Who Did This Adorable Little Tyke In White Grow Up To Play on Soaps?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but we wonder what good is a picture when you can’t recognize the subject? Above is a snapshot of a future star of soaps but can you guess who this little darling grew up to be?

Star Of The Soaps

Now, obviously, this young lady (now all grown up) is currently starring on one of the four remaining daytime dramas – The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless – but that’s probably not enough of a hint.

So try these on for size. She is a soap hopper, who earned two Daytime Emmy Awards, and her most popular role was originated by another. She also worked opposite soap opera alum, Donna Mills, in the 1970s.

But just who could she be? Is this a photograph of Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts, DAYS; ex-Margo Lynley, BB), Leslie Charleson (Monica Quartermaine, GH), or Jess Walton (Jill Abbott, YR).

Lauren Koslow

Don’t let Koslow’s daytime dial hopping (which also includes a stint on YR as Lindsey Wells) nor her assumption of the Kate Roberts part (which had been previously played by Deborah Adair) trick you. She isn’t today’s featured star.

Leslie Charleson

Sure, Charleson has indeed appeared on many a soap – including A Flame in the Wind and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. And yes, in the latter serial she did act opposite Donna Mills (Charleson was the older but not exactly wiser Iris Donnelly and Mills her younger sister Laura). However, she isn’t the mystery child.

Jess Walton

Walton was a prolific guest actress throughout the 1970s and she even managed to snag leading roles in the feature films The Peach Killers and Monkeys in the Attic.

In 1977, she appeared in the police thriller, The Haunted Lady, which starred Donna Mills. Seven years later, Walton joined the cast of the CBS program Capitol. When it was later cancelled – in order to make room for William J. Bell’s newest offering, The Bold and the Beautiful – she found herself snatched up by producers of The Young and the Restless.

She has played Jill Foster Abbott – or Jill Fenmore Abbott if you prefer – since 1987. For her work, Walton was awarded two Daytime Emmys. The first (given in 1991) was for Outstanding Supporting Actress while the second (1996) was in the Lead Actress category. So if you guessed that the picture might be of a young Jess Walton — then you were right on the money!