FORMER Y & R STUD JUST WASN’T FEELING HIS ROLE

Chris Engen (left) is out and Michael Muhney (right) is in on The Young & The Restless.

In all the hubbub over the California Supreme Court’s decision on Proposition 8, soap stud Chris Engen issued a public statement on his MySpace page explaining why he left The Young & The Restless last week.

“I never stormed off the set, nor have I stormed off any set in my 18 years of struggle as an artist. I felt generally unhappy about my contribution to the show, and had greater and greater difficulty making any sense of the challenges they were asking me to face. If that makes me a limited actor, then so be it.”

“This was neither a practical decision, nor was it an easy decision to make. I believe that as an actor, and as a human being, I deserve better than to be forced to do something that I don’t feel is right on many levels, and that should have nothing to do with the choices that other people make. My visage and my craft were being utilized to tell a story that I wasn’t inspired to tell. I have a great deal of respect for the show in general and all those hard-working people who make it possible, and it is out of respect for them and a sense of duty toward them that I asked to be removed from my duties.”

Late last week, TV Guide Canada reported that Chris Engen up and walked out of his contract because he doesn’t want to kiss his male co-star Yani Gellman on screen. According to the report, Egen (who plays Adam Wilson … Victor Newman’s son) walked out on the soap because he wasn’t happy with the “dark” direction his character was taking - including the same-sex kiss with Gellman (who plays Rafe) and has been calling in sick a lot lately. Y&R brass is considering suing.

Engen denied homophobia was behind his reason to leave the long-running soap.

“This is, of course, absurd and many of my dearest friends are homosexuals who would be more than happy to speak on my behalf,” he wrote.

He also said the decision had nothing to do with his Catholic upbringing.

Engen has been replaced on Y&R by equally studly Michael Muhney who is eager to dive into his new role.

“My first day on the set was crazy and fun and quite a wild ride. I had to hit the ground running at full speed. I think I need a new pair of shoes, but in these economic times I’ll just have my shoes resoled ,” he wrote on his website.

Muhney was previously a member of the cast of the CW cult-hit series Veronica Mars.

And the gay storyline is going ahead as planned.

“I’m honored to be a part of such an iconic piece of work and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this thing.”