Jerry Douglas, who played John Abbott, the father of the Abbott family on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless,” has perished.
He had passed away at the age of 88.
Douglas was a fan favourite on the soap as the chairman of Jabot Cosmetics, which he held since 1982.
One of the most renowned families on the CBS daytime soap was John Abbott and his children Billy, Ashley, Traci, and Jack.
John Abbott was murdered off the show in 2006, although Douglas continued to appear as the character’s ghost on occasion.
In 2016, he made his last appearance on the show.
On social media, the series paid respect to Douglas.
“Please join us in sending our condolences to the family of Jerry Douglas, known for his long-running role as the iconic John Abbott on The Young and the Restless,” the daytime drama’s official Twitter account said in a post. “He will be greatly missed by the Y&R family.”
Some of his former co-stars honoured his upcoming 89th birthday last month, and actress Lauralee Bell posted a snapshot of the occasion on her verified Instagram account.
“Feel so lucky to have been included in this unbelievably special birthday lunch for Jerry Douglas!” Bell captioned the photo. “Thank you @peterbergmanyr and @eileendavidsonofficial so much! I will cherish this afternoon always.”
Bell was among many who paid respect to Douglas when his death was revealed.
“I was lucky enough to know Jerry since I was young,” she posted on Instagram. “At times he felt like a father figure (maybe because we all wanted John Abbott as our father), and sometimes he’d remind me of my dad, but more often with all the events we’ve had, filled with laughs, he was the kindest man and the sweetest friend, and I will miss him so much!”
Douglas was raised in Massachusetts, and his talent as a football player earned him a scholarship to Brandeis University.
He dropped out of law school to pursue acting, where he studied under Uta Hagen in New York and Jeff Corey in Los Angeles.
On IMDB.com, his first acknowledged part was as a thug in the 1961 film “Blast of Silence.”
Douglas went on to star in several TV episodes and films, including “JFK,” “Mommy Dearest,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Donna Reed Show,” and “The Untouchables.”
But it was his role in “The Young and the Restless” that made him famous.
“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,” Anthony Morina, executive producer of “The Young and the Restless,” said in a statement to Deadline.
“Jerry came to Y&R in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits,” Morina continued. “Our show was lucky to have an actor of his calibre join the Y&R cast and introduce the audience to the iconic Abbott family.
