Tonya Williams made her last appearance as Dr. Olivia Winters on The Young and the Restless on Feb 15, 2012, and she hasn’t looked back. Yes, fans still approach her and ask when she will head back to Genoa City — and Williams hates to disappoint everyone — but it sounds like the answer is never. But you have to listen to the astute reason why she’s moved on for good.

She emphasizes to Soaps.com, “The show is fantastic. By the way, I left on great terms. I absolutely love the show.” So, there’s no negative tea to spill. Williams’ decision to exit the CBS daytime series had “nothing to do with the show,” she was in search of something else in her life — and we love her explanation for why she moved on. “I try to explain it like this: Have you ever dated someone for a long time? And then you don’t want to date them anymore and you have broken up with them,” she laughs. “And like, 10-15 years have passed. And people are [still] saying, ‘Would you go back with that guy?’ No, You’re a different person now.”

Williams hasn’t sat idly by as she’s made a significant mark in the Canadian film scene. She started Reelworld Screen Institute in 2000 while she was still starring on The Young and the Restless, and the production company has grown to include a film festival and a charitable organization. Her work focuses on “amplifying diverse voices, and advocating for opportunities and equity in the Canadian screen industries.” Her contributions to the film community are being recognized with the 2024 Changemaker Award from the Canadian Academy on Thursday, May 30 — a well-deserved honor!

She admits that The Young and the Restless has tried to lure her back into the daytime fold, most recently for the 50th anniversary in March 2023, but she’s frank about why she turned the producers down. “Honestly, it would have been lovely to do. But I could not imagine doing the role,” Williams divulges. “I go through a lot of process into who that character is, and that character was someone from 20 years ago. I said to them, ‘I don’t want to do it a disservice. I really feel I left Olivia on a high note, and everyone has a great memory.’ It would stress me out to think of the weeks I would need to shut down the other things I’m doing to focus only on this.”

We had to ask if there was a tiny bit of space for her to play Olivia again if she could carve out the time from her film and advocacy work, and again Williams was firm in her answer. “I would need to mentally prepare for this character,” she sums up. “And I just don’t feel I have the chops for it anymore, or the desire really.” Dr. Olivia Winters has taken her final spin in Genoa City, at least with Williams playing the role.