Jess Walton has portrayed the fierce and fiery Jill Abbott for nearly four decades, but when she was unavailable to film episodes due to a scheduling conflict, The Young and the Restless was forced to find a temporary replacement — pronto. Fortunately, they turned to another soap vet, actress Lauren Koslow, and she handled the task with absolute aplomb from the moment she set foot on set.
Daytime Dynamo
Like Walton, Koslow has years of daytime experience under her belt. She’s had three previous gigs: Margo on The Bold and the Beautiful, a prior stint as Lindsey on Y&R, and her current role as Kate on Days of our Lives.
She knows the ins and outs of soaps — their fast pace, mountains of dialogue, and preference for completing scenes in one take. Subbing for Walton surely would have rattled a newcomer to the genre, but Koslow managed the high-pressure situation with complete self-assurance and poise. She was cool, confident, and in full control of her new role.
Support System
While Koslow had to form an instant connection with Jason Thompson, who plays Jill’s son, Billy, she was fortunate not to have to fabricate anything with Billy Flynn, who portrays Jill’s stepson Cane.
Koslow and Flynn spent years portraying the Kate/Chad dynamic on DAYS, where she was a pseudo-mother to his character. So the pair easily picked up where they left off, and there was a relaxed comfort between them. As for Thompson, Koslow immediately grasped the push-pull relationship Jill and Billy share, and their mother-son moments didn’t miss a beat, filled with the expected tension.
Power Player
Like Walton, Koslow knows how to command and retreat in scenes, and she wavered between the two effortlessly. Her Jill was firm with Billy when she explained her business decisions and pointed out his flaws and tendency to fly off the handle. But then she segued to a kinder, gentler Jill as she expressed her genuine love for her son.
Koslow and Thompson’s dynamic was perfectly on target and a replica of the one that Walton and Thompson had created and played for years.
The Verdict
Koslow’s run as Jill, albeit short, has been spot-on. She did the long-term character proud, portraying the Jill viewers have known, loved, and oftentimes found infuriating to the hilt. While it’s hard for anyone to ever make fans forget Walton — after all, she’s played the character on and off for 39 years — Koslow was a bona fide pro and gets an A for her efforts.
