The Young and the Restless will soon have a popular Days of Our Lives star temporarily fill in for Jess Walton as Jill Abbott. Walton was unavailable for filming, so that Koslow will return to her daytime roots at Y&R.
Koslow Played Lindsey Wells on Y&R From 1984 to 1986
Jill is the second character that Koslow has played on Y&R. From 1984 to 1986, she played the blackmailing vixen, Lindsey Wells. So, Koslow coming back to Y&R is really a full-circle moment for her.
In 2023, Koslow shared the story of how she landed the role of Lindsey Wells on the CBS sudser with Soap Opera Digest,
“I was pretty fresh out here from college. I was working at a production company, auditioning for plays, and I got into an acting class.”
She explained,
“It turned out that Ed Scott, who was then a producer at Y&R, was taking the class to learn more about actors and the whole acting process. So, he got to see me in scenes. When I got a call to come in to audition, I thought, ‘What?’ I literally didn’t even think it was real.”
Koslow said that she was “extremely lucky to get that chance.” Ironically, Koslow’s storyline featured Jack Abbott (then played by Terry Lester) and his scandalous affair with Jill Abbott (then played by Brenda Dickson).
The actress went on to say,
“The storyline was Jack gaslighting the Lindsey Wells character to get back blackmail photos that she had of him and Jill. Later, I was told that when they started that storyline, they didn’t know who that blackmailer was going to be. They decided it was going to be a woman, and that was how they wrote this story.”
Koslow Met Her Future Husband, Nick Shillace, During Her Time at Y&R
Koslow’s time on Y&R meant a great deal to her. Not only was it her first role on a soap opera, but she also met her future husband, Nick Schillace, at Y&R. He worked as the show’s makeup artist at the time.
Koslow and Schillace have been married since 1987. The couple shares two children, Zachariah and Millikate.
Walton was unavailable for the story because she lives in Oregon and couldn’t travel to Los Angeles for personal reasons. So, Y&R reached out to Koslow, who happily accepted the offer.
When Koslow was written off Y&R, she admitted, “It broke my heart.” Many daytime fans also know Koslow as Kate Roberts on Days of Our Lives, a role she’s held since 1996.
Jess Walton started her soap career playing Kelly Harper on Capitol. When the soap was canceled in 1987, she joined Y&R and assumed the role of Jill Abbott and has been featured on the daytime drama off and on ever since.
Walton moved to Oregon in 2011, but has continued to return for short stints on the show. Head writer Josh Griffith and executive producer Sally McDonald at Y&R shared a statement about Koslow’s return to Y&R:
“We’re extremely grateful to Lauren Koslow for returning to her Y&R roots and temporarily stepping into the role of Jill.”
They added,
“We want to extend our sincere thanks to executive producer Ken Corday and co-executive producer Noel Maxam at Days of Our Lives and Peacock. Their support embodies the collaborative spirit of the daytime television community.”
Lauren Koslow’s five-episode arc on Y&R and subsequent time in Genoa City starts on Thursday, June 25th.
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