Passions Star James Hyde Joins Y&R as a Man from Diane’s Past

Viewers are going to learn more about what Diane Jenkins was doing during her years away from Genoa City with the arrival of a new character on The Young and the Restless. Soap opera veteran James Hyde, who played Sam Bennett on Passions, is joining the show as someone from Diane’s past.

James Hyde Joins Y&R as a Man Tied to Diane Jenkins

Hyde has been cast in the role of Jeremy Stark. He’ll make his Y&R debut on Friday, October 21. (Soap Hub hears that Hyde came to the attention of the folks at Y&R when he was in to read for a different role in which another actor was cast.) Watch for Hyde to pop up on the Telemundo series La Reina Del Sur, which returns on Tuesday, October 18.

Living in Harmony

The actor was a daytime staple as Sam Bennett on Passions, appearing through the entire run of the NBC serial and also on the program’s time on DirecTV. Hyde began his acting and soap opera career on the NBC serial Another World in 1997. He popped up in Bay City as the character of Neil Johannsen. Next, he made a stop in Oakdale as the character Liam on As the World Turns. Before relocating to the West Coast to join the cast of Passions, Hyde appeared on New York-based HBO series Sex and the City. He played Brad Fox in an episode titled “Models and Mortals.”

James Hyde, It’s A Small (Soap) World

Sam Bennett, as Passions fans recall, was the head of the Bennett clan. Sam was wed to Grace (Dana Sparks). Viewers learned that Sam had fathered a son, Ethan Crane (Eric Martsolf, who plays Brady Black on Days of our Lives), with Ivy Winthrop Crane (Kim Johnston-Ulrich). In 2021, Sparks did a turn on Y&R as Dr. Lena Cavette, who tended to Chelsea Lawson (Melissa Claire Egan) following her stroke. Hyde’s post-Passions credits include the Netflix series Monarca, The Good Mother, Rush Hour, My Escort Best Friend, and Finding Emma.

The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. For an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.

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