Barbara Crampton Set To Bring Leanna Love Back To The Young And The Restless

To fans of horror films, Barbara Crampton is an icon, having been in many fan-favorite genre movies, including "Re-Animator" (1985), "From Beyond" (1986), and dozens of others. But she's also a beloved soap opera star, appearing on "Days of Our Lives," "Santa Barbara," and "Guiding Light," over the years. Her most famous sudser role, however, is that of the feisty reporter Leanna Love on "The Young and the Restless." Leanna's stirred up quite a bit of trouble in Genoa City in the past, which included stalking Stephen Lassiter (Rod Arrants) and trying to kill Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson). Yet, as time went on, Leanna brought some much-needed levity to the soap. She told TV Insider, "The writers really watch you, and they play to your strengths. They'll see what you're doing and write to it. Nobody was really doing comedy."

Throughout her career, her work in horror and soaps have run a parallel path, and she explained, "I feel like I've done horror movies as long as I've done soap operas. Horror films are about heightened fear but also heroism and winning in the end. Soaps have high stakes, too. There are similarities with the fandoms. There are people who love scary movies, and they're fervent and loyal. So are fans of soap operas. They love their stories."

Crampton returned to "Y&R" for the show's 50th-anniversary celebration in March 2023 and is now poised to return again — much to the delight of fans.

"The Young and the Restless" posted a video of Barbara Crampton, captioning it, "Be careful, Genoa City! You just never know when Leanna Love is going to get her hands on the latest scoop!" In the video, she's sitting on a bench in the Chancellor Park set with a bottle of champagne and a glass of bubbly. She enthusiastically says, "Let's celebrate! I finally got the scoop on what's been going on in Genoa City, and I can't wait to share it with you! Oh my gosh." After taking a sip, she continued, "Stay Tuned 'cause it's... delicious." Fans were incredibly happy to hear of her return, with one insightfully responding, "Fun, zany characters are what #YR desperately needs because right now, it's like watching a VERY glum and serious church service. Barbara Crampton's Leanna Love will deliver the goods!"

All the fan praise clearly moved Crampton because she jumped back into the thread, writing the heartfelt, "Thank you for having me back! So happy to make another appearance as Leanna. I love this character and this show!!" A fan well-versed in Crampton's acting career joyfully replied, "@barbaracrampton is not only one of my favourite characters as Leana Love on 'Y&R' but also the best damn horror scream icon/queen of all time." However, amidst the praise for her return, one voice in the wind pessimistically stated, "We don't need her to stir up stuff."