Though fans will argue whether or not it's technically a firing, Julia Pace Mitchell (Sofia Dupre Winters) has been downgraded to recurring status with The Young and the Restless. The actress is, however, taking her status change in stride.

"I'm so happy to be here," Mitchell told Soaps In Depth. "This show has changed my whole life. It's really cool. These are some of the hardest working actors in show business."

Being bumped doesn't necessarily mean that viewers have seen the last of Sophia. Tracey Bregman (Lauren Fenmore) has been on recurring status with Y&R for more than a decade.

So what's the difference? Actors under contract receive "guarantees" that give them a promised salary regardless of how often they work. Recurring players are paid for each episode that they work. In essence, a contract player who isn't seeing a lot of airtime maybe be costing the show money because they are getting paid for episodes in which they're not appearing.

Even if she doesn't get another Y&R scene, Mitchell has something else to fill her time. The actress is starting a hair care company.

"It's a jojoba oil-based company," Mitchell explained. "I'm doing workshops in Dayton so people can go to www.JuliaPaceMitchell.com to learn about acting, hair care and what it takes to work in this business!"

Mitchell joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in July 2010.

Mitchell is one of four actresses who have been cut from The Young and the Restless in the past few days. In a 36-hour span, Debbi Morgan (Harmony Hamilton) was informed that her time on the show was ending, and Genie Francis (Genevieve Atkinson), and Marcy Rylan (Abigail Newman) were also let go.

For more on Francis' firing, click here. To read more on Rylan's exit, click here. To learn about Morgan's dismissal, click here.