Top 8 Real-Life Hidden Facts About These Young and the Restless Main Characters
The Young and the Restless has been entertaining its fans with its rich storylines for over 47 years. This would not have been possible without the cast members of the show. The viewers are also to be credited for the success of the show. It’s their love and support for the show that keeps the ratings up. In this article, we will be talking about some interesting hidden facts about our favorite Y&R actors and characters that have taken place over the years.
The Rise of Jill Abbott
Jill Abbott was introduced at the time of Y&R’s inception in 1973. She is one of the staple characters of the show who has a powerful and inspirational life story.
The matriarch of the Abbott family, Jill started as a manicurist and worked her way up to become the CEO of Chancellor Industries. She has become a role model for her fellow GC residents as she is considered one of the most successful women in town.
Meanwhile, she was involved in a long-time rivalry with Katherine “Kay” Chancellor, which remains one of the longest-running storylines in soap opera history.
Early into the show’s run, Y&R faced a rating dip which called for a major casting shuffle at the show. Several major characters were written out during that time. Except for Jill, who stands as the only character remaining to have been with the show since the show’s inception, as of today.
Jeanne Cooper’s Dedication Towards Work
Jeanne Cooper was a veteran soap actress who played the iconic Katherine Chancellor on the show for forty years. Once in 1984, Cooper decided to have a facelift but she did not want her surgery to hamper her performance on the show.
So she discussed her surgery with the production staff and they came to a conclusion to write in surgery for Kay as well.
While most people would have taken a break to recover from the exhausting procedure, Jeanne did not. She was filming scenes for Y&R that coincided with her real-life surgery to make reconstructive surgery a less of a taboo in mainstream media.
She was also open about her latter reconstructive surgeries which included eye lift and chin tuck. Jeanne did not just prioritize her appearance but her health too.
In 2012, during one of her interviews with The Washington Times, she admitted that she trained with her trainer at her hilltop home in L.A. three days a week to keep herself in good shape and health. She was 83 years old at that time.
Jeanne Cooper appeared on almost every episode
Katherine Chancellor was introduced in 1973, about six months after the show started in an attempt to spice up the atmosphere in GC. Surprisingly, the character went on to become the breakout star of the show, and portrayer Jeanne Cooper booked a permanent place in the viewers’ hearts.
As noted earlier, Jeanne was very dedicated to her work. In her forty-year-long tenure at the show, she appeared in almost all the episodes, with her final episode airing only five days before her demise on May 8, 2013.
Her final episode was filmed on March 26, 2013, which marked the 40th anniversary of Y&R.
Eric Braeden was initially hired as a guest star
Eric Braeden, who plays the Newman patriarch, is an inseparable part of the show at present. However, times were different when he was hired for the first time on the show.
Braeden made his debut as Victor Newman in 1980. Back then, the character was only supposed to make a guest appearance. Braeden was handed a contract which stated that his tenure at the show would last for a span of only eight to twelve weeks.
Surprisingly, Victor became an immediate success on the show and Braeden was upgraded to series regular.
Don Diamont’s Abrupt Firing
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The actor who had stepped into the daytime world in 1984 by playing a recurring role on Days of Our Lives, Don Diamont went on to make his debut on Y&R as Brad Carlton in 1985.
He was introduced as a new gardener at the Abbott mansion who ultimately went on to become a prominent cast of the show. However, 24 years after playing the role, Don was unceremoniously let go from the show, following which his character was killed off in a drowning accident.
Fans of Don felt extremely sad and disappointed with the show’s decision. It was later revealed that he was removed from Y&R to be placed as one of the main characters in its sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, where he plays the role of Bill Spencer, Jr. until date.
Kristoff St. John’s Record-Setting Role
Late Kristoff St. John made his debut on Y&R as Neil Winters in February 1991, becoming the first black actor to grace the screen of the daytime show. The character became an instant hit among the fans and the actor went on to win several NAACP and Daytime Emmy Awards.
Sadly, Kristoff passed away on February 3, 2019, following which his character, Neil Winters, also met a similar fate on the show.
But until this date, Neil remains the longest-running black character to appear on the show. Neil’s last episode aired on February 6, 2019, just eight days shy of his 28th anniversary on the show.
Fans’ Love For Christel Khalil
Lily Winters was born on-screen in 1996 as the daughter of Drucilla Winters and Malcolm Winters. Christel Khalil joined the Y&R cast in 2002 when Lily was SORASed into a teenager. Three years after joining the cast, Khalil left the show citing stress as the reason for her exit.
Y&R went on to fill the void recasting the character with Davetta Sherwood. But after less than a year into the role, Sherwood was released from her contract after Khalil agreed to return to the show.
However, in 2012, Khalil once again decided to exit the show after a failed contract negotiation. Later, in an interview with MSN, she expressed her desire to remain on the show.
Upon learning the news, fans of Christel began a campaign in support of her remaining on the show. After weeks-long of sending letters, e-mails, and phone calls, fans ultimately flew a plane over the CBS Television City which carried a banner stating “Y&R Fans Want Christel Khalil as Lily Ashby.” Khalil ultimately stayed on the show.
READ MORE: Y&R star Christel Khalil (Lily Winters) moves into her new home in Latigo Canyon, Malibu
Adding Devon Hamilton’s Storyline
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The character of Devon Hamilton was introduced to the viewers in 2004. For more than 3 decades, the show had been focusing on stories related to love, lust, betrayal, rivalry, and power.
Y&R experimented with a storyline that was drastically different from the usual ones by writing the story of Devon Hamilton, a teenager who grew up in the foster care system. The character was carefully crafted to tell a story outside of the realm of typical soapy romances and to bring light to the struggles of real-life foster children.
It was Victoria Rowell, the portrayer of Drucilla Winters, who pitched this idea to the show’s head writers. Ultimately when Y&R cast Bryton James in the role of Devon Hamilton, writers focused on the bonding between Devon and Drucilla.
If you enjoyed reading these hidden Y&R facts, then do check out our other article where we collected more interesting facts on the Young and the Restless.