J. Eddie Peck Returns to Y&R as Cole Howard

The Young and the Restless continues to bring back fan-favorite characters to tell today’s current storyline. The show announced the return of J. Eddie Peck, who played Cole Howard from 1992 to 1999. Peck reunited with several Y&R castmates in March at the show’s gala 50th anniversary party.

J. Eddie Peck Returns as Cole Howard

According to a spokesperson for Y&R, Peck is set to return to the story canvas later this month. Watch for Cole to have a surprise reunion with his ex-wife, Victoria (Amelia Heinle). Cole left Genoa City in 1999 when he moved to England to take a professorship at Oxford.

Soap Hub caught up with Peck at Y&R’s 50th Anniversary gala which he attended with his son, Austin, a singer/songwriter. “Cole went to England to take a teaching position [at] Oxford,” Peck told us. Asked about a return to Y&R at the time, he responded: “I’d love to! Amelia and I had worked together on All My Children. [Our characters, Jake and Mia] had a love story together. I really loved working with her. We had a nice chemistry. I think the chemistry I had with her might have been better than anyone [I’ve] worked with in daytime.”

Who Is Cole Howard?

Novelist Cole was involved with not only Victoria but also Ashley (Eileen Davidson), to whom he was married, and Nina (Tricia Cast), a fellow writer. At one point, Cole and Victoria put their romance on hold because he believed he was the son of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). That turned out not to be true. Later, Cole went ahead and wed Ashley even though Victoria (who was then involved with Neil, played by the late, great Kristoff St. John) was pregnant with Cole’s baby.

J. Eddie Peck: Mourning Eve

In 1998, Victoria gave birth to Cole’s daughter. Sadly, she died shortly after birth. (Or did she?) Cole and Victoria named their daughter “Eve” after Cole’s late mother, Eve (Margaret Mason). What’s bringing Cole back to town? Does it have anything to do with Nikki’s kidnapping at the hands of Jordan (Colleen Zenk) and Claire (Hayley Erin)?

Story Speculation

We do know that Claire and Jordan’s attack on Nikki is personal. Why else drug the recovering alcoholic with vodka? Could Claire somehow be baby Eve, who didn’t die after all? Y&R didn’t show the infant’s passing but instead kept the drama on Victoria’s (then, Heather Tom) reaction to the tragedy with Cole by her side. If Claire does turn out to be a family member, it’ll change the entire Newman clan’s dynamic with her. Stay tuned to see if this is the direction in which Y&R is taking its viewers.