Happy 47th Anniversary to THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS — See the Changing Casts Through the Years

By Chris Eades Updated: March 26, 2020

CBS via Getty Images

On March 26, 1973, television viewers first journeyed to Genoa City when THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS premiered on CBS. Created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, the half-hour soap focused on the wealthy Brooks family and the working class Foster clan. After expanding to an hour in 1980, Y&R also expanded the canvas to include the Abbotts, Williamses, Newmans, Barber-Winters, and Baldwin-Fishers.

During its 47 years on the air, Y&R has won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards, taking home the Outstanding Drama Series trophy 10 times. It has also been the highest-rated daytime drama on the air since 1988. Many actors have come and gone over the years, but Doug Davidson (Paul) is currently the longest-serving star on the soap having made his debut back in 1978.

Take a look at Y&R’s changing cast through the decades in the special photo gallery below!

For more Y&R features, keep reading the CBS edition of Soaps In Depth magazine.

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1974 Back Row: Lee Crawford (Sally), Donnelly Rhodes (Phillip), Jeanne Cooper (Katherine). Middle Row: James Houghton (Greg), William Greg Espy (Snapper), Trish Stewart (Chris), Jaime Lyn Bauer (Lorie). Front Row: Brenda Dickson (Jill), Julianna McCarthy (Liz), Robert Colbert (Stuart), Dorothy Green (Jennifer), Janice Lynde (Leslie).
CBS Photo Archive
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1977 Top Row: David Hasselhoff (Snapper), Anthony Herrera (Jack), Tom Hallick (Brad). Middle Row: K.T. Stevens (Vanessa), John McCook (Lance), Jamie Lyn Bauer (Lorie), Juliana McCarthy (Liz), Janice Lynde (Leslie), Beau Kayzer (Brock), Robert Colbert (Stuart). Front Row: Brenda Dickson (Jill), Charles Gray (William), Trish Stewart (Chris), Jeanne Cooper (Katherine), Dorothy Green (Jennifer), Pamela Peters (Peggy).
Tony Esparza/CBS
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2004 First Row: Jess Walton (Jill), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Sharon Case (Sharon), Joshua Morrow (Nick), Camryn Grimes (Cassie). Second Row: Joan Van Ark (Gloria), Jerry Douglas (John), Jeanne Cooper (Katherine), Eileen Davidson (Ashley), Don Diamont (Brad), Lauralee Bell (Christine), Doug Davidson (Paul). Third Row: Peter Bergman (Jack), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), Eric Braeden (Victor), Christel Khalil (Lily), Victoria Rowell (Dru), Kristoff St. John (Neil). Fourth Row: Bryton James (Devon), Kate Linder (Esther), Ashley Bashioum (Mac), Michael Graziadei (Daniel), Keith Hamilton Cobb (Damon), Thad Luckinbill (J.T.), Lauren Woodland (Brittany), John Enos (Bobby), David "Shark" Fralick (Larry), Laura Bryan Birn (Lynne), Christian LeBlanc (Michael), Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren), Greg Rikaart (Kevin). Fifth Row: Asia Smith (Sierra), Tonya Lee Williams (Olivia), Susan Walters (Diane), Patty Weaver (Gina).
Tony Esparza/CBS/Getty Images
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2004 Ashley Bashioum (Mac), Cam Gigandet (Danny), Asia Smith (Sierra), Camryn Grimes (Cassie), Greg Rikaart (Kevin), Lydnsey Fonseca (Colleen), Thad Luckinbill (J.T.), Christel Khalil (Lily), Lauren Woodland (Brittany), David Lago (Raul).
Aaron Montgomery/jpistudios.com
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2008 Billy Miller (Billy), Daniel Goddard (Cane), Adrienne Frantz (Amber), Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe), Thad Luckinbill (J.T.), Christel Khalil (Lily), Kate Linder (Esther), Greg Rikaart (Kevin), Peter Bergman (Jack), Jeanne Cooper (Katherine), Michael Gross (River), Jess Walton (Jill), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Don Diamont (Brad), Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren), Michael Graziadei (Daniel), Tammin Sursok (Colleen), Emily O'Brien (Jana).
Sean Smith/jpistudios.com
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2011 Front Row: Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren), Christian LeBlanc (Michael), Lauralee Bell (Christine), Doug Davidson (Paul), Eileen Davidson (Ashley), Jerry Douglas (John), Peter Bergman (Jack), Jeanne Cooper (Katherine), Jess Walton (Jill), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Michael Muhney (Adam), Sharon Case (Sharon), Billy Miller (Billy), Amelia Heinle (Victoria). Second Row: Judith Chapman (Gloria), Greg Rikaart (Kevin), Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe), Stephen Nichols (Tucker), Jessica Collins (Avery), Daniel Goddard (Cane), Christel Khalil (Lily), Michael Graziadei (Daniel), Yvonne Zima (Daisy), Julia Pace Mitchell (Sophia), Darius McCrary (Malcolm), Tonya Lee Williams (Olivia), Eden Riegel (Heather), Tristan Rogers (Colin). Back Row: Jessica Heap (Eden), Angell Conwell (Leslie), Jeff Branson (Ronan), Patty Weaver (Gina), Bryton James (Devon), Thom Bierdz (Phillip), Kate Linder (Esther), Michael Fairman (Murphy), Sean Kanan (Deacon), Beau Kazer (Brock).
Sean Smith/jpistudios.com
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2012 Front Row: Christian LeBlanc (Michael), Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren), Sharon Case (Sharon), Blake Hood (Kyle), Eric Braeden (Victor), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), Jeanne Cooper (Katherine), Peter Bergman (Jack), Daniel Goddard (Cane), Julia Pace Mitchell (Sophia), Tricia Cast (Nina), Lindsay Bushman (Summer), Emme Rylan (Abby). Back Row: Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Lauralee Bell (Christine), Clementine Ford (Mac), Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea), Jessica Collins (Avery), Billy Miller (Billy), Stephen Nichols (Tucker), Kate Linder (Esther), Bryton James (Devon), Kristoff St. John (Neil), Michael Fairman (Murphy), Patty Weaver (Gina), Tonya Lee Williams (Olivia).
John Paschal/jpistudios.com
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2013 Front Row: Kristoff St. John (Neil), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Peter Bergman (Jack), Jeanne Cooper (Katherine), Eric Braeden (Victor), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), Joshua Morrow (Nick), Amelia Heinle (Victoria), Billy Miller (Billy). Second Row: Emme Rylan (Abby), Angell Conwell (Leslie), Bryton James (Devon), Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren), Christian LeBlanc (Michael), Lauralee Bell (Christine), Doug Davidson (Paul), Sharon Case (Sharon), Michael Muhney (Adam), Jessica Collins (Avery), Steve Burton (Dylan), Jerry Douglas (John). Third Row: Lamon Avery (Mason), Judith Chapman (Gloria), Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe), Greg Rikaart (Kevin), Christel Khalil (Lily), Robert Adamson (Noah), Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea), Redaric Williams (Tyler), Hunter King (Summer), Jess Walton (Jill). Back Row: Ted Shackelford (Jeffrey), Blake Hood (Kyle), Jessica Heap (Eden), Daniel Goddard (Cane), Ignacio Serricchio (Alex), Kate Linder (Esther), Marco Dapper (Carmine), Max Ehrich (Fen).
CBS
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2016 Front Row: Hunter King (Summer), Miles Gaston Villanueva (Luca), Melissa Ordway (Abby), Sean Carrigan (Stitch), Mishael Morgan (Hilary), Bryton James (Devon), Amelia Heinle (Victoria), Jason Thompson (Billy), Eileen Davidson (Ashley), Gina Tognoni (Phyllis), Peter Bergman (Jack), Eric Braeden (Victor), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), Steve Burton (Dylan), Sharon Case (Sharon), Joshua Morrow (Nick), Justin Hartley (Adam), Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea), Jess Walton (Jill), Tristan Rogers (Colin), Christel Khalil (Lily), Daniel Goddard (Cane). Back Row: Robert Adamson (Noah), Sofia Pernas (Marisa), Michael E. Knight (Neville), Patty Weaver (Gina), Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren), Christian LeBlanc (Michael), Doug Davidson (Paul), Lauralee Bell (Christine), Kristoff St. John (Neil), Camryn Grimes (Mariah), Greg Rikaart (Kevin), Mara McCaffray (Natalie), Catherine Bach (Anita), Kate Linder (Esther)
Sonja Flemming/CBS
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2019 Back Row: Tyler Johnson (Theo), Cait Fairbanks (Tessa), Jordi Vilasuso (Rey), Sasha Calle (Lola), Michael Mealor (Kyle), Hunter King (Summer), Camryn Grimes (Mariah), Sean Dominic (Nate), Brytni Sarpy (Elena), Greg Rikaart (Kevin), Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe) Middle Row: Marla Adams (Dina), Melissa Ordway (Abby), Beth Maitland (Traci), Christel Khalil (Lily), Doug Davidson (Paul), Lauralee Bell (Christine), Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren), Christian LeBlanc (Michael), Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea), Mark Grossman (Adam), Kate Linder (Esther) Front Row: Mishael Morgan (Amanda), Bryton James (Devon), Jess Walton (Jill), Jason Thompson (Billy), Peter Bergman (Jack), Eric Braeden (Victor), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), Amelia Heinle (Victoria), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Joshua Morrow (Nick), Sharon Case (Sharon)