Y&R's Tracey Bregman shares why she had to pay to find out she'd been nominated for a Lead Actress Emmy award

What's the going cost of finding out you've been nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress category of the Daytime Emmys? If you're The Young and the Restless' Tracey Bregman (Lauren Fenmore), $20!

The Young and the Restless' Tracey Bregman (Lauren Fenmore) was pretty high when she found out she'd been nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress category for this year's Daytime Emmys -- high up in a plane, that is. And the story of her resulting reaction is worth way more than the $20 she paid to get the exciting news.

Congratulations, Tracey. Where were you when you got the news about your nomination?

Tracey Bregman: I was in an airplane on my way to Tampa, Florida, and they happened to have the East Coast feed of The Talk on. And so I watched it live, as it were, and I didn't want to wake my boyfriend up in case it didn't happen, so I was letting him sleep until they called my name, and then I started hitting him, and he woke up with a start, and he said, "What?!" And then I started to think, "Oh, my God, I woke him up so fast. Am I sure they called my name?!" I started to question myself, so I had to pay $20 to get Internet so I could go online and make sure!

At least that distracted you from your fear of flying, right?Bregman: Yes. If that's one thing that will make me happy to be in the air, it was that.

What scene did you submit?Bregman: I submitted the scene where Michael [Christian LeBlanc] asked me for a divorce, and I say absolutely not, and then I go into a monologue that said, "You're the one with your cancer... arrogant -- but I'm the one who is dying inside, and you did this to me."

Great scene because it wasn't over the top. It was a real wounded soul type of thing.Bregman: Right, exactly. And he yells [he wants] to divorce me in the end, and there's that humiliation, and then I walk out.

Was it hard for you to narrow down the scenes, because you had so many beautiful moments?Bregman: You're so sweet to say that. Actually, I'm sitting with [soap opera journalist] Mimi Torchin, who actually watched it and wrote on my Facebook page, "This is your Emmy reel this year," so I really didn't look at much else. Everyone sort of commented [on the episode]. When that show aired, there was something about that show that resonated. I was stunned at how many phone calls I got, and I thought, "Okay, I made the wrong decision last year!" [laughs] It is so hard to be stuck in a room, watching myself, so that would be hell for me, and it's very hard for me to judge, so it kind of took the pressure off of me.

Since you're so high up in the air, you pay the $20 for Internet, who did you let know about your nomination?Bregman: Oh, my sons and my mother.

Did you feel the pressure to not freak out too much, because you were on an airplane with other people?Bregman: Yes! I couldn't jump on the chair and jump up and down and yell. They would have taken me off in a chair!

Are you already thinking about what you're going to wear? There's not much time until May 1st.Bregman: I couldn't believe it! I tried with my Internet to call my designer, but I've been getting calls from stylists which I've never used, so I'm thinking maybe I'll do something very different. Everybody's got to get everything together very, very fast!

What do you think about it being at the Bonaventure Hotel this year and not on air?Bregman: It's too bad, because I thought Pop TV did such an extraordinary job [last year], and it's sad that we don't get to see that again. But it doesn't take away from it. And I hope that we'll be online or live streaming like we did the one year with Kathy Griffin. But I did want to give major props to Pop TV, because I thought they did an extraordinary job.

When it's not being televised, do you think differently about an acceptance speech or anything like that?Bregman: Well, I guess I can say f#*k now, right? [Laughs] Nobody will be bleeping me!

Are you going to prepare a speech or wing it if you win?Bregman: You don't want to miss anybody, and if I am lucky enough to make it up there, there are so many people responsible for that, that I always think it's nice to be able to say how grateful you are in public and say the names of the people that you have gratitude for... It's more important for me to be grateful and thankful for people who went out of their way or wrote me something really extraordinary that I got the opportunity to even be in this position.

Does it feel any different to be in the lead actress category as opposed to supporting?Bregman: I've had two nominations in supporting, and this is my first time ever cracking this category that I actually never thought I'd have the opportunity to do.

How does it feel?Bregman: I was kind of like, "Oh, my God! That's so cool!"

And you get the Leading Ladies Lunch and all of that fun stuff that goes along with it!Bregman: Yes! As it is, we're trying to figure out what day the lunch is, and we're unfortunately, or rather fortunately, very, very busy. We're all trying to figure out when we can do it. But Maura West [Ava Jerome, General Hospital] was so lovely, she's been in this position so many times and won, and she's the one organizing the whole thing.

Is she the one who'll be picking up the bill, too?Bregman: She won last year, so does that mean she picks up the bill?

Yeah!Bregman: Brilliant! I didn't know that.

Let's hope you'll have to fork out next year.Bregman: [Laughs] I would only be more than thrilled to do that.

You're actually the only woman representing the show in your category. Does that make it more or less nerve-wracking for you, to go up against other actresses who are not from your show?Bregman: Listen, no one could be more stunned than me! And more thrilled. I'm blown away that I get to share company with the women that I'm nominated with.

Bregman took home the Outstanding Ingnue/Woman in a Drama Series (now Outstanding Younger Actress category) in 1985. She received an additional nomination in the Outstanding Ingnue in 1987, as well as two Outstanding Supporting Actress nominations. This year marks her first Lead Actress nod.

Photo Credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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