Who Played John Abbott On The Young And The Restless?

Throughout its remarkable 50-year run on CBS, "The Young and the Restless" has captivated daytime audiences by showing the exploits of the Newman and Abbott families.

Several characters have made more than 3,000 appearances on the show, including Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), and Sharon Collins (Sharon Case). One character who was also a fixture on the soap was John Abbott, who was played by Brett Halsey from 1980 through 1982. In 1982, Jerry Douglas took over the role and played Abbott through 2016, appearing in nearly 1,000 episodes. 

Jack was one of John's three children, along with Ashley (Eileen Davidson) and Traci (Beth Maitland). After John died of a stroke in 2006, the doting father continued to appear as a ghost and in flashback sequences for another decade. Douglas died in 2021 at the age of 88 after a short undisclosed illness. He left behind a long and impressive acting resume that stretched back to 1961 and included appearances on classic shows like "Gunsmoke," Bonanza," and "The Incredible Hulk." Douglas also made several film appearances, including in the 1991 Oliver Stone film, "JFK." And in recent years, he also appeared on popular shows like "Melrose Place" and "Arrested Development."

Jerry Douglas was born Gerald Rubenstein in November 1932 in the Boston suburb of Chelsea and attended college on a football scholarship at nearby Brandeis University, where he majored in economics. His acting debut was in the 1961 film, "The Blast of Silence," but he quickly shifted his attention to the small screen. He appeared on five episodes of "Barnaby Jones" as three different characters between 1973 and 1980, then got his big break when he was cast as John Abbott on "The Young and the Restless" two years later. 

Douglas' appearance on "Arrested Development" came in Season 1, Episode 5, "Charity Drive." Douglas plays the master of ceremonies at a bachelorette auction where Lindsay and Lucille Bluth (Portia de Rossi and Jessica Walter) are auctioned off as dates to benefit a wetlands support effort. 

Following Douglas' death, "The Young and the Restless" executive producer Anthony Morina released a statement honoring Douglas and praising his enduring contribution to the long-running program. "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," Morina said. "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. He will be sorely missed." The series also honored Douglas with a special episode on June 22, which featured an appearance by his widow, Kym Douglas.