Lauren Woodland
		True Britt Ms. Hodges may be singing the blues right now, but portrayer Lauren Woodland loves her latest storyline

	There’s no doubt about it. THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS' Brittany is having a difficult time right now — what with boyfriend Raul breaking up with her and her parents finding out that their little girl is actually a stripper — but her portrayer, Lauren Woodland, is thrilled with the direction in which her character is heading. "I’m so happy," she enthuses as she curls up on the sofa in her dressing room, nibbling on a green apple. "I love this whole new path she’s on. It’s not just the singing and the dancing — it’s the growth of the character." That's All, Folks Part of that growth, of course, has been for Brittany to distance herself from her parents. Which is a tad ironic considering there was a time when the actress wasn’t too keen to discover her alter ego would be getting parents. "I think it’s sometimes better to leave things up to the audiences imagination." Yet that was then, this is now — and today she relishes the whole parent-child dynamic. "John [H. Martin, Frederick] and Mitzi [Kapture-Donahue, Anita] are just fabulous to work with," she contends. And from the storyline aspect, while Brittany’s motivation to become a stripper is complex, there is definitely a rebellious aspect to it. "Oh, I think that’s totally part of it," Woodland acknowledges. "It’s really kind of a [screw] you to her parents — especially her mother. Because of the whole affair with J.T., her mother really disgusts her… But it’s even more than that. Brittany craves independence. She’s telling her parents, ‘If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but I’m not going to live my life to please other people!’ And that’s empowering." Money Pit For the pampered debutante, the money is also empowering. "Brittany is working her butt off right now, and she likes the limelight, but, hey, not for free!" laughs Woodland. "Even though she desperately wants a singing career, it’s the money that allows her to stand on her own two feet. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t have to rely on my parents, I’m not crippled if my mother cuts up my credit cards — I make a hell of a lot of money!’" Sing… Sing A Song Since arriving on Y&R, Woodland has been involved in one frontburner storyline after another, but says this one has been especially dear to her because she’s been able to flex her vocal chords as well as her acting muscle. "I’ve always been identified as an actress," she relates. "When you go out on acting calls, they don’t exactly ask you to sing and dance!" She’s been doing both since she was a child, but Woodland reveals she wasn’t as secure belting out a tune as she was at, say, tripping the light fantastic. "You know you listen to yourself and you really don’t think that you’re that good," confesses the blonde beauty. "So this was such a great opportunity that Jack [Smith, co-executive producer / headwriter] has given me. I’ve been able to get feedback from people — and they really love it! I’m like, ‘Wow, I can sing and dance for people and they will really enjoy it? Great!’ "This is really marvelous," she continues with a bright smile. "I can’t think of anything I’d rather do!" —Julie McElwain