Actors must know their scenes are a slam-dunk when real-life tears keep flowing after the fictional scenario comes to an end. And apparently, the judges who chose The Young and the Restless' Max Ehrich (Fenmore Baldwin) as a contender for the Outstanding Younger Actor category in this year's Daytime Emmys race knew it, too, despite not having seen the tears that were shed after the show's directors yelled, "Cut." So just what scenes had several of Genoa City's most popular actors reaching for Kleenex? Soap Central caught up with Ehrich to find out.

soapcentral.com: Congratulations! It must feel like you're walking on the moon today, mister.

Max Ehrich: Yeah, it feels great. I'm actually currently in North Carolina, filming Under the Dome, so I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground so I can do these scenes.

soapcentral.com: How did you find out today that you'd been nominated?

Max Ehrich: Well, I was actually hanging out in my costar's trailer, the three of us [Mackenzie Lintz, Grace Victoria, and I] were just hanging out, and we were trying to find the channel [to watch The Talk], but we're filming in the middle of nowhere, so we didn't get any service, so we were all checking our phones and Twitter to see if someone would tweet about it, and then I got a tweet from The Talk wishing me congratulations. It was very exciting.

soapcentral.com: Very cool. How did you react when you saw that tweet?

Max Ehrich: Apparently, I kind of just got really giddy. I told my costars, and they actually left and ran to the set and told everyone, so I came to set, and our director, who happens to be Peter Weller, who is an Oscar nominee, which blows my mind, he made an announcement. It felt very surreal, the whole experience this year.

soapcentral.com: Peter made an announcement to the entire cast and crew?

Max Ehrich: Yeah, they pulled me up, and he made the announcement. It was really cool.

soapcentral.com: What episode did you end up submitting?

Max Ehrich: I submitted the scenes where I find out that Michael, played by Christian LeBlanc, has cancer. He withheld the information from me and came up with an elaborate lie, but it was revealed accidentally, and I find out he has cancer, and I just have a whole mixture of emotions: my parents held that back from me, they lied to me, and now I'm worried about my dad and what else he isn't telling me. Everyone in the scenes -- Greg Rikaart [Kevin Fisher], Tracey [Bregman, Lauren Fenmore], Christian -- they gave so much, so I was just kind of reacting off them and living in the circumstances. They were devastating scenes to film. We were all just crying pretty much in between takes. So I felt very emotionally connected to them. So after I filmed that day, I was hoping they would come out decent, because they were definitely the deepest scenes I filmed all year. So yeah, I've said this before, but I truly have them to thank because they brought so much to it, and I feel like I owe them as well for my nomination.

soapcentral.com: Christian said the same thing, that his nominations come from his scene partners.

Max Ehrich: After that day, it was like, I was really just lost in the material and... it rings really deep and heavy, someone who I care about as an actor and as a human, and seeing Christian LeBlanc reveal that he has cancer, or that his character has cancer, it just really unleashed a lot of emotions in me. And then afterwards, I was like, "Wow, that was heavy." And then when I was talking to my girlfriend [K.C. Undercover actress Veronica Dunne] about the day, she said, "Well, it sounds like those were some special scenes. Maybe you'll have some material to submit."

soapcentral.com: Have you and Christian sent congratulation messages to each other?

Max Ehrich: We have, yeah. He's phenomenal. Honestly, I feel really blessed to work with such a talented cast. I feel like I learn a lot from everyone, and I'm excited for Hunter [King, Summer Newman] as well, and everyone who got nominated. And also for everyone who didn't get nominated. I feel like it's really hard, when there's so much talent to be judged in this platform, I just think that everybody deserves some recognition. And I'm just happy to be doing what I love to do, so this is just a cherry on top.

soapcentral.com: Do you think you'll be able to make the ceremony this year, even though you're filming for Under the Dome?

Max Ehrich: I sure hope so!

soapcentral.com: Have you heard that the event will be televised and held at Warner Bros.?

Max Ehrich: Yeah, I did, and I think it's going to be awesome this year. They seem to really be taking it to the next level. I really want to be there, but it just depends on what the filming schedule for this is. But I already have reached out, because I'm really anxious to go. I'd love to go.

soapcentral.com: If you do go, will you bring your beautiful girlfriend? She's such a sweetheart.

Max Ehrich: Thank you. She is an amazing supporter. She was freaking out when I told her this year. So hopefully.

MORE DAYTIME EMMY REACTION
• Kristoff St. John discusses the old-fashioned story that earned him an Emmy nod
• Y&R star Amelia Heinle discusses the possibility of back-to-back wins
• Elizabeth Hendrickson on her final Y&R goodbye and Melissa Claire Egan's "bold" move
• Max Ehrich on the real-life tears his Emmy submission caused
• Christian LeBlanc on the blood, sweat, and tears (of others) that landed him an Emmy nomination
• Gina Tognoni celebrates her first Y&R Emmy nom
• They're no longer a B&B couple, but Linsey Godfrey and Jacob Young are co-nominees
• DAYS star Alison Sweeney on her first-ever Daytime Emmy nod
• GH overcome with emotion after first Emmy nom
• Nominee jokes, "Do I just show up" at the Emmys?
• Lisa Locicero on her first Emmy nom and being pregnant on the Red Carpet

What do you think about Ehrich earning an Emmy nomination this year? Would you like to see him back to Y& R full-time, or do you enjoy him on Under the Dome, as well? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our message boards, or by submitting Feedback.