The Young and the Restless Cast Then vs Now: Remembering Every Major Star Who Has Passed Away

Credits:- Richard Cartwright/CBS

It’s hard to overstate the impact of The Young and the Restless on the realm of American daytime TV. Since its creation back in ’73, thanks to William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, the show has remained a cornerstone in the realm of American television and has held on to the crown of the highest-rated American daytime soap opera for over 35 years after reaching the top spot in ’89 (via LA Times).

Although the current TV climate has begun shifting toward more prestige-driven shows that align more closely with movies than traditional TV, even in an era dominated by streaming, the show is still going strong in its 53rd season. Speaking of its influence, its iconic cast cannot be ignored when discussing what made it stand out, from the Newman family’s billionaire patriarch Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) to more recent standout performers like Christel Khalil’s Lily Winters.

But given the show’s longevity, as it has been airing since the early 1970s, a number of beloved stars have sadly passed away over the years. While this list will not cover every performer associated with the show who has passed away, to keep things concise, it will focus on the more beloved and integral contributors whose presence amplified its stature.

1 Jeanne Cooper – Katherine Chancellor

Jeanne Cooper’s turn as Katherine Chancellor was iconic to say the least, as she was the emotional core of the show throughout her 40-year-long association with the show. Moreover, her decades-long rivalry with Jill Abbott remains one of the longest-running onscreen feuds in American TV history.

Her legacy is largely tied to the daytime soap opera, which led to a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in May 2004. But beyond that, she appeared in the likes of Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, and movies like The Redhead from Wyoming and Kansas City Bomber.

In her later years, despite appearing in movies like Donna on Demand and Dead Air, she remained part of the daytime soap opera till the very end. And just five days after her final appearance in the show on May 3, 2013, she died peacefully in her sleep on May 8, 2013.

2 Kristoff St. John – Neil Winters

Following his debut in ’91, Kristoff St. John anchored the first Black family as the patriarch of the Winters family as Neil, which was groundbreaking for representation in the realm of daytime TV at the time.

Beyond his success in the show, which earned him two Daytime Emmy wins, the actor starred in sitcoms like Happy Days, The Cosby Show, and also helmed the 2014 documentary, A Man Called God. Unfortunately, Kristoff St. John, who kept on struggling with depression in his final years following his son’s suicide in 2014, succumbed to death on February 3, 2019, due to hypertrophic heart disease. His last appearance in the soap opera aired just 3 days after his death.

3 Jerry Douglas – John Abbott

Throughout his 25-year stint as John Abbott, Douglas served as the moral compass of the show, and even after his character’s controversial death in 2006, he continued to appear as a guiding spirit to his kids in the following years.

Jerry Douglas also boasted guest appearances in hits like Arrested Development, Cold Case, and Melrose Place, and made his last appearance on the daytime soap opera as a guiding spirit in 2016. And shortly before his 89th birthday, the actor died on November 9, 2021, due to an undisclosed illness.

4 Billy Miller – Billy Abbott

Despite joining the show in 2008, Billy Miller quickly rose as the fan-favorite for his unique blend of charm and reckless energy as Billy Abbott. Moreover, he’s one of the few actors to nab three Daytime Emmy wins thanks to his turn as Abbott.

He later went on to star in projects like Suits, General Hospital, The Rookie, and Clint Eastwood‘s American Sniper, and exited the daytime soap opera in 2014. Unfortunately, on September 15, 2023, the actor committed suicide after a long battle with bipolar depression, and his last onscreen appearance was in the NCIS episode Unearth in 2022.

5 Terry Lester – Jack Abbott

Following his debut in ’80, Terry Lester served as the original smiling Jack Abbott, cementing the character’s charming and ruthless stature, and was essential to the show’s dominance on TV.

However, the actor ended up quitting the show in ’89 over frustration, reportedly due to the lack of screentime. But despite his exit, Lester continued to be a staple in the realm of daytime soap operas with shows like Santa Barbara and As the World Turns before passing away on November 28, 2003. Although it was initially reported that he died from a heart attack, it was later revealed that his death stemmed from complications related to AIDS.

6 Beau Kazer – Brock Reynolds

Introduced during the show’s initial years, Kazer starred as the recurring son of Katherine Chancellor, Brock Reynolds, and remained a beloved figure among fans during his 40-year-long turn.

While he was a respected figure in the realm of soap operas and even went on to star as Bunny Willis on General Hospital, interestingly, Kazer also had a brief presence in Martin Scorsese‘s Taxi Driver. He also returned for his breakout role one final time to attend his onscreen mother’s funeral. And not long after his final appearance in 2013, the actor passed away in his sleep on December 30 2014.

7 Marla Adams – Dina Abbott Mergeron

Marla Adams starred as the definitive Abbott family matriarch and was a show regular during her initial stint from ’83 to ’86 and later became a recurring figure.

Being a stage veteran, she also went on to star in soaps like The Secret Storm and The Bold and the Beautiful. Although she would continue to return on several more occasions, Adams returned for one final stretch as Dina from 2017 to 2020, which earned her an Emmy win for her haunting Alzheimer’s storyline.

8 Meg Bennett – Julia Newman

After debuting as Victor Newman’s first wife, Bennett not only positioned herself as a major fan-favorite in the role of Julia but also transitioned to become a prolific writer for the soap.

Although she would later appear in shows like General Hospital, Bennett’s cadence as a writer kept on growing, as she became a prominent writer for shows like Santa Barbara and Generations. And like Adams, her final appearance in the show aired in 2020, and Bennett would later die following a battle with cancer just weeks before Adams’ death on April 11, 2024.

9 Quinn K. Redeker – Rex Sterling

Quinn K. Redeker was another beloved figure in the community for his lovable depiction of con-artist Rex Sterling, husband to Katherine Chancellor.

Like Bennett, K. Redeker also excelled behind the cameras, as he would later go on to co-write the Oscar-winning feature The Deer Hunter and star in Days of Our Lives. And in 2004, he marked his final appearance in the soap as a guiding spirit to a grieving Katherine. K. Redeker would later quit acting in 2012 after Harry’s Law, and reportedly died due to natural causes on December 20, 2022.

10 Sharon Farrell – Florence Flo Webster 

Sharon Farrell was another integral part of the show’s legacy as Florence Flo Webster, the feisty mother of Nina Webstein, despite exiting the show in 1997, just six years after debuting.

Farrell also starred opposite Steve McQueen in The Reivers, and her other major works include It’s Alive and Night of the Comet. Although she’d take a hiatus from showbiz in the 2000s, Farrell did return to TV for a brief gig as Grandma Geraldine in Broken at Love in the early 2010s. She, too, would die of natural causes on May 15, 2023.

11 Andrea Evans – Patty Williams

In her brief turn as Patty Williams, Jack Abbot’s first wife, Evans delivered an impressively volatile performance before exiting just a year later in ’84.

She would briefly quit acting in the wake of a terrifying stalker ordeal in ’90 (via People). On the bright side, she later returned to the soap landscape and starred as Tawny Moore in The Young and Restless‘ sister show, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Evans further cemented her legacy in the realm of soap operas through projects like One Life to Live and Passions before returning to The Young and Restless as Tawny Moore in 2010. The actor would later die due to breast cancer on July 9, 2023.

Actor	The Young and the Restless Role	Died on
Jeanne Cooper	Katherine Chancellor	May 8, 2013
Kristoff St. John	Neil Winters	February 3, 2019
Jerry Douglas	John Abbott	November 9, 2021
Billy Miller	Billy Abbott	September 15, 2023
Terry Lester	Jack Abbott	November 28, 2003
Beau Kazer	Brock Reynolds	December 30, 2014
Marla Adams	Dina Abbott Mergeron	April 25, 2024
Meg Bennett	Julia Newman	April 11, 2024
Quinn K. Redeker	Rex Sterling	December 20, 2022
Sharon Farrell	Florence Flo Webster	May 15, 2023
Andrea Evans	Patty Williams	July 9, 2023

Given how memorable they were in making Genoa City so lively, even in their death, these legends’ influence on the genre of daytime soap opera will endure for years to come.

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The Young & Restless is available to stream on Paramount+.