Cane Ashby is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. He is portrayed by Australian actor Daniel Goddard, who had auditioned for Brad Snyder on As the World Turns but was recommended for a role on The Young and the Restless instead. The role was to be portrayed as an American, but Goddard's Australian descent influenced the character's background. Former head writer Lynn Marie Latham introduced him during the episode airing on January 12, 2007 as an Australian bartender in search of his family. Latham created Cane as the son of Phillip Chancellor II (Donnelly Rhodes) and Jill Abbott (Jess Walton) but the character's background was rewritten by Maria Arena Bell in 2009, re-establishing him as the son of Colin and Genevieve Atkinson (Tristan Rogers and Genie Francis). Though characterized as "mysterious", Cane is "loyal and dedicated", while Goddard described the character as a "typical Australian, working-class kind of guy". He was the first member of the Atkinson family to appear on the series, followed by his parents and identical twin brother. Soon after his debut, he became a leading character, a decision praised by viewers and critics. The character has been involved with Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz), Chloe Mitchell (Elizabeth Hendrickson) and most notably Lily Winters (Christel Khalil), a romance that garnered significant fan attention. In 2009, Cane and Lily were married; Global BC would later call Lily the love of Cane's life. The pair had two children, Charlie and Mattie Ashby. In 2011, Goddard was fired from the role, and Cane was shot to death onscreen. However, the actor was rehired soon after viewers campaigned for his return, revealing that Cane's identical twin brother was in fact the man who died. Cane's marriage to Lily was sacrificed, however, they later remarried on Valentine's Day in 2012. While the character's debut received a mixed response, Goddard has been widely acclaimed for his portrayal; Canyon News said that he portrays the character honestly, and is "always dependable, on fire and exciting".