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Jill Abbott, one of the stalwart pillars of The Young and the Restless, is one of the longest-running original characters of an American soap opera. She is also credited with being part of the longest rivalry in American soap records.
Introduced in 1973, the character has been portrayed by many actors over the years. However, Jess Walton has represented the most-liked portrayal of Jill Abbott. The character was created by William J Bell for the soap at its inception.
The Young and the Restless, a daily soap on CBS, continues its story spanning five decades. Set in the fictional Genoa City, the soap revolves around some influential families, the Brooks, the Fosters, the Newmans, the Chancellors, the Baldwin-Fishers, and the Barber/Winters.
However, the friction between Katherine Chancellor and Jill Foster Abbott has been the show's biggest draw.
Jill Abbott's enigmatic journey in The Young and the Restless
The fictional character of Jill Abbott was introduced in the storyline of The Young and the Restless in 1973 as an 18-year-old manicurist. Her back story reveals that she was Neil Fenmore's biological daughter, although her mother's identity is unknown. She was adopted by Bill and Liz Foster.
She has one biological half-sister, Lauren Fenmore, and two adoptive brothers, Greg Foster and Snapper Foster.
While working in the salon, Katherine Chancellor meets and appoints the young Jill as a paid companion. She soon starts an affair with Katherine's husband, Philip Chancellor, and has his baby. Philip had an accident and married Jill on death bed but Katherine nullified the union.
Jill gave birth to Philip Chancellor III and she and Katherine fought over his custody for long. Another reason for their animosity was the men in their lives. When Katherine was with Derek Thurston, Jill got him drunk and tried to marry him.
While Katherine convinced Derek to stay with her, Jill got involved with Stuart Brooks in The Young and the Restless. She faked pregnancy to get Stuart to marry which dissolved after Stuart found out the truth.
The Young and the Restless's nasty Jill used the dead Nick Reed lookalike, Joseph Thomas, to torture Nikki Newman and Casey Reed. She continued to have many romantic flings in a series.
Jill's next big alliance was with the Abbotts after she started working at Jabot Cosmetics. She had affairs with both father and son, John and Jack Abbott. She married John but cheated on him with Jack.
On the other hand, her son was grown into a teenager with an issue of alcoholism. While fighting to have custody, Jill and Katherine helped Philip III kick his habit. But before totally going off drinking, young Philip had a one-night stand with Nina Webster leading to her pregnancy.
While Philip III died in a car crash, Nina gave birth to his son Chance Chancellor IV. Jill's interest in both John Abbott and Victor Newman forced John to marry her and then divorce later. However, her child from this union, Billy Abbott, remained in the Abbott family's custody.
Philip Chancellor II's will and the loopholes around it forced Katherine and Jill to stay in the same estate. When Charlotte revealed that Jill was Katherine's daughter, the two enemies reconciled. They collaborated in nullifying Billy Abbott and MacKenzie's marriage since now they were first cousins.
After the revelation that the late Philip Chancellor III was not her son but the living Cane Ashby was the real son, Jill had both her sons close to her, later joined by Philip III who was alive. Katherine handed over Chancellor Industries to Jill.
Tricked by the Abbott family, caught in the web of lies from Cane's father Colin, learning about Neil Fenmore, and trying to find love and her roots, Jill has had a lot to fight for.
Who plays Jill in The Young and the Restless?
The character of Jill was initially played by Brenda Dickson followed by Bond Gideon and Deborah Adair. Melinda O Fee also played the character for a brief time while Brenda returned to play it again.
Finally, Jess Walton stepped into Jill's shoes in 1987 and has been playing it ever since. Judith Chapman played Jill for a short time when Jess took a break. However, Jess is the current face of Jill Foster Abbott. She has received multiple Emmy nominations and a few wins for her role.
The Young and the Restless: What has been happening with Jill recently?
Actor Jess Walton's Jill has a reduced appearance on the show in the last couple of years. Jess plays the character as a business-savvy, cunning lady with a fierce need for love and acceptance.
In the recent episodes, she has been showing her sense of fairness and her love for her sons. She has decided to step away from her position and empower Billy Abbott. This has surprised Lily, Devon, Nate, and many others close to her. They will confront her and she must explain.
Continue watching The Young and the Restless to know how Jill's move impacts the others in the soap.
