Cane Ashby

Casting and creation

Daniel Goddard auditioned for a role on As the World Turns but was not cast; however, CBS Daytime senior vice-president Barbara Bloom recommended him to The Young and the Restless head writer and executive producer Lynn Marie Latham. After testing for Cane, Goddard received the part. He initially auditioned with an American accent, but when the writers learned of his Australian background, they incorporated it into Cane's backstory. Goddard noted that the concept of Cane being given away at birth meant he could have been from anywhere, and it was fortunate he was the right person for the job.

He Americanized his real Australian accent for the role. Goddard announced his exit in October 2019, citing shock and disappointment, and Cane left on November 26 of that year. In March 2025, Billy Flynn's casting was announced, and he first appeared on June 19.

Development

The writers initially described Cane as a smart, loyal, and moral survivalist with an edge. Goddard characterized him as a typical Australian working-class guy who mined opals, raised goats, and traveled to find himself. Global BC called him mysterious, while SoapNet described him as a stand-up guy who is loyal and dedicated to those he cares about, noting that his time in Genoa City made him a good man. Goddard said Cane was enthusiastic and cautious about working at Jabot Cosmetics, being sensitive about entering an Abbott family business, and that Cane had no fears in doing business with anyone, as coming from a family of gangsters made business people seem unremarkable.

Goddard believed Cane lacked book learning but possessed life lessons from his background, understanding people through his experiences. In 2007, Latham rewrote the history of Phillip Chancellor III by having Katherine Chancellor switch the child at birth, bringing the character back as Cane Ashby. Goddard initially avoided knowing Cane's real motives to avoid influencing his performance, but after the revelation that Jill was Cane's mother, he welcomed the information for added color.

The ambiguity of whether Cane was good or bad made portrayal difficult, especially when a DNA test came back negative; Goddard never asked Latham what was happening but said he could play anything needed. A second DNA test later confirmed Cane as Jill's son.

Storylines

Cane debuted in January 2007 as a bartender at Neil Winters' nightclub Indigo, staying in the U.S. beyond his visa expiration and fearing deportation. He became involved with Amber Moore, who used him to make Adrian Korbel jealous and later learned Cane was searching for his birth mother. Cane had been adopted by Violet Montgomery and raised by her brother Langley Ashby in Canberra, Australia, after her death. Amber suspected Cane was Jill Abbott's lost son, Phillip Chancellor III, who had been switched at birth by Katherine Chancellor.

Amber tricked Cane into a drunken Las Vegas marriage, and when her suspicions proved true, Cane reunited with Jill and avoided deportation. They moved into the Chancellor Estate, and Cane worked for Katherine's company. He later discovered the marriage was invalid and rejected Amber. Cane kissed Lily Winters in September 2007, then pursued her romantically despite age difference concerns.

Lily became pregnant but miscarried. They moved in together, and Cane proposed in August 2008; she accepted. Cane then passed out drunk in Chloe Mitchell's car, and Chloe tricked him into believing they had sex. Chloe was already pregnant, and Cane was a possible father.

Lily moved out and convinced Cane to marry Chloe for the child's sake, but Chloe's real identity was Kate Valentine, daughter of Esther Valentine. Cane had the marriage annulled but stayed with Chloe. Billy Abbott was later revealed as the father of Chloe's child but let Cane raise it. Billy and Lily began an affair while Cane still loved Lily and Chloe loved Billy.

Reception

Cane's debut in 2007 received mixed response. Soap Opera Digest praised the storyline as riveting. Nelson Branco of TV Guide Canada found it unrealistic but praised Goddard and Cane, saying the talented newcomer seduced viewers into suspending disbelief. Soon after, Cane and Goddard became popular among viewers and critics.

BuddyTV described Goddard as spicing up the show with storylines about Cane's true identity and his relationship with Amber. Cane's romance with Lily gained a vocal and loyal fan base. Janet Di Lauro of Soap Opera Weekly commended Maria Arena Bell's change to Cane's backstory, saying it breathed new life into a character who was becoming dull as a whitewashed do-gooder, giving him his edge back. Soap Opera Digest gave the storyline both a thumbs up and thumbs down, finding it exciting but too close to the other Chancellor family rewrite.

The magazine later named it the Most Preposterous Plot Twist of 2009, saying it was out of sync with the show's usual authentic storytelling. In 2011, Tommy Garrett of Canyon News said Goddard was forever second-guessing his character and that keeping Cane edgy and never boring was why he kept secrets from his wife Lily and stepmother Jill. Garrett was interested in Maria Bell's plan to keep the character edgy and called Goddard's performance dependable and exciting.

In 2013, LaDale Anderson of Canyon News commented that trouble in paradise was brewing as Lily found it difficult to resist attraction to Tyler Michaelson. Terrell Smith of What's on TV compared Flynn's potential casting to Rory Gibson assuming the role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, not ruling out that a new actor could add excitement to a veteran character.