Y&R’S HEAD WRITER ON SHARON’S CANCER STORY

■ Y&R Head Writer Josh Griffith put a lot of thought into scripting

Sharon’s cancer battle. “She was in an emotional place where it felt right, as she was getting her center back, to knock her off again with something that would be profoundly challenging and life-changing,” he explains.

“And also knowing that Sharon Case

[Sharon] would just knock it out of the park. It just organically felt right.

What I really wanted to do was explore the dynamic of a new relationship facing something like this, as well.”

Look for Rey to stand by Sharon during her journey. “Talking it through we said, ‘Let’s explore how this will bring them closer together,’ ” Griffith says. “How Rey will just be her rock throughout and deal with it so that she can face all the levels of what facing something like this is knowing she has incredibly strong support, both emotionally and romantically.”

The scribe says he took his time cluing in Case about her new storyline. “I wanted her to get into the groove of it as it unfolded, as opposed to preconceived,” he reasons. “I knew she wouldn’t have an objection to it because she’s such a professional, she’s such a trouper, but I kind of wanted her to discover the story as we were giving it to her.” Now, Griffith reports, “She’s very excited about the material. And already the way she’s playing it is beautiful. She gets the script, she works on it, and she delivers.”

Expect others in Sharon’s orbit to be greatly affected by her health crisis. “There will be profound emotional ramifications across the canvas,” Griffith affirms. “This will have a huge ramification for Mariah. It will also pull Nick in and create a surprising bond between him and Rey, sort of an interfamily friendship will develop between the two of them as they’re helping Sharon deal with this. And it will branch out into her work world, into the Newmans — Nikki will be involved. As the news gets out, the shockwaves and then the support will be to the point of even changing the way Sharon’s archnemesis, Phyllis, views and thinks about her.”

Don’t look for Sharon’s plight to wrap up quickly, Griffith previews. “We’re going to tell this as honestly and realistically as we possibly can. We’re in close contact with the American Cancer Society, so our goal is to have the story with all its ups and downs carry us through all the way to next October for the 2020 Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”