The Young and The Restless Storylines - Recasting

Recasting

While heavy recasting is considered to have doomed some series such as Ryan's Hope and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, The Young and the Restless' has been successful at replacing some of its lead characters with other actors. Most often, major characters are played by the same actor for decades; if they left the show, the characters left with them. But in the case of The Young and the Restless, their replacements were often popular and remade the character in their own image. When William Grey Espy left the show in 1975, the role of Snapper Foster was given to then-unknown actor David Hasselhoff. Peter Bergman has won three Emmy Awards after replacing Lester as Jack Abbott. And Jess Walton, who took over the role of Jill Foster Abbott after original cast member Brenda Dickson was fired in 1987 after a fallout with producers, has earned two Emmys.

In 2004, Joan Van Ark joined the cast as Gloria Fisher, Michael Baldwin's mother, remaining until early 2005. She was replaced by Judith Chapman.

The role of Lily Winters was first made popular by actress Christel Khalil. The Young and the Restless recast Lily with Davetta Sherwood in 2005 but the role was eventually given back to Khalil in 2006. The 2005 the role of Mackenzie Browning was recast from Ashley Bashioum to Rachel Kimsey. Kimsey was released from her contract in May 2006 and the character returned in 2009 played by Clementine Ford. The recasting of Mac took place shortly after the character of Billy returned, played by Billy Miller.

The role of Colleen Carlton, Brad and Traci's daughter, who had been played by Lyndsy Fonseca for several years was recast in January 2006 with Adrianne Leon. Leon was let go in June 2007 and replaced with former Home and Away actress Tammin Sursok, who left in October 2009 after her character died.

In late 2006, The Young and the Restless recast the role of popular daytime villainess, Sheila Carter. Originally played by Kimberlin Brown on both The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, the character was later handed over to Michelle Stafford, who also plays Phyllis. Although this recast was mainly storyline-directed, since Sheila had plastic surgery to look like Phyllis, fans of Sheila have expressed mixed opinions regarding Brown's absence in the role.