Beth Maitland has been playing Traci for the past 42 years on The Young and the Restless. Her character has endured much heartache and trauma. But one emotional storyline had the actress giving it everything she got.
Traci Says Goodbye To Colleen
Out of all the anguish Traci’s endured, none was more heartbreaking than her daughter Colleen’s (Tammin Sursok) death. Colleen’s life sadly came to an end in 2009 when she was kidnapped by Patty (Stacy Haiduk). Colleen managed to escape but fell into a lake. She is rescued and rushed to the hospital, where she is declared brain dead. A devastated Traci said goodbye to her daughter, then decided to donate Colleen’s heart to an injured Victor (Eric Braeden).
Colleen’s death remains one of Y&R’s saddest moments. Not only was it heartbreaking for viewers, but also Maitland. In an interview with Remind Magazine, the actress recalls the filming the storyline.
“My favorite, most emotional and devastating storyline was perhaps the loss of Traci’s daughter Colleen,” Maitland said. “I think I cried for 30 episodes, where the tragedy just kept growing. Not only was Colleen brain dead, and they brought her in and put her on life support, but then it was revealed she was an organ donor, and Traci had to start making choices about pulling the plug and delivering her organs. That story was so demanding and such a highlight of my career. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t happy, but it was such a commitment to the job of acting and the purpose of telling that story.”
Maitland has gotten to show off her incredible acting range as Traci endures more heartache. In recent years, she lost her mother and played peacemaker during Abbott family drama. With Traci headed for more heartbreak because of Alan/Martin’s (Christopher Cousins) dark secret, Maitland will give another emotional performance.
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