The Sharon case celebrates 30 years on 'The Young And The Restless': 'I can't believe it's here'

Sharon Case is one of several stars of The Young and the Restless celebrating a milestone anniversary in 2024, and that's her favorite part.

“It's good that I'm not the only one celebrating 30 years. I'm glad there are a lot of other people too,” she tells TODAY.com in a recent interview.

Listening to Case reflect on her three decades on the CBS daytime drama, it's immediately apparent that she's pretty humble. A typical example? The actress's reaction when she learned that the series would dedicate an entire episode to her character, also named Sharon.

“I think this is the third time they've written a Sharon-centric episode. I'm always so surprised because all the years I've worked here, I can see other people doing this, but it's never me. That's why I feel ashamed when someone gives me something. … I don’t expect that,” she states.

The episode will celebrate Case's character while addressing her current dark storyline: a re-examination of the death of her young daughter Cassie Newman (Camryn Grimes).

Case’s character’s “most difficult” storyline is revived

During her final months on the soap, Sharon struggled to regulate her bipolar disorder and stopped taking her medication. Along the way, she began hallucinating visions of Cassie, who died after a car accident as a teenager.

For Case, Cassie's death was “the most difficult and emotional” storyline she's ever been involved in. On a personal level, saying goodbye to her young co-star was unsettling as Grimes was like “family” to her.

Cassie's death and the impact it had on Sharon's marriage to husband Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) became one of the main storylines revisited throughout the series.

“What we didn’t know at the time was that it would set the pace and journey of this show for decades to come,” says Case.

The fact that the storyline has resurfaced just in time for the star's 30th anniversary seems like divine timing in a way.

“We've talked about Cassie constantly since she left. … It still creates drama and action in their lives,” she says.

Grimes has since returned to the series as Mariah, Cassie's long-lost twin sister, and Case says their relationship has evolved beautifully over the years.

“We are equals now. We’re friends now,” she says.

Shining a light on mental health

During her time on “Y&R,” Case has been at the center of many mental health storylines, and she says she's grateful to be able to raise awareness about such important issues.

“'The Young and the Restless' has always done that for as long as I've been here, and I love that that's a part of the show. “It’s just another aspect of working here that adds to what you can do as an actor and a public figure,” she says.

In her current storyline, Sharon no longer sees visions of Cassie and has recently been bombarded with hallucinations of Cameron (Linden Ashby), a dangerous old flame who killed her twice (in true soap opera fashion).

“I love him as a character in the show. Dead or alive, it still works,” she says.

Sharon has started having regular conversations with the hallucinations of Cameron, who has tried to lead her down a dark path.

Sharon and Nick: A love story for the ages

It's been many years since Sharon and Nick were married, but they still share a close bond (and several children). While Sharon has struggled to get her bipolar disorder under control in recent months, Nick has also been looking out for her behind the scenes.

Case and Morrow joined “Y&R” around the same time and are both celebrating their 30th anniversary with the show this year. Her characters first fell in love as teenagers, and Case says she understands why fans are still excited about their love story, even after they break up and make up several times.

“Whether they're together or not, they've been in each other's lives for decades and no one knows you better,” she explains.

From puppy love to co-parenting to friendship, the couple's relationship has evolved significantly over time.

“When you see a couple who were so close their whole lives, you look back later and ask yourself, 'Why didn't you just get together and get married?'” she says. “But that’s the journey and that’s what we’re trying to do, to help people in their own lives. … These are the lessons we love to learn, and I think there is always hope that true love conquers all.”

In fact, Case believes that the ups and downs of Sharon and Nick's relationship helped shape them as people today.

Three decades of storylines

From romances to dramas and everything in between, Case has appeared in a variety of storylines in her 30 years on “Y&R,” and she has a few favorites. For starters, the actress was enjoying filming an episode on the theme of All That Jazz when her character was diagnosed with cancer. She also loves getting the opportunity to do more physical work on screen.

“I liked when Sharon broke out of prison and went on the run. …It's a lot of action. “You can’t always do a lot of physical work,” she says.

Case also had fun killing Cameron the first time and “driving him around in my trunk.” Other memorable storylines include the time Sharon shot her ex-husband Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) and the “sweet little trip” she took to a farm with her love Sam Gibson (Sean Patrick Flanery).

I look forward to many more years with the show

No one can predict the future, but Case says she certainly hoped she'd have a successful career on “Y&R” when she first joined the show. However, she had no way of knowing how long her term would last.

“I don’t think when you’re 20 you think about things like 30 years of your future,” she says.

As she celebrates her 30th anniversary, Case says the whole experience feels pretty surreal.

“I can't believe it's here. I can't believe it's me. There’s always someone else celebrating a 30th anniversary, not me,” she says.

Looking forward, the actor hopes to continue celebrating milestone anniversaries with the show.

“I have led a very happy life with this company and this family and I value that very much. I’m very grateful,” she says.

Case is also grateful that “Y&R” fans continue to follow the daytime drama.

“I just want to tell them that I appreciate them and I'm so grateful that they've stuck with this show and I love how much they love the show and how passionate they are about it. … I hope they stay with us for another 40-50 (years) so I can celebrate my 40th or 50th (anniversary),” she says.