On The Young and the Restless, Jill is traveling the world and pops into Genoa City every now and then. Off-screen, performer Jess Walton is celebrating a major milestone.
Happy Birthday, Jess Walton
That’s because she was born on February 18, 1949, in Grand Rapids, MI, which means that this talented actress is turning 74 years old today! After being raised in Canada since girlhood, Walton left the Great White Way for Hollywood and upon signing a contract with Universal Pictures, she became one the last actresses to form an exclusive deal with a film studio.
Her first television and feature film appearances were made in The Guns of Will Sonnett and The Strawberry Statement respectively. Subsequently, she guest-starred on a plethora of television programs including The Young Lawyers, The FBI, Medical Center, Gunsmoke, Ironside, Cannon, Kojak, and The Rockford Files.
Between 1984 and 1987, Walton portrayed Kelly Harper on the CBS daytime serial Capitol, having replaced incumbent, Jane Daly. Following that show’s cancellation, she was asked to temporarily replace Brenda Dickson in the role of Jill Foster Brooks Abbott on The Young and the Restless but wound up remaining in the part — for decades!
Walton’s performance as the man-hungry businesswoman earned her five Daytime Emmy Award nominations and she managed to take home two statuettes. The first was in 1991 for Outstanding Supporting Actress and the second was in 1997 for Lead Actress.
While still working at YR, Walton appeared in the film Wasted on Babylon, as well as in two short features — Paper Bags and The Return of the Muskrats — as well as the made-for-TV film Christmas With A View.
Soap Hub would like to wish Jess Walton a very happy birthday and you can too by clicking on the Twitter link below. The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes.
The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Genoa City, check out all the latest that’s been posted on Y&R spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
