Eva Pigford, winner of the third cycle of America's Next Top Model and the first African-American contestant to win the program, has made a transition from reality TV star to dramatic daytime television actress.  Now known as Eva Marcille, the 23-year-old model is presently savoring her role on The Young and the Restless, where she made her debut on June 25.

On The Young and the Restless, Marcille plays a character named Tyra Hamilton, which is quite a reference to America's Next Top Model host Tyra Banks.  Tyra arrived in Genoa City with her daughter Ana (Jamia Simone Nash) during Lily Winters' (Christel Khalil) birthday party to surprise her sister's son Devon (Bryton McClure).

"My character's name is Tyra," Marcille told Soapcentral.com.  "So that's kind of weird.  I had a daughter as a very young age.  We're from Seattle and I kind of fell on hard times and now I've moved to Genoa City, where my only family is Devon.  I come there trying to seek refuge… and there's drama."

Devon's father Neil Winters (Kristoff St. John) was worried about the sudden arrival of Devon's aunt and decided to find out more about why Tyra came to town.  After learning that Tyra had lost her job, Neil offered her a job as the manager of Indigo.

While Neil Winters is already involved with someone at present, Marcille's storyline might possibly make Tyra sound like a possible romantic interest for Neil.  On the other, she may also be a home wrecker.

"N-uh, well…She's a good girl at heart," she told Soapcentral.com.

Meanwhile, another potential storyline has surfaced on The Young and the Restless and it revolves around the possibility that Drucilla Winters isn't really dead.

"If she does [come back from the dead], it's gonna go down," Marcille said with a look of eager anticipation creeping across her face.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Soap Central
(Image courtesy of NBC)