'The Young and the Restless' Exclusive: Marco Dapper talks about his ouster, plus previews on Carmine's murder and Sharon's confession!

Marco Dapper, who portrayed sleaze ball Carmine Basco for over a year on Y&R, says that he knew his exit was coming. In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest, the hunky actor tells all about his time on the top-rated CBS soap. On his exit, Dapper says: "I had an inkling about it, so it's not like it came out of nowhere. I expected it, so it was fine. As far as I'm concerned, you have to be a big boy and still do your work." He also states that he appreciated the way he found out Carmine was going to be killed off. "They pulled me into the office, sat me down and gave me the talk, which was really nice of them," he explains. "I didn't have to read about it somewhere or hear a rumor. They were very respectful about telling me and I told them that there were no hard feelings. At the end of the day, this is a business and they need to do what they need to do. I'm just glad I had the opportunity to do what I was able to do as Carmine, and the way they used me. I thought I was on my way out months ago until they decided to put him in an affair with Lauren. I had a great time working with Tracey (Lauren) and Christian (Michael). When I finished my last scene with them, I didn't even want to say goodbye. I was like, 'I'll see you around.' Los Angeles is a very small world."

In addition to appreciating the respect he received while at Y&R, Dapper states that working on a soap turned out to be very rewarding, especially since he previously said that he thought "soaps sucked". He says: "I have a whole new appreciation for what people do on soaps. Being on one was a great opportunity for me. The one thing I've learned from my time on Y&R and that I'll take on my journey is that I'm not too good for anything. I still have a lot more to learn in life and my career. It was a humbling experience and it was a good feeling to be part of a show that was written so well. It's amazing how many people pull together almost every day of the year to put on a show. I know that I really got a workout. It really stretched me as an actor and I'm grateful how they used my character. I'm definitely a better person for it." Dapper finishes by saying he would "definitely be open to doing a soap again". Might we see our friend Mr. Dapper popping up on another daytime drama?

In other news, other actors from Y&R have been previewing hot plot points! Tracey Bregman and Christian LeBlanc recently previewed to Soaps In Depth about the story surrounding Carmine's murder. "There's a huge twist coming," Bregman teases. "Actually there are two huge twists, and I didn't see either one of them coming!" Sharon Case (Sharon) also spoke with Devin Owens of Soap Opera Digest about Sharon's shocking confession. New head writer Shelly Altman says: "Nick's greatest concern is that she (Sharon) will get the help she needs and gets well." Case believes that Sharon "knows that deep down inside of Nick, he's still in love with her." Wondering if Sharon is just being delusional? The actress disagrees. "No, it's a story of hope and love. Sharon is the only one right now who knows that they are meant for each other. She still has to deal with her bipolar issue, so they both have a lot of work through, but she believes that they'll land in that place someday where they will be ready to be together."

Sharon has also been seeing a hallucination of her late daughter, Cassie (Camryn Grimes, who has been returning for several guest spots.) Case thinks that Cassie "is a projection of Sharon's own imagination. Sharon is confronting the truth and it's painful." She continues: "Sharon suggests that maybe if she gets better, she won't be seeing Cassie anymore. That's bittersweet for Sharon and that realization washes over Cassie, too, and that could be the last time we see her." But will Sharon recover? Will her hallucination of Cassie disappear or continue to help her scheme? Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.