Christian LeBlanc

Christian Jules LeBlanc (born August 25, 1958)<ref name="soapcentral" /> is an American television actor. He is best known for playing the role of Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless (1991 to 1993, 1997 to present). He has received nine Daytime Emmy Award nominations and three wins for his work on The Young and the Restless.

Early life

LeBlanc was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His father is retired Major Andre Victor LeBlanc, a decorated veteran and winner of the Bronze Star. He is the second of eight children.<ref name="soapcentral">Template:Cite web</ref> He was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a renovated plantation house on the banks of the Mississippi River.<ref name="digest92">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="digesttbt">Template:Cite web</ref> While researching his family's genealogy, LeBlanc found that his grandmother was legally a slave and his mother was Creole.<ref name="theatermania" />

He began acting in high school, when a girl talked him into auditioning for a school production of West Side Story. He was cast as a Shark.<ref name="digest92" /> He then played a beggar in Fiddler on the Roof, where his classmate, future New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, also had a role.<ref name="neworleans">Template:Cite web</ref>

He graduated with honors from Tulane University, majoring in ancient history and pre-med.<ref name="soapcentral" />

Career

While in college, LeBlanc was noticed by a photographer while swimming at a pool, which led to modeling and acting opportunities. He worked at a variety of jobs to support himself early in his career, including as a busboy at Helmsley Palace, where his boss was Leona Helmsley. He also had jobs as a teacher and a caterer.<ref name="digest92" /><ref name="digesttbt" />

He was offered a role in a PBS series, Edit Point. He was then cast as Kirk McColl on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, playing the role from 1983 to 1985.<ref name="soapcentral" /> After leaving As the World Turns, he had a regular role on In the Heat of the Night. He guest-starred on E.A.R.T.H. Force, Cheers, Riptide, Hotel, and Gabriel's Fire.<ref name="digesttbt" /><ref name="cbsbio" />

LeBlanc was cast on The Young and the Restless as Michael Baldwin in 1991 and played the role until 1993. After a short absence, he returned in 1997 and has been with the show ever since. He also played Michael in crossover episodes on As the World Turns in 2005.<ref name="soapcentral" /> He has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for the role nine times, and won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2005, 2007, and 2009.<ref name="2005 Win" /><ref name="Winners 07" /><ref name="2009emmys" />

In 1993, he appeared in a Perry Mason TV Movie.<ref name="cbsbio" /> He was also cast in the Showtime late-night cable TV series Red Shoe Diaries, and reprised the role for a video movie.

LeBlanc starred on stage in Ladies in Retirement at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in 1995, co-starring with Julie Harris. The play was directed by Charles Nelson Reilly, who was also his acting coach.<ref name="theatermania">Template:Cite web</ref> His other theater credits include productions of No Orchids for Miss Blandish, The Catonsville Nine, and Appearances to the Contrary.<ref name="cbsbio">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2000, LeBlanc produced and acted in a short film, Puppy Love, co-starring with Grace Zabriskie. The film won Outstanding Short Film at the Los Angeles and New York International Short Film Festivals.<ref name="cbsbio" />

LeBlanc appeared alongside his The Young and the Restless wife, Tracey E. Bregman, in the video for I Keep On Loving You by Reba McEntire in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 2011 to 2014, he played Jake on the web series Venice: The Series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

LeBlanc acted in and produced the 2013 film Grave Secrets, co-starring with Diane Ladd and Ashley Jones. A television episode version of the film aired as part of Nickelodeon's Deadtime Stories on Halloween. LeBlanc's role was edited out of the television version.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2022, he starred Off-Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Theatre at St. Clements, co-starring with Sonoya Mizuno and Matt de Rogatis.<ref name="theatermania" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2024, LeBlanc and de Rogatis reprised their roles, bringing the production to the 2024 Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

LeBlanc's art work has been displayed in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C.<ref name="cbsbio" /><ref name="neworleans" />

He is not related to actor Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribbiani on the sitcom Friends. Template:Citation needed

On June 20, 2021, he revealed on Maurice Benard's Youtube series State of Mind that he is gay and has been married to his husband since 1993.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2023, LeBlanc announced that he had been diagnosed with Multiple myeloma in June of that year and that the cancer was in remission. He had first noticed symptoms on the set of The Young and the Restless and took time off while receiving treatment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	The Disturbance at Dinner	Pat in the Box
2000	Puppy Love	John Luster	Short film Also producer
2013	Grave Secrets	Mr. Peterson	Also producer
2020	Across the Room	Waiter	Short film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1983–1985	As the World Turns	Kirk McColl	Contract role
2005		Michael Baldwin	Guest role
1986	Riptide	Johnny Farnell	Episode: "The Wedding Bell Blues"
	Hotel	Male Desk Clerk	Episode: "Opening Moves"
1987	Cheers	Assistant No. 2	Episode: "A Kiss is Still a Kiss"
1988	In the Heat of the Night	Patrolman Junior Abernathy	8 episodes, credited as "Christian Le Blanc"
1990	E.A.R.T.H. Force
1991	Monsters	John O'Connell	Episode: "The Waiting Room"
	Gabriel's Fire	Kyle Ray	Episode: "Truth and Consequences"
	Seeds of Tragedy	Driver	Television film
1993	Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss	Sheriff	Television film
1995	Diagnosis: Murder	Coach Caldwell	Episode: "An Innocent Murder"
1991–1993	The Young and the Restless	Michael Baldwin	Contract role
1997–present
2009	Guiding Light	Wedding guest	2 episodes

Web series

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2011-2014	Venice: The Series	Jake	24 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result	Template:Abbr
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Soap Opera Digest Award	Favorite Return	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Won	Template:Center
Template:Center	Soap Opera Digest Award	Outstanding Supporting Actor	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Won	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Won	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Indie Series Award	Best Guest Star – Comedy	Fumbling thru the Pieces	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center
Template:Center	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Template:Nom	Template:Center

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• Christian LeBlanc's Official Site