Roger Howarth has had a long history in soaps, with him recently taking over for a long-running villain on The Young and the Restless. Recently, he has opened up about what it was like taking over the iconic part. He’s also teased what fans can expect next on the soap.
Roger Howarth Has Been On A Number Of Famous Soaps, From One Life To Live To General Hospital
Establishing himself in soaps, Howarth became known to many for playing Todd Manning on One Life to Live, first appearing on the soap in 1992. He later appeared as the character on General Hospital.
Howarth would later take on the roles of Franco Baldwin and Austin Gatlin-Holt, ultimately leaving the soap in 2023. Last year, he joined the cast on The Young and the Restless.
Howarth has played Matt Clark on the soap, with the character being reintroduced back in October. He is the fourth actor to play the character, having been preceded by Eddie Cibrian, Russell Lawrence, and Rick Hearst.
Recently, Howarth spoke with TV Insider to reflect on joining the soap and teased what fans can expect. He shared, “I trust the writing and I think that the writers have a clear vision of who this guy is.”
Matt has been a character on the soap since 1994. However, Howarth shared that he was more interested in the character’s future rather than focusing too much on past scenes. He shared, “I really just try to stick to what I could figure out from what they were writing rather than try to do what the [other actors] who’ve played the part did.”
The actor continued, “On some level, you have to just do your thing with what the writers give you. That’s probably the best way to go about it.”
Despite this, Howarth shared that he was a “fan” of his predecessors. He continued, “I have a huge respect for them. I know Rick a little bit and he’s a lovely guy.”
The Actor Also Teased That Matt is ‘Just Getting Started’ With His Plans
Meanwhile, on the soap, Matt’s reign of terror continues, as he has taken Sharon Newman and Noah Newman captive, with the action moving to the outskirts of Las Vegas. Sharing his own insight into the character, Howarth shared, “Matt is in full-on destructive, rageful mode.”
“He’s just getting started with the Newmans, and his plans to scorch the earth include every one of them in no particular order. He feels very confident that things are going to go his way, but life always has a way of interfering with plans.”
Howarth also felt that his alter-ego’s hatred of the Newman family still runs deep. He continued, “He’s triggered and stays in this headspace of constant conflict. He’s constantly in the fight of his life and takes things intensely personally. I don’t think he spends a lot of time in his best self.”
While Howarth has previously played villainous characters on soaps, he shared that he was still unsure of what to expect from the character before taking on the role. He noted, “It was kind of alluded to that Matt was a villain in the best sense, but I didn’t really realize the scope or the magnitude of his evil until I got until I got here, and then I was really happy to see just what a colorful past he’s had. It’s a great part.” However, as he shared with the outlet, he was having “fun” in the role.
What is your reaction to Roger Howarth’s recent share? Have you been keeping up with The Young and the Restless? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.