Categories: Stories

12+ Facts Only The Biggest Fans Know About ‘The Young And The Restless’

7. Two Real-Life Siblings Played A Married Couple

Photo Credit: Sean Smith/JPI Studios – as used on http://www.soapoperanetwork.com (Soap Opera Network)

Heather Tom played Victoria Newman from 1990 to 2003 while her brother David was cast as Billy Abbot from 1999 to 2014. Fortunately for the real-life siblings, their characters didn’t become romantic until after Heather had left the role and was replaced by Amelia Heinle. (LittleThings)

8. Jeanne Cooper Was The Longest-Performing Actress On The Show Until Her Death

Daily Mail

In 1973, Jeanne starred as Katherine Chancellor for four decades, with the occasional substitute filling in along the way. Her final performance was May 3, 2013, just five days before she passed away on May 8, 2013. Jeanne’s death was written into the series with her actual son, Corbin Bernson, playing the priest who officiated her funeral as Father Todd. (LittleThings)

9. One Actress Portrayed Two Different Characters Simultaneously

Blog Talk Radio

In 1983, Veleka Gray portrayed two different characters simultaneously: Patti’s psychiatrist Dr. Sharon Reaves, and hotel manicurist Ruby. Unusually, the characters were neither look-a-likes nor related, they were involved in different storylines, and shared no scenes together.

10. Forever Fans

TMZ.com

Former talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey said she was a huge fan of The Young and the Restless (1973) and that “Kay Chancellor”–Cooper’s character–was her favorite. Baseball Hall of Fame Shortstop Cal Ripken is also one of the show’s biggest fans.

11. American Bandstand?

YouTube

Michael Damian was spotted on American Bandstand by Y&R producers who created the role of rocker Danny Romalotti specifically for him.

12. Additional Celebrity Cast Members

November 1974: L-R: American actors Deidre Hall, Tom Selleck, and Jaime Lyn Bauer, co-stars of the daytime television drama series, ‘The Young and the Restless,’ pose together outdoors, Los Angeles, California. Selleck has his arms around his co-stars’ waists. (Photo by Frank Edwards/Fotos International/Getty Images)

Tom Selleck, David Hasselhoff, Eva Longoria, Shemar Moore and Paul Walker have all been members of the Y&R cast.

David Hasselhoff – Soaps.com – SheKnows

13. Additional Celebrity Guests Unknowns

Little Richard, Ted Shackelford, Judith Chapman (“The Young and the Restless” Set Guest Starring Little Richard – CBS Television City Los Angeles 6/11/08©Aaron Montgomery/jpistudios.com air date 6/27/08 – CBS.com)

Wayne Gretzky, Pat Benatar, Little Richard, Enrique Iglesias and Katy Perry have all guested on the show.

Wayne Gretzky: Pop Icon (includes Y&R cameo) – 1984 – YouTube

13. The Series Explored Social Issues

Jennifer Brooks (Played by Dorothy Green) underwent the first mastectomy on a soap opera. Despite having a mastectomy, character Jennifer died of breast cancer in 1977.

IMDb

Other social issue storylines included bulimia, alcoholism, and cancer. Lesbianism was also touched on by Katherine Chancellor, who flirts with Jill while drunk in 1974 and has a brief relationship with Joann Curtis (Kay Heberle) in 1977. Other story situations other than explicit sexual themes such as premarital intercourse and impotence, incest, and rape.

(Source: WTKR.com and IMDb and LittleThings)