John Abbott

John Abbot is a fictional character from the American CBS Daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless. He was the patriarch of the Abbott family, one of the core families introduced to the series in 1980. After a brief portrayal by Brett Halsey, the role was portrayed by Jerry Douglas. After the character's onscreen death, Douglas has continued in the role as a hallucination to various other characters. John's children are Jack, Traci, Ashley, and Billy Abbott. Casting and conception The role was originated briefly by Sean Garrison in 1980, then by Brett Halsey in 1980 for a year. Then, Jerry Douglas took over the role on April 7, 1982. When John died in 2006, Douglas was only out of work for a few months. Maria Arena Bell, the head writer for the series, brought him back as a recurring guest star on September 1, 2006. Since John's death, Douglas has portrayed the role of John Abbott's spirit, and he appears to his children and friends in times of great need. In 2008, Douglas portrayed the role of Alistair Wallingford on the series for three months. Following Alistair's departure, Douglas still returns on occasion as Jack's inner conscience. He has also appeared to Ashley on occasion. Development section Following the death of Douglas in 2021, the soap opera aired a special episode focused on John on June 22, 2023, which featured Douglas' widow Kym Douglas portraying Zelda Wilford, the agent of Traci who gives her advice on how to bring her family back together.