For nearly 40 years, Daytime Emmy winner Jess Walton has portrayed Jill Foster Abbott on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Recently, the soap opera recast the beloved role, prompting viewers to wonder whether Walton would return.
The Young and the Restless headwriter Josh Griffith discussed Walton’s future with Soap Opera Digest. During the conversation, the showrunner explained that fans have nothing to worry about, as Walton is Jill. “She is Jill to the masses,” he shared.
He explained that availability kept Walton away this time, and the story he had written required the character on canvas. Thus, he and the Young and the Restless publicist, Matt Kane, sat down and brainstormed who could fill in, and it was then that Days of Our Lives star Lauren Koslow came to mind.
As far as what the future holds? Griffith was clear that they hoped to have many more opportunities for Walton to reprise her role, “based on her availability.”
Griffith previously addressed Walton’s upcoming 40th anniversary, set for June 20, 2027, telling TV Insider’sStephanie Sloane, “It’s going to be Jess’s 40th anniversary [as Jill], so that’s a milestone that we will definitely recognize.”
Jill Abbott is the longest-running and only original character remaining in The Young and the Restless. The part was originated by Brenda Dickson in 1973, briefly recast in 1980 by Bond Gideon, then assumed by Deborah Adair, who portrayed her until 1983, when Dickson returned until 1987, when Walton took over the part.
Walton has taken home the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1991 and the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1997.
In 2012, the actress dropped from a contract role on The Young and the Restless to a recurring role to spend more time with her family and friends.
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS and streams weeknights on Paramount+.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jun 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.