Exclusive: Telma Hopkins And Valarie Pettiford On Their ‘Dream Come True’ Y&R Reunion

Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Young and Restless has revealed that Telma Hopkins, who first popped into Genoa City in 2021 as private eye Denise Tolliver, will be returning to the show on December 19 and 27. In the episodes, she’ll once again be working alongside her former Half & Half co-star, Valarie Pettiford, who joined the show in October as Amy Lewis. In the story, Nate (Sean Dominic) will hire Denise to find his half brother, Amy’s son, Damian. The two veteran stars spoke with Soap Opera Digest about how the reunion came about and what it means to them to have the opportunity to work together again.

Soap Opera Digest: You two first worked together on the sitcom Half & Half over 20 years ago. Was that the first time you’d met or had you crossed paths before?

Valarie Pettiford: Whoa, whoa — you had us at 20 years ago! Oh, my God. Really?! Wow.

Telma Hopkins: We’ve known each other 20 years. It doesn’t feel like it.

Pettiford: It feels like just yesterday. Oh my God, I love this woman! She’s my hero!

Hopkins: And I love working with her; she’s my baby. Well, I was a fan before we ever had the chance [to work together]. I always said, “Valarie is so nice at auditions,” because, you know, we can act it up at auditions. Valarie and I would always greet each other, we were always kind to each other. You know, sometimes actors try to make each other uncomfortable, like, [you] put the script in your purse because, “I know every word.” But she was always just a sweetheart and she didn’t know it, but I was a fan of hers already.

Pettiford: And she didn’t know that I was a fan of hers already. Oh, my God. I mean, I’m in awe every time I look at her! I’m still in awe after all this time.

Hopkins: So our actual hook-up was the [Half & Half] audition because there were a bunch of women auditioning. We had not auditioned together and they put us together. We walked in, the last people [to audition] and we had never known each other or seen each other. We didn’t ever get a chance to rehearse or anything. Walked in and those characters [snaps her fingers] — I mean, even when I heard [our repartee], I went “Oooh.” We had it good together.

Pettiford: It was, it was magic. It was magic!

Hopkins: It really was.

Digest: Telma, it has been a few years since you were last on Y&R. How did this return come about?

Hopkins: I have no idea. I got a phone call. “Can you come on?” This was an unexpected pleasure for me. I asked as soon as I got the phone call. “Who am I working with? Is it with Bryton [James, Devon, who she worked with the last time around and who played her son on Family Matters]?” “No, it’s with Valarie.” [Makes a shocked face.] “I’ll do it!” But I can’t do it that week because I’m in Africa! So luckily, they rescheduled and here we are. I was all excited because she was on the show and then they called me to come on the show and [when they told me I’d be working with her] I was like [rubs hands together in anticipation].

Pettiford: Oh my God, and she called me — she’s the one that told me. I didn’t even know [laughs]!

Hopkins: [When I first got the call] I panicked as I always do when I first talk to them! I panicked. But luckily, I was going to South Africa, so I couldn’t do it right away. Then I had time to, you know, get my bravery up. Once I found out I was working with her, whatever I had to go through, I’d have gone through it.

Pettiford: And here we are!

Digest: What does this reunion mean to each of you?

Hopkins: Oh, I’m just always happy when I’m with Val. I mean, there’s nothing negative in our relationship. We’ve always had fun. That’s why we could be such adversaries on Half & Half, because it was fun for us. So, I was just excited to be with her, and I know what a powerhouse she is. I am just looking forward to actually seeing her in action. I’m hoping I get to come back when Damian shows up.

Pettiford: Heaven, heaven, complete heaven. When you work with the best of the best, you just say the lines. All I had to do was look in her eyes and feel at home and it really feels [like] home. And even though we are playing two totally different characters, you know the foundation is there. It was so great because I didn’t feel any hint at all of the [previous] characters — we were playing two totally different women and I love that. It was a dream come true for me.

Hopkins: And I was touched by the storyline. [To Pettiford] I mean, I’m a single mom so to hear your storyline and to know what that loss must feel like and to want to find [Damian], oh, it’s just a beautiful story and she’s fabulous — just a little bit.

Pettiford: Thank you. I paid a lot of money [for you] to say that.  You’re getting a raise, you’re getting a raise!

Digest: Valarie, when you joined Y&R, did you know Telma had been on it previously?

Pettiford: I’m going to say — please forgive me Y&R fans — no, I did not know. I didn’t watch the show. I watched another network. So when I found out, it was such a joy that she was coming back as the character that she created and was gonna be with me!

Hopkins: I grew up watching Young and the Restless. That’s why I’m probably a little too familiar with some of the characters.

Digest: Valarie, what was your reaction when you learned Telma was going to be joining you in this story?

Pettiford: Well, the great thing is that she’s the one that told me. I hadn’t gotten the script yet so I didn’t even know what the scenes were about, who this [other] person there was. All I’ve ever worked with right now [on the show] is Sean [Dominic, Nate] and Zuleyka [Silver, Audra]. So I didn’t know a new person was going to be even in my mix. So when she called me, I’m like, “Oh my God, who are you playing?” And, then I find out [her character is connected to mine]! It’s awesome.

Hopkins: It was a great setup.

Pettiford: It was a great setup. It just makes me happy, just really beyond words. I love this human.

Digest: Telma, last time Denise was on the show, you worked with Bryton James, who of course you’ve known since he was a little boy playing your son on Family Matters. Did you see him this time around?

Hopkins: I’ve known him since he was 3! Did not [see him], but I did get a phone call.

Digest: Was he jealous of Sean Dominic because Sean got to work with you?

Hopkins: Jelly? Yes, he was. I was kind of tickled. He was going to call somebody. I was like, “Who are you going to call?! Ghostbusters?” He was going to call about the nerve of them to bring me on the show when he was responsible for me being on [Y&R]… “Okay, I’ll give you 10% [the traditional agent’s fee], shut up now.”

Digest: Telma, you got to meet so many of your favorites from the show the last time you appeared. Who in the cast did you get to see or meet this time around?

Hopkins: I only saw Michael this time, Christian [J. LeBlanc]. Last time I think I scared Eric Braeden [Victor; for that story, read this].

Digest: Can you set the stage for what viewers can expect to see when Denise returns?

Hopkins: I’ll just get ready to hand it over to her [pointing to Pettiford]. It’s your storyline, I’m just there to try to facilitate your meeting your child.

Pettiford: Her profession will help me find my son.

Hopkins: I really wish we had gotten a chance to do more though, because the mother in me started coming out when she…. Well, I won’t say what the line, is but you know, the last line [Pettiford says] say in the first scene. Every time I say it, it just touches me. It’s so sweet.

Pettiford: I mean, this woman comes into my life to help and what better person to do that?

Hopkins: The bizarreness of it all. I mean, the irony of it all.

Pettiford: And that’s why I’m the one who get emotional. All I had to do was just look in her eyes. And, yeah, because the storyline is so loving and so touching…

Hopkins: She started getting emotional in a way that she had not gotten before me. I was the catalyst [laughs]. There is something in that safety and that groundedness when you know someone and you feel safe with that person and you don’t have to worry about anything else. We luckily had the time to nurture that kind of relationship. So we just take it wherever we go.

Digest: Is there anything else you can tease about what fans can expect from these scenes?

Pettiford: Get ready!

Hopkins: She’s a master artist. You’re gonna see her go from giggly to ugly cry.

Pettiford: It’s gonna be a surprise. It’s a ride. Just get ready.