Amelia Heinle has played The Young and the Restless’ Victoria Newman for over 20 years, but when it comes to her favorite chapter in Victoria’s complicated love life, she doesn’t even have to think twice. It was while playing opposite the legendary Billy Miller.
Chemistry That Sparkled Beyond the Script
“Working with my dear, departed Billy Miller was probably the most incredible period,” Heinle recently shared in an interview with Soaps.com. “It was so special, and the kind of experience you’re forever grateful to have had.” It’s no secret that many fans feel the same. The love story between Victoria is one for the ages and many first fell head over heels for the couple while Miller was playing the Abbott heir.
Miller’s Billy Was the Ultimate Match
Fans couldn’t get enough of the magnetic pull between Victoria, the buttoned-up Newman heiress, and Miller’s irresistible version of Billy Abbott, the charming bad boy (now portrayed by Jason Thompson). There was undeniable spark, mischief, vulnerability, and fun. According to Heinle, it wasn’t just good television, it was pure magic.
“We were having so much fun,” she reminisced. “I think anyone who worked with Billy or met him had fun. He was just the most fun person. He loved everyone, and everyone loved him.” And while soap romances come and go, this one stuck. Not just with viewers, but with the actress herself. “I never wanted it to end, and I told myself it was never going to get any better,” she confessed. “Because it was just the best time I’d ever had.”
Billy Miller Helped Victoria Come Alive
Heinle credits Miller with bringing something out in her personally…but also in Victoria. “I feel as if working with Billy sort of opened me up a bit,” she reflected. “And I feel as if Victoria changed because of that time in her life.”
For a character like Victoria who is so often defined by work, family drama, and that Newman legacy, her relationship with Billy felt like a breath of fresh air. “They were yin and yang,” Heinle explained. “It allowed Victoria to loosen up, and to realize there was more to life than being Victor Newman’s daughter.”
Though Miller passed in 2023, his presence is still deeply felt. “That’s the kind of person he was,” Heinle remarked. “Unforgettable.”
