The Young and the Restless is set to air a special episode honoring the 40th anniversaries of the characters of Ashley Abbott and Traci Abbott. Soap Hub chatted with Eileen Davidson about her time in Genoa City where she had plenty to say about her time as Jabot Cosmetics’ top chemist.
Eileen Davidson Helped Make Ashley a Popular Name
Davidson shared much in a recent Q&A with Soap Hub, but there were a few topics we’ve saved for this second part of our interview with her. Among them is the rise in popularity of the name Ashley in the 1980s, which is attributed to the prominence of the Y&R character. “I know, right?” a smiling Davidson responded when reminded of the trend. “I’ve heard of all the people who’ve named their children ‘Ashley’ over the years.”
Ashley Over the Decades
In the special episode, set to air, Friday, June 17, Traci (Beth Maitland) and Ashley sit down with their great niece Allie Nguyen (Kelsey Wang) to fill her in on some family history. It’s an ideal way for the show to honor the two veteran actresses by showing flashbacks from over the decades. Davidson notes that the Ashley clips won’t include any from the 1990s as she wasn’t playing the role during that decade.
Eileen Davidson’s Ashley Made a Plea to Victor
Technically, she reprised the role in 1999, so there’s the possibility we might see a scene from that year. Soon after Davidson returned that time, Ashley visited her ex-husband Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) in his office to ask him to not stand in the way of her family regaining control of Jabot Cosmetics. Victor could have flexed his muscle but was instead swayed by Ashley’s passionate words. Does the mustached mogul hold a special place in his heart for Ash? “I guess you’d have to ask him, but that story told us that he has a very soft spot for Ashley,” Davidson responds. “They have this history.”
Feeling the Love
Eileen Davidson says she was truly overwhelmed by the on-set tribute Y&R put together for her and Maitland. It didn’t really sink in until she says, “Peter [Bergman, Jack Abbott] looked at me and said, ‘Are you not getting this?’ It was so nice to have this love, affection, and respect.”
The actress, in turn, wants to thank the show’s fans for their years of loyalty. “I want to say thanks to [viewers] for their continued love and support,” Davidson says. “I’m sure this episode will bring a lot of memories back for longtime viewers and that newer viewers will enjoy it, too.”
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.
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