Jerry Douglas, who starred in the soap opera “The Young and the Restless” for almost 40 years, has died.
Entertainment Tonight reported that Anthony Morina, executive producer of the show, released a statement saying: “Jerry came to Y&R in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits. 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. His contribution to the legacy of Y&R as Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott is still felt to this day. He will be sorely missed.”
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. He will be greatly missed by the Y&R family.
Douglas was born Jerry Rubenstein on Nov. 12, 1932, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He started acting after he graduated from Brandeis University, Deadline reported.
His first onscreen appearance was in the 1961 film “Blast of Silence” where he played a gangster. He also appeared in episodes of “The Untouchables,” “The Donna Reed Show” and “The Outer Limits.”
But he is most well known for his 39 years on “The Young and the Restless.” According to his IMDB biography, he appeared in 862 episodes of the show.
He died on Tuesday after a brief illness and leaves behind a wife, Kym Douglas, two sons, a daughter, grandchildren and nieces, according to Deadline.
