Daytime Emmy winners Camryn Grimes and Bryton James say their decades of acting on The Young and the Restless have instilled in them a lifelong work ethic and capacity for creativity.

The 33-year-old actress credits soap opera legends Melody Thomas, Eric Braeden, Josh Morrow and Sharon Case for teaching her their craft when she was a little girl.

"When you have that sort of dedication and talent displayed to you from a young age, it definitely gives you goals and dreams and teaches you to never give up," she said.

"There's no lag time in soaps. You have to listen. You have to be present and be willing to play. That's why we grow such close bonds with each other. There is so much trust we put in our cast and our crew on a day-to-day basis."

"I don't think people realize how much work goes into even just one episode," he said. "We do almost six episodes in four days. That is unheard of. We are the fastest paced medium in entertainment."

Grimes -- who has also appeared in the films Swordfish and Magic Mike - said it is near impossible to separate herself from her career on Y&R.

"It's been most of my entire life and my own journey and my own trajectory. Growing up, most people have seen it on screen. It will definitely go down as the thing in my life that I am most grateful for and most proud of."

James, who has also acted on Family Matters and Vampire Diaries, acknowledged how rare it is for an artist to find paying work, much less a job that has lasted more than half the time he has been alive.

"It is my life. It's also our family. We see the people we work with here probably more than we see our real families," he said.

"But they are our real family and they go through ups and downs and losses and achievements like this together. I couldn't be more grateful for it."

Y&R is marking its 50th season on CBS and the recent streaming premiere of its episode library on Paramount+

Grimes believes the show's longevity is due in part to its multi-generational fan base.

"When do you have a show that you can just hand down from grandmother to mother to kids?" she said.

"You can really join in that joy with the people you love. I've always loved Y&R specifically for this and having their thumb on what's going on in the world and hot-topic issues and I think it makes it very relatable and cathartic and it makes it incredibly meaningful."

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, when people were stuck at home and filming on the show was halted, CBS aired classic episodes of Y&R -- a move that turned out to be a big hit with audiences.

"It allowed new fans to catch up on, who are these characters we are watching in the present day? And where did they come from and what are their backgrounds?" James said. "It's done a great job to capture new fans and remind old ones how far we've come."

Now that the classic episodes are available to stream, Grimes and James hope super-fans will brush up on their Genoa City history even more and lapsed viewers -- who may have stopped watching when the show was broadcast during the day when they were at work or school -- will return.

"Now, in combination with streaming, we have 50 years of content," Grimes laughed.

"There are so many episodes. I think it brought a new fan base now that we are on streaming. You can start wherever you want. We will keep you entertained pretty much for the rest of your life."

The stars appreciate how passionate viewers are on social media, including "Soap Twitter."

"It allows you to connect with your fans more easily," Grimes said.

"They're not just invested in the lives of the characters of the show -- they follow us on our lives and our worlds outside of the show and it's amazing to hear from them. Whether it's good or whether it's bad, it keeps you aware of the pulse of the show."

James recalled how, years ago, fans would have to mail letters to the show's cast, writers and producers if they wanted to express their feelings about stories or characters.

"With social media, you have an instant understanding of what's working and what's not, what's getting people riled up and excited," he said. "It's a huge benefit, social media, in how we guide the show."