J. Eddie Peck Reveals How Cole Really Feels About Claire on Y&R (EXCLUSIVE)
When J. Eddie Peck returned to THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS to reprise the role of Cole Howard, there was no easing back into Genoa City — instead, he was tossed straight into the deep end as his character found himself abducted along with the Newmans by his Aunt Jordan!
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Peck enthused to Soaps In Depth. “But yeah, it was getting thrown right into it. And we have such an incredible, professional cast. I marvel at what each one of these cast members does because of the pace that the show moves at. A faster pace than we even moved back in my day. So I am just really trying to elevate my game to where I can get back into that groove.”
During Peck’s 1993-99 run on Y&R, one of the storylines Cole was involved with was the death of his and Victoria’s daughter, Eve, shortly after her birth. However, now Jordan is claiming that Claire is that child, who she stole from the hospital decades ago! Could it possibly be true?
“I think at this point, he’s believing that Claire is likely his daughter, but there are things that are thrown in there at times in which I think he questions that,” Peck admitted. “Obviously Cole really hopes that Claire is his daughter, and I think he’s very paternal. He’s a very nurturing individual and I think that he would love to have that role in her life and would like to help this young woman.
“Obviously, she’s dealing with a lot of trauma,” he continued, “a lot of brainwashing, a lot of control, and lots of things. And Cole being the sensitive person I think that he is, even if it wasn’t his daughter, I could certainly see Cole really wanting to help this person.”
Surprisingly, Cole and Victoria are on the same page when it comes to helping Claire, even given how she initially aided Jordan in her mad scheme to kill Victor and his family. “Despite what Claire did under Jordan’s control early on,” Peck explained. “I think… I can’t really speak for Victoria, but certainly knowing Victoria as the person Cole has known in the past, she’s a very empathetic, good-hearted person, that she, too, wouldn’t turn her back on Claire even if it later turned out to not be her daughter.
“I don’t think that just DNA is what really motivates these people to help this young, vulnerable, troubled person,” he added. “I think they would do it for anyone if they felt as though they were the only ones in a position to do so. And right now, they’re certainly the only ones in a position to really help Claire, right?”
Keep watching to see how the storyline continues to unfold!
