and focusing on his blossoming filmmaking career, which he is very passionate about.

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"I just try to squeeze it in anywhere I can get it," Adamson says of filmmaking. "It's hard enough as it is, but it's even more challenging when you have a one-year-old running around!"

Somehow, the actor has managed to make several films over the past couple of years, all the while playing Noah, romancing Godfrey, and welcoming a child. And his most recent project, Jimmy, a mysterious and moody short film that brings classic Hollywood movie stars to life, may be one of his best yet.

"My production partner, Jordan Ross, and I have done a number of shorts now, and he had this one; it was a [passion project] he wanted to do, and when I first looked at it, honestly, I told him, 'Dude, I don't think I can direct this,'" Adamson admits of the film, which stars Molly McCook (daughter of B&B's John McCook [Eric Forrester]) as Marilyn Monroe and Louis Hunter (The Secret Circle) as James Dean. "It was such a tall order, to basically direct James Dean, so I told him I'd rather just shoot it, help him with the visuals, and let somebody else try to figure out how to direct James Dean."

However, when their replacement director had to suddenly leave town for a family emergency, Adamson had to quickly take the reins. "I kind of just had to step into it the same day to direct it," he recalls. "To be perfectly honest, I literally designed an entire shot list around silhouettes and some backlit vignette movement shots, because I hadn't met the actor playing James Dean, and I didn't know if he was going to be able to pull it off. But I showed up on set, and during his first rehearsal, I was like, 'Nope, not doing [my original plan]. That was perfect.' He was great. Sometimes you get lucky. He's a really good young actor. He's got a lot of heart."

McCook's role is smaller, but she also wowed as Ms. Monroe. Though Adamson isn't sure what her dad thought of his little girl taking on the Blonde Bombshell. "All I know is that he's super proud," the actor shares. "He's such a proud father. John McCook is the greatest guy."

When it comes to Adamson's inspiration and career goals concerning his filmmaking, the Utah native cites Whiplash, which was nominated for Best Picture at the 2014 Academy Awards. "I'm not saying by any stretch that this will be the end result [for me], and this is a lofty example, but one of the best films at the Oscars was Whiplash, and that film came from a 27-year-old [Damien Chazelle] who 'd never really written a script before and who'd never made a movie before," the actor shares. "He made a great, great powerful drama about a band, and that just goes to show you how good writing can be and how powerful filmmaking can be."

Though Adamson is pretty obsessed with the camera and capturing magic on film, he's surprisingly not one of those parents who follows his child around trying to get every little moment encapsulated on video. "You know, it's funny, I do [film Aleda] on special occasions but that's all," he says. "I know I should more, but I don't. I just want to be in it, honestly. I don't want to miss the moment while it's happening. I'm not that guy [who's always pulling his phone out to take photos]. I'm just not, and I never will be. I'm not even really big on social media. It's a lot of exposure, for anybody, really."

If he were to check out his social media pages however, he'd see that viewers are on the fence about his latest on-screen love, Marisa (Sofia Pernas). After all, some are happy that Noah has moved on after Courtney's (Kelli Goss) death, but others don't think Marisa is the right girl for him -- and that includes Victor, who is doing his damnedest to get Marisa out of town.

"His resolve is about to be put to the test, as far as what he's willing to put up with," Adamson teases of Noah's response to having to go head-to-head with his grandfather.

But will Noah stoop to Victor's level when it comes to pulling dirty tricks to get what he wants? "I think it goes one way or the other, as far as what a person is willing to do, and I don't think it's in Noah's character," the actor surmises. "But then again, when somebody is pushed too far, pushed to the limit, they have a tendency to [snap]."

Are you a fan of Noah and Marisa as a couple? If not, who do you think each should be with? What do you think about Adamson's film, Jimmy? Do you think the actor has a promising career as a filmmaker? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our message boards, or by submitting Feedback.To stay up-to-date on the latest soap news, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow @soapcentral on Twitter.

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