Jerry Douglas, the former star of The Young and the Restless (Y&R), passed away on Tuesday, November 9th, following a brief illness. He was 88 years old.
In a statement released by executive producer Anthony Morina, Douglas’ passing was confirmed.
“On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to the Douglas family on the passing of Jerry Douglas,” the statement read.
“Our show was lucky to have an actor of his caliber join the Y&R cast and introduce the audience to the iconic Abbott family,” Morina’s statement continued. “His contribution to the legacy of Y&R as Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott, is still felt to this day. He will be sorely missed.”
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Joining the cast of Y&R in 1982, Douglas became synonymous with the role of John Abbott, family patriarch and wealthy figurehead of Jabot Cosmetics. Douglas would become famous throughout daytime drama on account of his portrayal, and he remained with the CBS soap for over three decades.
Abbott’s dealings at home and at work often revolved around his grown, on-screen children — Jack (Peter Bergman), Ashley (Eileen Davidson), Traci (Beth Maitland) and Billy (Jason Thompson) — who are now legacy characters as well. His tumultuous marriage to Jill (Jess Walton) formed yet another critical backbone of the soap’s canvas.
Although Abbott’s on-screen demise occurred in 2006, Douglas made further appearances as a spirit visiting his family. He made his last Y&R appearance in 2016.
Last month, current and former Y&R stars gathered to celebrate Douglas’ 89th birthday. As you can see in the above photo (as well as photos shared by co-star Lauralee Bell below), Douglas was in fine spirits. The star’s 89th birthday will be tomorrow, November 12th.
Alongside his distinguished soap opera career, Douglas also guest-starred on TV series such as Mission Impossible, Police Story, The Streets of San Francisco, Mannix, The Rockford Files and Barnaby Jones.
Fame10 sends condolences to the entire Douglas family.
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Ryan Pratt
Ryan is an avid runner, reader, hiker and music collector. When he isn't writing and editing for Fame10 Soaps, he's relishing in the fine company of his two cats, Penny and Gus.