'Y&R' star Christian Le Blanc readies for return visit to 'amazing' Canada

Christian LeBlanc, left, and Jessica Collins arrive at the 2015 Daytime Emmy Awards CBS After Party at The Hollywood Athletic Club on Sunday, April 26, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Rich Fury / Invision)

TORONTO -- When Christian Le Blanc isn't on the Los Angeles set of "The Young & The Restless" or at home in New Orleans, the daytime star has relished spending time north of the border.

Le Blanc fondly recalls soaring high above Vancouver's mountains in a seaplane, spotting bald eagles in northern B.C., and seeing the now-shuttered Shania Twain Centre in Timmins, Ont.

"I've probably seen more of Canada than the United States," said the three-time Emmy winner, who portrays slick attorney Michael Baldwin on the long-running CBS soap opera.

While the number of daytime dramas on the dial has dwindled in recent years, the 42-year-old soap -- set in the fictional town of Genoa City, Wis. -- has cemented its front-runner status. Global carries the series in Canada, where it has remained the top-rated soap nationally since 2009.

Visits to Ottawa and Montreal are on Le Blanc's agenda for later this year. In the meantime, he's readying for a return trip to Toronto this week with two "Y&R" castmates in tow.

"We travel mostly where the fans are, and Canada is an amazing market for us," said Le Blanc, who originally joined the cast in 1991 through 1993 and returned to the series in 1997.

Le Blanc will be joined by Scott Elrod (Joe Clark) and Sean Carrigan (Dr. Ben "Stitch" Rayburn) at a fundraising gala on Thursday in support of Markham Stouffville Hospital, including the Breast Health Centre and Chemotherapy Clinic.

Cancer has struck a deeply personal chord for the philanthropic star, whose sister-in-law suffers with Hodgkin's disease. Le Blanc's onscreen character has also been forced to come to grips with a prostate cancer diagnosis.

The actor recalled previously meeting with cancer patients in Canada and marvelled at their joy and resilience in the face of dire health challenges -- a decided contrast from his fictional alter-ego.

"It's interesting to actually go and play a character who's actually very knocked down by it and very overwhelmed in many ways," said Le Blanc.

"To pick Michael, it made complete sense because they picked prostate cancer for a man who is all about his prowess as a man, what he considers to be a man.... All of us think we have some modicum of control over our lives, and this is something that really humbles you."