Ryan Ashton on his Y&R exit

Ryan Ashton on his Y&R exit

The Young and the Restless' Ryan Ashton (Zack Stinnett) opens up about his alter ego's downward spiral.

The Young and the Restless' Zack experienced a dramatic exit from Genoa City when Crystal shot him to death, and his portrayer, Ryan Ashton, admits he knew the writing was on the wall as soon as more details about the mysterious dating app designer were revealed.

"The second I learned that Zack was involved with a sex ring, I knew it wouldn't end well for him," he tells Soap Opera Digest. "Honestly, I'm surprised it even lasted as long as it did."

Ashton admits that the news of his exit and the way it was written was a bit shocking, even though he understands it's the nature of the business. His family, on the other hand, wasn't quite as accepting.

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"I called my parents and told them that I had gotten the official word... the real tough part for my mom, and for my sweet 97-year-old grandmother -- hi Mimi! -- was watching me play a bad guy," he says. "My grandmother even refused to watch some of the episodes. How cute is that?!"

Despite Zack's unfortunate ending, Ashton is super grateful for the opportunity to have worked on Y&R and for the fans he made along with way.

"What an unforgettable six month ride it was. And a VERY special thank you to the show's fans," he shares in a Twitter post. "Zack wasn't an easy character to like but nonetheless, you all showed incredible support and enthusiasm. Thank you!"

How do you feel about the way Ashton's Zack left the canvas? Would you love to see the actor continue in the world of soap operas? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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Edited by SC Desk